Four decades in, Consort Frozen Foods proves that caring relationships are the real secret ingredient
Positioning itself as ‘The Ice Cream Specialists’, Consort Frozen Foods (Consort) helps retailers, leisure operators, wholesalers and foodservice businesses grow ice cream sales through category expertise, supplier partnerships and industry-leading customer service. Operating closely with its customers, Consort is alert to possibility and animated by a culture where good ideas travel fast – an ethos perfectly illustrated by its solution to the recurring problem of broken wafer cones. When Gemma, Consort’s Product and Marketing Manager, noticed the fragile cones kept arriving in poor condition, she reached for a tray instead of a write-off form, and innovative thinking led to a new concept. Paul Blazdell, CEO of the independent UK distributor, recalls the moment ice cream nachos came to life; pairing broken cone pieces with a scoop of ice cream and a product was born. Within a single day of Consort floating the idea publicly, a customer had filmed their own version and posted it to Instagram. “For me, that was a genuinely joyous moment,” he begins. “Someone had seen a problem and converted it into an opportunity.”
That culture didn’t appear overnight. Launched in 1987 by Paul’s father, Roger Blazdell, the company has expanded across thousands of customer locations and sees emerging trends, product performance and category opportunities first-hand, helping customers make better ranging and merchandising decisions. Carrying major global brands Wall’s, Nestlé, Cadbury’s, Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s, alongside a selection of independent brands, Consort currently has over 1500 products – with ice cream remaining firmly at the core of the business. “We care deeply about the relationships we have with every brand,” Paul continues. “We also partner with Marshfield Farm, Hackney Gelato and Purbeck – originally local brands – and it’s fantastic to see them grow nationwide recognition and distribution.”
Prioritizing partnerships
Although 30 percent of Consort’s business sits outside ice cream in retail frozen food, with brands such as Ristorante, Birds Eye and McCain’s, ice cream is the company’s chosen niche. “It’s not just about transactions,” adds Sales Director, Dean Hanson, who joins us alongside Paul. “We consult with our customers to help them sell more ice cream, improve margins and make better ranging decisions. If they grow, we grow. We invest heavily in our sales team and focus strongly on both our customer and supplier relationships. We support customers with point-of-sale concepts, display equipment and materials which is important in a time when many wholesalers are automating and moving away from personal contact – we still believe people-to-people service is critical. There’s nothing more frustrating than having an issue and not being able to speak to anyone. People buy from people because of relationships.”
Consort’s dedication to relationships was rightfully recognized when the company was named winner of the 2025 Customer Service Award at the Sussex Business Conference & Awards. Each customer is allocated a dedicated sales rep for consultative support – a commitment which Dean says is reflected in their data: “The rate of orders through tele sales is much higher than through our online platforms, even though customers have email, app and text options available to them. They still call and talk to their person. We also do end-of-period reviews to ask customers what we can do better. A truly strong customer service offering is more powerful than 20 marketing campaigns; people will simply keep using you because they enjoy the experience.”
“We have customers who’ve been with us for over 35 years, and we want to celebrate that,” adds Paul. “We give long-service recognition at five, ten, fifteen years and beyond. Our drivers also play a critical role. They have more face-to-face contact with customers than anyone else, and we’re very proud of the service they deliver. Everyone at the front is backed up by the teams behind them in the stores, finance and administration. It’s a collective effort.”
Positive workplace culture
With a caring, people-centric culture, the group firmly believes in working locally and being a part of the community, demonstrated notably by its involvement in the government-supported scheme Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP). Collaborating with the University of Brighton over the past four years, the project was about observing the business differently and using real data to explore possible growth and innovation through technology and new ideas. “It’s a genuine win-win,” explains Dean. “It allows the university to work with a real business and apply data to real challenges, while we get a dedicated resource that brings fresh thinking, supports our development and promotes entrepreneurship.” Consort has also invested in a dedicated Innovation Centre where suppliers, customers and industry partners can collaborate on category development, training and new ideas.
Personal development is central to Consort’s values. “Most of our management team started at a junior level – in the sales office, on the vans, in the cold store – and worked their way up. The job of a leader is to create the next leaders. We provide a lot of training, structured feedback and genuine opportunity, which we’re planning on formalizing with the launch of our Consort Academy. We also try to make people feel valued in small but meaningful ways. Everyone gets an Easter egg and an advent calendar. Free ice cream is obviously a given!” Dean laughs.
Paul continues: “When employees get married, or have their first child, we give them additional paid time off. We’re introducing first-day-at-school leave so parents can be there in the morning and afternoon. We also give people time to donate blood or contribute to their local communities. These are the things that matter to people. It’s about giving as much as we can in whatever way we can.”
“It all comes down to care – for customers, for our colleagues and for the people and businesses we work with,” agrees Dean. “For example, premiumization is a massive trend now. Brands like Häagen-Dazs, Ben & Jerry’s and Nuii are selling super-indulgent ranges, but there are also customers for whom value is everything. We work with brands on both ends of that spectrum, helping to bring premium products to market, but also working on accessible entry-level propositions like Franco’s, which are still fantastic products at a great price. The cost of living is a pressure for all of us, and we want to enable everybody to enjoy ice cream.”
Flexibility, versatility and innovation are the key words for Consort when planning for the future. “Ice cream is our product, but we can’t predict what’s coming,” Paul summarizes. “However, we can make sure we’re ready for as many different futures as possible. We’re very good at reacting to challenges – the British weather alone makes sure of that. In five years, I want us to be working with a growing number of suppliers, brands and businesses, employing more people and delivering to more people. We’re trying to create a ripple effect of positivity. Help more people succeed tomorrow than we did today. That’s the ambition.”