This is a block of CSS code that defines custom fonts for a website. It sets up the “Guardian Headline Full” font family with different styles and weights, such as light, regular, medium, and semibold, each with normal and italic versions. The code specifies where to load the font files from, using different formats like WOFF2, WOFF, and TTF for compatibility across browsers.This is a block of CSS code that defines font styles and layout rules for a webpage. It sets up the “Guardian Headline Full” and “Guardian Titlepiece” fonts with various weights (bold, black, italic) and formats (woff2, woff, ttf). It also includes responsive design rules for different screen sizes, adjusting margins, widths, and positioning for elements like the main column, atom elements, showcase elements, and immersive elements. The code ensures proper alignment and scaling across devices, with specific breakpoints at 71.25em and 81.25em for larger screens, and 46.25em for smaller ones..content__main-column–interactive:before {
border-left: 1px solid #dcdcdc;
z-index: -1;
left: -10px;
}
@media (min-width: 81.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive:before {
border-left: 1px solid #dcdcdc;
left: -11px;
}
}
.content__main-column–interactive .element-atom {
margin-top: 0;
margin-bottom: 0;
padding-bottom: 12px;
padding-top: 12px;
}
.content__main-column–interactive p + .element-atom {
padding-top: 0;
padding-bottom: 0;
margin-top: 12px;
margin-bottom: 12px;
}
.content__main-column–interactive .element-inline {
max-width: 620px;
}
@media (min-width: 61.25em) {
figure[data-spacefinder-role=”inline”].element {
max-width: 620px;
}
}
[data-gu-name=”media”]:has(figure.loop) figure.loop figcaption:not(.hidden) {
z-index: 6;
}
[data-gu-name=”media”]:has(figure.loop) figure.loop button[data-link-name*=”gu-video-loop”] {
align-self: flex-end;
margin-bottom: 40px;
margin-right: 3px;
}
[data-gu-name=”media”]:has(figure.loop) figure.loop .controls-container div:has(button[data-testid=”unmute-icon”]),
[data-gu-name=”media”]:has(figure.loop) figure.loop .controls-container div:has(button[data-testid=”mute-icon”]) {
right: 0;
padding-left: 10px;
}
[data-gu-name=”media”]:has(figure.loop) #caption-button {
z-index: 100;
}
@media (min-width: 61.25em) {
[data-gu-name=”media”]:has(figure.loop) #caption-button {
bottom: 20px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 46.25em) {
[data-gu-name=”media”]:has(figure.cinemagraph) .cinemagraph > div {
max-height: unset;
}
}
[data-gu-name=”body”] gu-island[name=”SelfHostedVideo”] {
width: 100%;
max-width: 620px;
display: block;
margin-top: 12px;
margin-bottom: 12px;
}
[data-gu-name=”body”] gu-island[name=”SelfHostedVideo”] figure.loop,
[data-gu-name=”body”] gu-island[name=”SelfHostedVideo”] figure.loop video {
width: 100%;
height: auto;
max-width: 620px;
margin: 0 auto;
}
[data-gu-name=”body”] gu-island[name=”SelfHostedVideo”]:has(figure.loop.element-video-immersive) {
max-width: unset;
margin: 12px 0;
}
[data-gu-name=”body”] gu-island[name=”SelfHostedVideo”]:has(figure.loop.element-video-immersive) figure.loop,
[data-gu-name=”body”] gu-island[name=”SelfHostedVideo”]:has(figure.loop.element-video-immersive) figure.loop video {
max-width: unset;
margin: 0;
}
@media (min-width: 71.25em) {
[data-gu-name=”body”] gu-island[name=”SelfHostedVideo”]:has(figure.loop.element-video-immersive) {
width: 1140px;
margin-left: -180px;
}
[data-gu-name=”body”] gu-island[name=”SelfHostedVideo”]:has(figure.loop.element-video-immersive) figure figcaption {
margin-left: 20px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 81.25em) {
[data-gu-name=”body”] gu-island[name=”SelfHostedVideo”]:has(figure.loop.element-video-immersive) {
width: 1300px;
margin-left: -260px;
}
}
:root {
–dateline: #606060;
–headerBorder: #dcdcdc;
–captionText: #999;
–captionBackground: hsla(0, 0%, 7%, .72);
–feature: #c70000;
–new-pillar-colour: var(–primary-pillar, var(–feature));
}
:root:root {
–subheading-text: var(–secondary-pillar);
–pullquote-text: var(–secondary-pillar);
–pullquote-icon: var(–secondary-pillar);
–block-quote-text: var(–article-text);
}
:root:root blockquote {
–block-quote-fill: var(–secondary-pillar);
}
@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
:root:root:not([data-color-scheme=”light”]) {
–subheading-text: var(–darkmode-pillar);
–pullquote-text: var(–darkmode-pillar);
–pullquote-icon: var(–darkmode-pillar);
}
:root:root:not([data-color-scheme=”light”]) blockquote {
–block-quote-fill: var(–darkmode-pillar);
