Taste of nostalgia! The frozen favourites from your childhood that no longer exist – as the freezer section goes posh with £4.50 M&S olive oil ice cream and Waitrose’s £12.50 Whole Lobster
In past years, frozen foods were all about fast and convenience foods; TV dinners, naughty sweet treats and hearty sides sorted for coins in minutes.
Meals including original Findus Crispy Pancakes or Bernard Matthews Turkey Twizzlers are completed with a slice of Romantica cake or Cappuccino Vienetta, which once satisfied many households across the UK.
While some shoppers still hanker for the same quick meals, gone are the days when a frozen dinner, snack or dessert meant you were cheaping out or compromising your health.
M&S, for example, is set to double its frozen range as it targets weekly family shops – but don’t expect lower quality: the new range includes products such as the new £4.50 Collection Toscano Olive Oil Ice Cream and £7 Just 3-Ingredient Meatballs.
In light of its investment in frozen foods, the store will increase freezer space in its stores by over 25 percent to support the expansion of its new frozen products.
Meanwhile at Waitrose, customers will be able to pick up Canadian Fully Cooked Lobster in the frozen aisle for £12.50 or True Tide Frozen White Oysters for £5.50 and No.1 Frozen Tarte aux Berries for £6.60.
The new, sleeker lines available in stores today are worlds away from the frozen aisles where budget-friendly, brightly advertised prepared foods once reigned supreme.
Here, the Daily Mail reveals our favorite freezer products that are no longer available as supermarkets revamp their offers.
Sara Lee Gateau
They once dominated the freezer aisle, but once-popular frozen foods have been discontinued in recent decades, including Sara Lee Gateau (pictured)
It was a common treat in the 1970s and ’80s, but Sara Lee Black Forest Cake with Fresh Cream disappeared from shelves in the early 2000s.
The retro pudding consisted of decadent layers of chocolate sponge cake with whipped cream and cherries.
But statistics show that the country still wants a similar dessert, even though it is not available; Sales of Waitrose’s version of chocolate sponge cake, cherries and whipped cream have exploded with a 134 per cent increase in 2024.
At the same time, Marks & Spencer noticed a similar trend with its £15 deluxe version, while Morrisons said it was the fastest-growing dessert of the year.
The increased popularity may have started when social media users reminisced about the classic, long-discontinued Sara Lee’s frozen Black Forest cake.
Walls Calippo Shots
Calippo shot (pictured) was a popular frozen dessert made with flavored ice balls in a shaker-style bowl.
A frozen dessert made with flavored ice balls in a shaker-style bowl, the Calippo shot was a summer favorite for countless people across the UK.
What undoubtedly upset fans was that the frozen dessert treat was discontinued in 2020.
That same year, Parliament had to respond to calls to reactivate the famous Calippo Shots, but the petition was ultimately rejected for failing to meet its standards.
Bernard Matthews Türkiye Twizzlers
Türkiye Twizzlers (pictured) featured in Jamie Oliver’s campaign to improve school meals
Last year, Türkiye Twizzlers were stopped for the second time; Decades after Jamie Oliver fought to ban them.
The lunchtime favorite was launched in 1997 but quietly disappeared from supermarkets with no warning or announcement.
They were previously canceled in 2005, following Jamie Oliver’s healthy eating ‘Feed Me Better’ campaign to ban them in schools.
Corkscrew-shaped turkey sausage creations have been singled out by the TV chef in his campaign to improve school meals and shamed for containing just 34 per cent meat.
Shortly after the series aired, Turkey Twizzlers were banned from school menus due to their low nutritional value, sparking a major national debate about whether school lunches were helping to fuel a child obesity crisis.
The move sparked outrage among schoolchildren across the country, with students declaring that Jamie will ‘never be forgiven’ for this, even though 20 years have passed.
Turkey Twizzlers consisted of only 34 percent turkey meat, while the remaining ingredients included lard, breadsticks, multiple preservatives, and a coating of just 21 ingredients.
Original Findus Crispy Crepe
The original Findus Crispy Crepes (pictured) hit supermarket shelves in the early 1970s but were discontinued in 2016.
They launched in the UK in the early 1970s and Original Findus Crispy Pancakes quickly became a household staple before they were discontinued in 2016.
In its heyday, the product came packaged with fillings such as cheese, ground meat and ham.
The brand became popular with customers looking for frozen meals in the UK in 1958, but was dealt a serious blow during the horsemeat scandal in 2013 when it was revealed that Findus’ frozen lasagne contained horsemeat rather than beef.
