For a family dinner, a 1.8–2L vanilla or soft-scoop tub gives you more dessert to portion out, provided the flavour suits the table and you have freezer space. Choose a smaller tub when a particular flavour matters more than volume; for a guest with a dietary requirement, check the ingredients and allergen information on the exact pack before serving.
If guests will serve themselves or have ice cream alongside another pudding, a larger plain tub gives you flexibility over portions. Tesco Groceries lists 2L soft-scoop tubs, while Waitrose & Partners lists a 2L vanilla option.
Choose against each guest’s specific requirements, not a broad claim on the front of the tub. Waitrose & Partners lists Swedish Glace vanilla as vegan and dairy-free, but its ingredients include soya.
Measure the available space before committing to a large tub. A smaller format takes up less room, but also gives you less dessert to divide between guests.
Start with the amount you intend to serve, then check storage space, flavour and every guest’s dietary requirements. A tub’s description as a sharing dessert does not tell you how much it contains.
Choose when: You want a plain dessert that can be portioned out or served with another pudding.
Bear in mind: A 1.8–2L tub needs enough freezer room before and after dinner.
Choose when: A particular flavour or inclusion is central to the dessert you plan to serve.
Bear in mind: Check whether the smaller volume will cover the portions you intend to serve.
Choose when: Its current ingredients and labelling match a guest’s specific requirement.
Bear in mind: Vegan or dairy-free wording does not establish suitability for every allergy.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Amount to serve | Compare the stated total volume in ml or litres. If buying a multipack, check how many separate tubs it contains. | I’m serving several people and want to know how much dessert I can portion out, especially if it is the only pudding. |
| Freezer space | Check the pack’s dimensions against the space available, as well as its frozen-storage instructions. | There is limited room in my freezer, so I need a format I can store until dinner and put away afterwards. |
| Dietary suitability | Read the exact pack’s ingredients, highlighted allergens and any precautionary allergen statements. Check each guest’s specific requirement. | Someone at the table has an allergy or intolerance; I cannot rely on a flavour name or a vegan claim alone. |
| Flavour and serving plan | Check whether the tub is plain or contains additions such as sauce, fruit or other inclusions. Match its volume to any other dessert being served. | I may serve the frozen dessert with another pudding, or I may want a particular flavour to stand on its own. |
Tesco Groceries lists vanilla soft-scoop tubs in both 1.8L and 2L formats, while the Waitrose & Partners listings include substantially smaller tubs. The word ‘sharing’ is not a measure of volume.
Check the stated ml or litre quantity and decide how many portions you intend to serve, particularly if there is no other pudding.
A 1.8–2L tub requires more storage space than a smaller format and may need room again after serving.
Check where it will fit before choosing the size, and follow the storage instructions on the pack.
The Swedish Glace vanilla product listed by Waitrose & Partners is described as dairy-free, yet its ingredients include soya. Food Standards Agency material explains that precautionary allergen statements can also indicate possible unintended allergen presence.
For a guest with an allergy or intolerance, check the current pack’s full ingredients and relevant precautionary statements against that guest’s requirements.
The Joybuy product information for a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream bundle says to keep it at −18°C or colder and not to refreeze it once thawed. Follow the instructions for the tub you buy rather than applying another product’s directions to it.
Keep the dessert frozen until serving and check its pack before returning any remainder to the freezer.
These retailer and brand examples illustrate different tub formats; check the individual product rather than assuming every item in a range has the same size or ingredients.
Tesco Groceries lists own-label soft-scoop tubs alongside branded ice cream.
Waitrose & Partners lists a 2L Essential Vanilla Soft Scoop tub as well as smaller branded and dietary-specialist options.
The Marks & Spencer ice-cream range includes dairy and plant-based tubs.
Waitrose & Partners lists Häagen-Dazs as a smaller-format branded option, including a 650ml vanilla tub.
These options cover a 2L twin pack and smaller 900ml–1L tubs with different flavours. Choose by the amount you plan to serve, available freezer space and the ingredients suitable for your guests.
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Two 1L tubs provide 2L in total for portioning across a family dinner. Allow freezer room for both tubs. The product information identifies milk and egg and says it may contain traces of nuts and peanuts; check the current pack for guests with allergies.
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A vanilla tub to serve by the spoonful or alongside another dessert. At 900ml, it contains less than a 1.8–2L sharing tub, so check the amount against your planned portions. The product information identifies milk and says it may contain traces of nuts and peanuts.
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This 900ml strawberry-flavoured tub has a strawberry filling and could be served as one part of a family dessert. Check that the volume covers your portions. The product information identifies milk, possible traces of nuts and peanuts, and a warning concerning E124 and E102; read the current pack before serving.
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A 900ml chocolate dessert tub for a meal planned around that flavour. It provides less total volume than the 1.8–2L formats. The product information identifies milk and says it may contain soya, gluten and nuts; check the current pack against guests’ requirements.
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This 1L malai kulfi tub is described with cardamom and saffron flavours. Check whether 1L covers the portions you plan to serve, particularly if it is the only dessert. It contains milk; read the current pack for full ingredients and allergen information.
Choose by the portions you plan to serve, whether there is another pudding and how much freezer space you have. Tesco Groceries and Waitrose & Partners list 1.8–2L soft-scoop formats for a larger shared dessert; a smaller tub may be enough when it is served alongside something else.
No. The Swedish Glace vanilla dessert listed by Waitrose & Partners is described as vegan and dairy-free, but its ingredients include soya. Check the current pack’s ingredients and precautionary allergen statements against each guest’s specific requirements.
Yes. Use the ingredients and allergen information on the exact pack you intend to serve, particularly when a guest has an allergy or intolerance. Do not assume that an earlier listing or a pack bought previously has identical ingredients.
Follow the storage directions on the product’s own pack. Joybuy’s information for a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream bundle specifies −18°C or colder and says not to refreeze once thawed; check your chosen tub’s instructions before storing any remainder.