}
}
.content__main-column–interactive .element.element-atom,
.element.element-atom {
padding: 0;
}
.content__main-column–interactive .element-atom:first-of-type + p:first-of-type,
.content__main-column–interactive .element-atom:first-of-type + .sign-in-gate + p:first-of-type,
.content__main-column–interactive .element-atom:first-of-type + #sign-in-gate + p:first-of-type,
.content__main-column–interactive .element-atom:first-of-type + .element-atom + p:first-of-type,
.content__main-column–interactive hr:not(.last-horizontal-rule) + p,
.content__main-column–interactive hr:not(.last-horizontal-rule) + .ad-slot-container + p,
#article-body > div .element-atom:first-of-type + p:first-of-type,
#article-body > div .element-atom:first-of-type + .sign-in-gate + p:first-of-type,
#article-body > div .element-atom:first-of-type + #sign-in-gate + p:first-of-type,
#article-body > div .element-atom:first-of-type + .element-atom + p:first-of-type,
#article-body > div hr {
/ No specific styles defined here; the selector list is just for grouping. /
}The first paragraph after a horizontal rule or an element atom should have extra space at the top. This applies to paragraphs that come right after these elements, whether they are in the main article, comments, or other content sections. The same rule also applies to the first letter of such paragraphs, which should be styled with a drop cap effect.[data-gu-name=body] .element-atom:first-of-type+.element-atom+p:first-of-type:first-letter,
[data-gu-name=body] hr:not(.last-horizontal-rule)+p:first-letter,
[data-gu-name=body] hr:not(.last-horizontal-rule)+.ad-slot-container+p:first-letter,
#feature-body .element-atom:first-of-type+p:first-of-type:first-letter,
#feature-body .element-atom:first-of-type+.sign-in-gate+p:first-of-type:first-letter,
#feature-body .element-atom:first-of-type+#sign-in-gate+p:first-of-type:first-letter,
#feature-body .element-atom:first-of-type+.element-atom+p:first-of-type:first-letter,
#feature-body hr:not(.last-horizontal-rule)+p:first-letter,
#feature-body hr:not(.last-horizontal-rule)+.ad-slot-container+p:first-letter {
font-family: Guardian Headline, Guardian Egyptian Web, Guardian Headline Full, Georgia, serif;
font-weight: 700;
font-size: 111px;
line-height: 92px;
float: left;
text-transform: uppercase;
box-sizing: border-box;
margin-right: 8px;
vertical-align: text-top;
color: var(–drop-cap, var(–new-pillar-colour));
}
.content__main-column–interactive hr+p,
.content__main-column–interactive hr+.ad-slot-container+p,
#article-body>div hr+p,
#article-body>div hr+.ad-slot-container+p,
.content–interactive>div hr+p,
.content–interactive>div hr+.ad-slot-container+p,
#comment-body hr+p,
#comment-body hr+.ad-slot-container+p,
[data-gu-name=body] hr+p,
[data-gu-name=body] hr+.ad-slot-container+p,
#feature-body hr+p,
#feature-body hr+.ad-slot-container+p {
padding-top: 0;
}
.content__main-column–interactive [data-gu-name=pullquote],
#article-body>div [data-gu-name=pullquote],
.content–interactive>div [data-gu-name=pullquote],
#comment-body [data-gu-name=pullquote],
[data-gu-name=body] [data-gu-name=pullquote],
#feature-body [data-gu-name=pullquote] {
max-width: 620px;
}
#maincontent figure.element.element–showcase.element-showcase figcaption,
#feature-article-container figure.element.element–showcase.element-showcase figcaption,
#standard-article-container figure.element.element–showcase.element-showcase figcaption,
#comment-article-container figure.element.element–showcase.element-showcase figcaption {
position: static !important;
width: 100%;
max-width: 620px;
}
@media (min-width: 71.25em) {
#maincontent figure.element.element–showcase.element-showcase figcaption,
#feature-article-container figure.element.element–showcase.element-showcase figcaption,
#standard-article-container figure.element.element–showcase.element-showcase figcaption,
#comment-article-container figure.element.element–showcase.element-showcase figcaption {
position: absolute !important;
max-width: 140px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 81.25em) {
#maincontent figure.element.element–showcase.element-showcase figcaption,
#feature-article-container figure.element.element–showcase.element-showcase figcaption,
#standard-article-container figure.element.element–showcase.element-showcase figcaption,
#comment-article-container figure.element.element–showcase.element-showcase figcaption {
max-width: 220px;
}
}
.element.element–immersive.element-immersive {