Young later pulled the product from the market. The brand declined to comment, but the Original Pancake Co and Chef’s Classics brands have registered trademarks with the Intellectual Property Office.
Bird’s Eye Potato Fritters
They might have been an excellent side dish, but Bird’s Eye Potato Fritters (pictured) were phased out in the early 2000s.
For many people, Birds Eye Potato Fritters were a freezer staple; The crispy treat served as an ideal side dish for a quick and easy dinner.
Potato snacks were phased out in the early 2000s, reportedly due to declining sales.
Today, shoppers can purchase similar Birds Eye snacks like the beloved Potato Waffles.
Cappuccino Vienetta
A classic in many homes, the Cappuccino Vienetta (pictured) featured layers of vanilla ice cream and dark chocolate.
Cappuccino Vienetta was once a popular dessert in many UK households, considering it may have been reserved for life’s more special occasions.
Introduced in the 1980s, coffee-flavored ice cream cake consisted of layers of vanilla ice cream and dark chocolate.
But despite developing a loyal fan base, the ambitious pudding disappeared from shelves in the mid-1990s.
Arctic Roll
Arctic Roll (pictured) ruled the frozen corridor for several years – but eventually met its demise in the late 1990s.
Arctic Roll once ruled the frozen dessert aisle, and shoppers wanted a taste of the jam-filled sponge cake.
The pudding was invented by inventor and Czechoslovak immigrant Dr. who started producing it in Eastbourne in 1958. It was introduced to UK supermarkets in 1970, thanks to Ernest Velden.
It was popularized by Birds Eye, but like many nostalgic frozen treats, it was phased out in the late 1990s.
Due to popular demand, the frozen cake returned to some stores in 2008, but by 2024 most retailers had stopped stocking the Arctic Roll.
Gino Ginelli Ice Cream
Gino Ginelli Ice Cream (pictured) disappeared from supermarket shelves in the early 2000s as other luxury brands gained popularity
This was the fancy supermarket ice cream of the 80s, with flavors ranging from Toffee Fudge to Tutti Frutti to Mint Choc Chip.
Gino Ginelli, who sold various frozen pizzas as well as ice cream in the 90s, was known for his commercials and ‘Gino, ah Gino Ginelli’ themed music.
The brand struggled to stay afloat as other luxury ice cream brands entered the market and disappeared from supermarket shelves in the early 2000s.
Flintstone Push-Ups Sherbet Treats
Nestle’s Flintstones Push-Up Sherbet Treats (pictured) became popular in the ’90s with flavors like Orange, Dino’s Granite Grape, and Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm’s Cave Kid Cherry
Another classic frozen dessert from the ’90s was Flintstones Push-Up Sorbet Treats produced by Nestle.
Lolly came in a cardboard cylinder with a plastic rod to push the inside up as she went.
Orange was among the most popular flavors, along with Dino’s Granite Grape and Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm’s Cave Kid Cherry.
romantic cake
Wall’s Romantica cake (pictured) was admired for its luxurious appearance and creamy taste
A popular treat in the 1990s, Romantica cake from Wall’s was a luxurious meringue-based dessert consisting of thin layers of biscuits, chocolate and ice cream, topped with chocolate balls.
Although it is a budget-friendly option, Romantica cake fascinates with its impressive appearance and creamy taste.
Although shoppers noticed the dessert popping up at Tesco, it was largely discontinued in the early 2000s and today’s versions often feature a heavily altered recipe compared to the original.
Heinz Baked Bean Pizza
This makes the debate over whether pineapple belongs in an Italian delicacy less controversial, but Heinz Baked Bean Pizza was, perhaps surprisingly, a hit in the ’90s.
The product, which was withdrawn from supermarkets in 2003, has a crispy base topped with tomato sauce, baked beans, mozzarella and cheddar cheese.
Although the nostalgic ’90s frozen dish is now discontinued, it has been revived in Iceland in 2023.
Funny Foot Ice Cream
Kids might be confused if you mention foot-shaped ice cream today, but Funny Feet was once a popular dessert.
First introduced in 1980, strawberry-flavored ice cream became a cult classic treat until it was phased out in the 2000s.
In 2014, a spokesperson for Walls told the Mirror: Manchester Evening News: ‘Getting rid of Funny Feet wasn’t a conscious decision.
‘Just pushed by innovation. For example, the 1990s saw the launch of the Magnum.’
However, due to popular demand, Iceland has temporarily brought ice cream back in 2021.