width: calc(100vw – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px));
}
@media (max-width: 71.24em) {
.element.element–immersive.element-immersive {
max-width: 978px;
}
.element.element–immersive.element-immersive figcaption {
padding-inline: 10px;
}
}
@media (max-width: 71.24em) and (min-width: 30em) {
.element.element–immersive.element-immersive figcaption {
padding-inline: 20px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 46.25em) and (max-width: 61.24em) {
.element.element–immersive.element-immersive {
max-width: 738px;
}
}
@media (max-width: 46.24em) {
.element.element–immersive.element-immersive {
margin-left: -10px !important;
margin-right: 0 !important;
left: 0;
}
}
@media (max-width: 46.24em) and (min-width: 30em) {
.element.element–immersive.element-immersive {
margin-left: -20px !important;
}
.element.element–immersive.element-immersive figcaption {
padding-inline: 20px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 71.25em) {
[data-gu-name=body] figure.element.element–showcase.element-showcase,
[data-gu-name=body] .content__main-column–interactive figure.element.element–showcase.element-showcase {
margin-left: -160px !important;
}
}
@media (min-width: 81.25em) {
[data-gu-name=body] figure.element.element–showcase.element-showcase,
[data-gu-n[body] .content__main-column–interactive figure.element.element–showcase.element-showcase {
margin-left: -240px !important;
}
.furniture-wrapper {
position: relative;
}
@media (min-width: 61.25em) {
.furniture-wrapper {
display: grid;
grid-column-gap: 20px;
grid-row-gap: 0px;
grid-template-columns: [title-start headline-start meta-start standfirst-start] repeat(5, 1fr) [title-end headline-end meta-end standfirst-end portrait-start] repeat(5, 1fr) [portrait-end];
grid-template-rows: [title-start portrait-start] 0.25fr [title-end headline-start] 1fr [headline-end standfirst-start] 0.75fr [standfirst-end meta-start] auto [meta-end portrait-end];
}
.furniture-wrapper #headline > div:first-child,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=”headline”] > div:first-child,
.furniture-wrapper .headline > div:first-child {
border-top: 1px solid var(–headerBorder);
}
.furniture-wrapper #meta,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=”meta”] {
position: relative;
padding-top: 2px;
margin-right: 0;
}
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst .content__standfirst,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst .content__standfirst,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=”standfirst”] .content__standfirst {
margin-bottom: 4px;
}
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst ul li,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst ul li,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=”standfirst”] ul li {
font-size: 20px;
}
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst li a,
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst a,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst li a,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst a,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=”standfirst”] li a,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=”standfirst”] a {
border-bottom: none;
background-image: none !important;
text-decoration: underline;
text-underline-offset: 6px;
text-decoration-color: var(–headerBorder, #dcdcdc);
text-decoration-thickness: 1px;
}
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst li a:hover,
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst a:hover,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst li a:hover,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst a:hover,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=”standfirst”] li a:hover,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=”standfirst”] a:hover {
text-decoration-color: var(–new-pillar-colour);
}
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst p:first-of-type,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst p:first-of-type,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=”standfirst”] p:first-of-type {
border-top: 1px solid var(–headerBorder);
padding-bottom: 0;
}
}
@media (min-width: 61.25em) and (min-width: 71.25em) {
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst p:first-of-type,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst p:first-of-type,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=”standfirst”] p:first-of-type {
border-top: unset;
}
}
@media (min-width: 61.25em) {
.furniture-wrapper figure {
margin: 0 0 0 -10px;
}
.furniture-wrapper figure[data-spacefinder-role=”inline”].element {
max-width: 630px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 71.25em) {
.furniture-wrapper {
grid-template-columns: [title-start headline-start meta-start] repeat(2, 1fr) [meta-end standfirst-start] repeat(5, 1fr) [title-end headline-end standfirst-end portrait-start] repeat(7, 1fr) [portrait-end];
grid-template-rows: [title-start portrait-start] 80px [title-end headline-start] auto [headline-end standfirst-start meta-start] auto [standfirst-end meta-end portrait-end];
}
.furniture-wrapper #meta:before,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=”meta”]:before {
content: “”;
width: 540px;
position: absolute;
top: 0;
background-color: var(–headerBorder);
height: 1px;
}
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst p,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst p,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=”standfirst”] p {
border-top: unset;
}
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst:before,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst:before,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=”standfirst”]:before {
content: “”;
width: 1px;
background-color: var(–headerBorder);
height: 100%;
position: absolute;
top: 0;
left: 0.5px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 81.25em) {
.furniture-wrapper {
grid-template-columns: [title-start headline-start meta-start] repeat(3, 1fr) [meta-end standfirst-start] repeat(5, 1fr) [title-end headline-end standfirst-end portrait-start] repeat(8, 1fr) [portrait-end];
grid-template-rows: [title-start portrait-start] 0.25fr [title-end headline-start] 1fr [headline-end standfirst-start meta-start] 0.75fr [standfirst-end meta-end portrait-end];
}
.furniture-wrapper #meta:before,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=”meta”]:before {
width: 620px;
}
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst:before,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst:before,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=”standfirst”]:before {
/ No additional styles specified /
}
}Here is the rewritten text in fluent, natural English:
The furniture wrapper styles adjust the layout and appearance of article headers, standfirsts, and media elements. The standfirst has a small left offset and padding, with a subtle line on the left. On larger screens, the headline is bigger and has a maximum width. The decorative lines are hidden on wider screens. The meta section, which includes social sharing and comments, uses a border color that matches the header. Some interactive elements in the meta are hidden. The main media area is positioned carefully, with full width on smaller screens and a slight negative margin. The caption sits at the bottom of the media, with a background and text color that adapt to the theme. A caption button is placed at the bottom right, and it can be hidden if needed. In dark mode, certain text and link colors are adjusted for better contrast. The main column for interactive content has a slightly taller top border on large screens, and headings are limited in width.Last month, I stood in the biggest ice-cream factory in Britain and watched a 5-metre Viennetta mint-flavoured ice-cream cake being made. The factory, owned by the Magnum Ice Cream Company, produces nine different brands of ice-cream and sits in a huge building in Gloucester, where the air is thick with the smell of custard. On my way in, I walked past the Twister and Solero sections, through clouds of tangy fruit, before reaching the Viennetta assembly line, where everything smelled fresh and minty. A Viennetta is built on a conveyor belt by a fully automated system, and watching it take shape was oddly hypnotic. Every few inches, a nozzle attached to the belt squirted out a frilly layer of mint ice-cream, then another nozzle smoothed a flat layer of vanilla on top, followed by a squirt of chocolate sauce, and then back to frilly mint again. On and on it went, layer upon layer, with finished Viennettas popping out at the end of the line at a rate of 200 cakes every 60 seconds.
A slop bucket full of Viennetta overrun sat at the side of the conveyor belt, and I fought a strong urge to squelch my fingers into it. Later, the factory operations manager let me push my whole hand into the bucket up to the wrist, then lick my hand at a sink before washing it and continuing the tour.
View image in fullscreen
A conveyor belt of Viennettas …
View image in fullscreen
… and Magnums in the company’s ice-cream factory
I had travelled to the factory at a tricky moment for ice-cream. Magnum, which owns Viennetta, Ben & Jerry’s, Solero, and Twister, along with most of the other lollies you can buy from an ice-cream van, reported falling sales in the last quarter of 2025. The global ice-cream industry is worth £85bn, and Magnum controls 20% of it, so the stakes are high. In June, Magnum was the most shorted large-cap stock in Europe, with investors betting against the company because of doubts about how ice-cream will survive in the age of Ozempic. Magnum’s sales rose in the most recent quarter, driven by record temperatures, but the stock price remains volatile because investors fear people won’t be eating much ice-cream in the future, says markets analyst David Hayes from Jefferies investment bank. In the US, where one in eight people now take GLP-1s, ice-cream sales have fallen over the past year, according to consumer research firm NielsenIQ. The British ice-cream industry looks set to suffer the same fate: 1.6 million UK adults used weight-loss drugs between 2024 and 2025, and that number is predicted to jump after this month’s release of the UK’s second, and much cheaper, weight-loss pill.
Such drugs aren’t the only problem ice-cream makers have to deal with. In recent years, as wellness culture has gained momentum, a growing obsession with protein and fibre has changed the way we eat. Protein is touted as a magical cure for all sorts of issues: perimenopause, anxiety, the urge to nap at 3pm. The price of whey, a yellowish, dusty, protein-rich powder made from curdled milk, is at an all-time global high, and the US is in the grip of a shortage of cottage cheese, which is higher in protein and lower in fat than normal cheese. Demand has become so frenzied that people trade conspiracy theories about its scarcity online.
GLP-1 users eat less, but they’re advised to eat more protein so they don’t lose muscle mass, which creates a problem for the ice-cream industry. (A Twister contains just half a gram of protein.) Protein mania has become so widespread that it affects even those who would never take a weight-loss drug. In the UK, one in 40 people now have gout, with some dietitians blaming the uptick on men overconsuming protein in an attempt to bulk up. On TikTok, fitness influenBodybuilders chug egg whites and even toy with the idea of eating dog food because of its impressive protein-to-calorie ratio. In response, Magnum has created a new line of protein- and vitamin-enriched ice creams and tubs, which they plan to launch in the UK soon. As consumer tastes shift, can the ice-cream industry find fresh ways to tempt us into buying their treats?
A few days before visiting the factory, I went to Magnum’s innovation hub in Colworth, Bedfordshire, to try their new nutrient-rich ice creams. The hub is a sleek, glass-walled series of labs where scientists and chefs experiment with new recipes. I was led into a spotless demo kitchen and seated at a conference table across from a color-coded model of the human brain (ice cream “lights up” different parts of it). A chef appeared with a tray holding what looked like a lipstick but was actually a tiny red ice lolly hidden inside a lipstick case.
After I finished the lolly—which I ate so eagerly that I barely tasted it—Zbigniew Lewicki, Magnum’s chief research, design, and innovation officer, talked to me about some of the UK’s first factory-made ice creams. Wall’s, one of the oldest brands under the Magnum umbrella, began selling ice cream from a factory in Acton, London, in 1922. Wall’s originally ran as a butcher’s shop, but the company switched to ice cream as a kind of summer-proof alternative to sausages, since meat wasn’t selling well in the heat. Ice-cream street vendors have been around in the UK since the 1850s, using horse-drawn carts. But with the arrival of mechanical refrigeration in the early 20th century, mass production of ice cream became possible. As British households started buying freezers in the late 70s, ice cream moved into supermarkets. The 80s—which food writer Ruby Tandoh has called the “golden age” of British ice cream—saw the invention of Twister, Viennetta, Calippo, and Feast.
“This place I would compare to James Bond when he comes back and says to his science guy, ‘I need this shooting pen.'”
The job of the innovation hub is to create new ice creams that could become just as iconic as the 80s classics. Lewicki said one of the biggest changes he’s noticing is a new focus on “health and diet shifts compounded by transparency.” They’re now dealing with a new kind of consumer who is very concerned about knowing exactly what’s in their ice cream. “A lot of people, especially the younger generation, read labels these days,” he said. Lewicki is a cheerful, charismatic man, and he insisted the industry has changed “mostly in a good way”—but there was a slight hint of worry in his voice when he talked about this new generation of label readers.
Another tray appeared at my elbow, and I was handed a new ice cream Magnum calls Hydro:Ice. Label readers checking the back of this ice-cream packet will find a long list of vitamins and minerals: vitamin C, magnesium, and so much B2 that it glows in the dark. A chef invited me to put my hand holding the ice cream inside a UV-lit box, and I watched my lolly light up and glow neon green. Michelle Neville, a behavioral scientist hired by Magnum to understand ice-cream eaters, walked me through the profile of the Hydro:Ice customer. “They’re very focused on their appearance,” she said. “Hair is on point, nails are on point, brows on point.” Hydro:Ice launched in Ibiza last summer with a campaign tagged “Ravers Are Athletes Too.” As I ate mine, Neville showed me a promotional video of a thin woman on a treadmill, licking an ice lolly.
New offerings include a glow-in-the-dark lolly … and mini versions of classics.
Next, I was invited to try tiny ice creams called Bonbons—miniature versions of Soleros and Magnums that haveThese tiny Magnums—which look a bit like large sheep droppings—were specially designed for people who want a “controlled bite.” They were developed before Ozempic became popular, and they aren’t specifically made for GLP-1 users. Lewicki said they were more about tapping into a “collective mindset,” where the focus shifted to “the type of pleasure you can get from a relatively small amount of food.”
Listening to Lewicki, now on my fifth Bonbon, I realized I had never felt so deeply aware of my own body while eating an ice-cream. For decades, food companies have hired scientists to figure out how to keep you eating without pausing long enough to remember you have a body. Food technologists have learned how to balance carbohydrate-to-fat ratios so a food can slow down or bypass the brain’s “satiety signal”—the one that tells you you’ve had enough. They know how to design energy-dense food that dissolves so quickly on your tongue that you immediately want more. Ice-creams are usually too cold to give off a smell, so Mars has worked out how to rub chocolate and caramel scent molecules into the ridges of their ice-cream packaging; they want you to start salivating the moment you tear one open. Magnum has hired technologists to engineer the chocolate shell on its ice-cream, so when you bite into it, it doesn’t shatter into too many pieces and distract you by falling down your top. Everything has been specially designed to make you forget yourself—and your body—and keep chasing the next bite.
By contrast, the selling point of Magnum’s new ice-creams seems to be that they keep you laser-focused on your own body. Neville explained that the brand is trying to sell ice-cream to customers who see their “food as medicine.” “Now, even with a basic cereal bar, some people expect it to help metabolic resilience, control glycaemic index, improve gut health,” she said. “Functionality” was a word that came up a lot during my visit to the hub; the idea being that your ice-cream should be seen to benefit you in some tangible way.
In a way, this shift toward selling diet food isn’t new. As journalist Tomas Weber has written, Big Food is skilled at capitalizing on diet culture. In the 90s, when “fat” was singled out as the enemy macronutrient, fast food companies sold low-fat burgers, crisps, and biscuits. The Scottish brand Mackie’s released a low-fat ice-cream in 2004. But this latest push to market ice-cream as a “functional” food—something you eat not because it tastes good, but because you believe it has some kind of nutritious, medicinal value—still feels striking. Because more than any other food, even more than chocolate, ice-cream’s only real reason for existing is pleasure. A perfect mix of fat, sugar, and at least 20% air, ice-cream wasn’t invented to nourish you. First served in Europe in the early 1500s, it debuted in England as a magical kind of “table trick.” Guests would watch as a servant churned, and a mass of sugary ice transformed before their eyes into a strange, sweet foam. The Victorians ate ice-cream at balls and carved it into enormous, playful ice sculptures, modeling pineapples, huge swans, and whole bunches of flowers. With the arrival of the motorized ice-cream van in the UK in the 1920s and the birth of the 99 Flake, ice-cream became even more tied to holidays and summer in the British imagination. The fact that ice-cream is essentially frivolous is a key part of its appeal. It melts, so it almost demands that the eater give themselves over to the moment. The time between unwrapping an ice-cream and it turning into a puddle is a window, specially set aside for pleasure. You have to enjoy it, or it will disappear without you. An ice-cream isIt’s a bit like a lit cigarette in that way.
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Ice-cream melts …
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… so it almost forces the person eating it to give themselves over to the moment.
The last ice-cream I tried in the show kitchen was the Yasso, and it was the most practical of all. It looks a bit like a classic Magnum once you’ve peeled off the chocolate coating. It’s made from Greek yoghurt and non-fat milk, and each stick contains 4g of protein. Yasso tastes wonderfully sweet, is selling well in the US, and will soon be launched in the UK. Lewicki told me he has big plans to roll it out to gyms, and mentioned there are 100,000 of them across Europe: “And the best kind of nutritious ice-cream for people leaving the gym? Completely unavailable. Would it need to be soft serve? Would we sell it as an ice-cream protein bar?” Lewicki’s eyes lit up. “We have at least 10 prototypes of high-protein ice-cream, seriously healthy formulas just to test the limits. We even have ice-cream with collagen.” He gestured excitedly towards the ceiling, taking in the whole innovation hub. “I’d compare this place to James Bond when he comes back and says to his science guy, ‘I need this shooting pen.'”
Curious about how nutritious Magnum’s new ice-creams really are, I called Professor Chris van Tulleken, author of the 2023 bestselling book Ultra-Processed People. In it, the doctor and academic explains the science showing that a diet high in ultra-processed foods – which he defines as any product containing an ingredient you wouldn’t typically find in a kitchen cupboard – leads to weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other health problems.
The first chapter is largely about ice-cream, and the fact that most on the market (one notable exception being Häagen-Dazs) are ultra-processed. From the 1950s onwards, as the ice-cream market grew, producers began adding chemicals and additives to the mix to make it more resistant to heat, so it could be transported long distances – from the factory floor to the supermarket aisle to your home freezer – without breaking down into icy crystals. To boost profit margins, expensive ingredients like egg yolk and cream were removed and replaced with things like glycerine and sodium alginate, additives that mimic the effect of food but technically aren’t food at all. In the second half of the 20th century, ice-cream went from being a pudding you bought freshly made from a local producer to an almost indestructible substance designed to sit in your freezer for years.
“Vitamin B2 is just added to make an unhealthy thing seem healthy. If you want B2, eat some eggs.”
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On the phone, Van Tulleken told me that while Magnum’s new ice-creams might look like healthier options, we should be wary of any vitamin, protein, or fibre claim on an ice-cream packet. We discussed Hydro:Ice, and Van Tulleken cited scientific research showing that taking supplements, unless prescribed for a specific condition, has no health benefit. “There’s a wealth of data showing that adding B2 to an ice-cream won’t improve your health,” Van Tulleken said. “It’s just put in to make an unhealthy thing seem healthy. If you want B2, eat some eggs.”
Next, I called food scientist Barry Smith, who used to work as a sensory consultant for fast food companies – including ice-cream makers – advising them on how to engineer food to make it as irresistible as possible. He is now a professor of philosophy and sensory expert at the University of London, and campaigns about the health risks posed by products made by some of the companies he used to work for. Smith told me that when fast food companies release a diet product, they don’t remove artificial chemicals. Quite the opposite. If you strip out real sugar from an ice-cream to make a “low sugar” claim, you have to replace it with artificial sweeteners. “Quite a lot of these taste a little bit…”In the end, they need something to cover that up. Chemical is added on top of chemical, Smith explained, to balance out the unpleasant side effects and improve the texture, all to make the so-called “healthy” treat taste bearable.
Artificial sweeteners also trick the brain into expecting sugar, which raises your insulin levels. According to Smith, this is why drinking Diet Coke with your meals might actually lead to weight gain. “When the sugar doesn’t arrive, the body feels cheated. So it stores as much fat and carbohydrate from the meal as it can.” Smith has a gentle Manchester accent and was clearly passionate during our conversation. He delivered this point about Coca-Cola with the flair of a magician pulling a particularly impressive rabbit out of a hat.
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While we talked, Smith looked up the online ingredients list for the Yasso Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice-cream bar. He said it contains fewer artificial chemicals than a classic Magnum, but there are still some “horrors.” He pointed out guar gum and locust bean gum, which can disrupt certain bacterial colonies in the gut and irritate the bowel. He was especially concerned about maltodextrin—an artificial carbohydrate used to make a product taste richer and more satisfying. The issue, Smith said, is that unlike a real carbohydrate, maltodextrin interferes with the body’s ability to recognize when you’re full. “We tend to just want to keep eating it.” (When I shared Smith and Van Tulleken’s claims with Magnum, a representative said, “We take the conversation around diet, nutrition, and wellbeing very seriously and recognize that both consumer expectations and scientific understanding continue to evolve.”)
GLP-1 drugs have been promoted as a kind of vaccine against the pull of ultra-processed foods, since they seem to reduce cravings for sugary, salty items. But when I spoke to Van Tulleken, he pointed out that fast food companies are taking advantage of the widespread use of these drugs by releasing new ultra-processed products that pretend to be healthy. “We might call this hyper-processing,” he said. “To get around the GLP-1s and other health concerns, they’re using more and more processing and additives to keep selling food to people who are trying to stop eating.” Nestlé has already launched a line of frozen meals aimed at people taking GLP-1s, called Vital Pursuit—and now ice cream is jumping on the bandwagon.
When I visited the ice-cream factory a few days after speaking with Smith and Van Tulleken, I kept thinking about those futuristic ice creams at the innovation hub. My mind was full of ice lollies on treadmills. I couldn’t shake the image of soft-serve at the gym. After watching the Viennetta spin around on its conveyor belt, I was taken to another production line to see Soleros being dipped by robotic arms into orange sauce. Then I went to look at the Twisters. The factory manager assured me they were selling well, but as I watched the Twisters being squeezed out of a machine and packed into little boxes, I felt both hungry and strangely sad. They looked like a relic from a simpler time. A time when no one would think to check the back of an ice lolly wrapper to hit their macros; when ice cream was just ice cream.
View image in fullscreen: Soleros …
View image in fullscreen: … Twisters …
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View image in fullscreen: … and lolly sticks in the Magnum factory.
After I got home from the factory, scrolling on TikTok, my feed was full of muscular influencers making their own “healthy Magnums”—ice-cream-shaped frozen blocks made from cottage cheese and chalky piles of whey protein. Online, moms post videos of themselves using a viral ice-cream machine called the Ninja Creami to make “protein” ice creams to give to their kids.Parents of toddlers. People eagerly trade recipes in the comments, trying to boost nutrition while cutting calories. In one TikTok, viewed 85,500 times, a man shows his followers how to pack 40g of protein into a mud-like mixture he calls “Oreo Ice Cream.” In these clips, ice cream’s only real appeal seems to be that it’s soft, so you can easily swallow it down. Watching these videos, you get the sense that the whole experience of eating ice cream—and eating in general—is becoming disconnected from joy.
But recently, I had a banana split that made me feel more optimistic about the future of ice cream. On one of the hottest days of summer, I went to Morelli’s Gelato in Broadstairs, which opened in 1932 and is one of the oldest ice cream shops in the UK. Morelli’s makes all its ice cream fresh every day in the factory beneath its shop, with no additives or heavy processing. The ingredients for its signature vanilla ice cream, for example, haven’t changed since the shop first opened: sugar, eggs, cream, and water.
As I walked down to the seafront from the train station, I knew I was on the right path because I kept seeing people holding huge, dripping ice cream cones. I spotted a woman sitting outside the shop with her dog, who was also enjoying an ice cream—out of a classic cardboard one-scoop pot. Morelli’s, which does a busy trade with dog owners, started selling special ice cream for dogs in 2020. Inside, everything was decorated in pink and cream, much like it had been in the 50s. There were squishy banquette seats and flowers arranged on some tables. It felt a bit like sitting inside a giant ice cream.
View image in fullscreenMorelli’s ice cream parlour in Broadstairs, which opened in 1932 … View image in fullscreen… and still makes all its ice cream fresh every day.
While I browsed the menu at a little silver table, I spoke to Chris Chalkin, who has worked at the shop since he was a teenager. Now in his late 60s, Chalkin told me customers’ ice cream orders haven’t changed much since the 70s. “If you haven’t got chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla, forget it,” he said. “You can have 20 other ice creams, but don’t bother.” He mentioned he’d seen trends for healthier ice cream come and go, but “they’re all a fad.” What people want from ice cream doesn’t change, Chalkin said. “I want it indulgent, I want it sickly!”—here he scrunched up his fists and mimed the urge to gobble an ice cream, in a way that reminded me strongly of what I had felt right before I pushed my fingers into the slop bucket of Viennetta.
High VAT rates and soaring cocoa prices make it tough for independent ice cream parlours to turn a profit, and the period from June to August is relied upon to keep businesses afloat. But independent ice cream sellers aren’t as worried about weight-loss drugs as larger manufacturers are. “It’s a luxury treat for the consumer, it’s not something they have every day, so it’s not as affected by weight-loss drugs as a supermarket ice cream,” said Catherine McNeil from the Ice Cream Alliance, the UK’s only trade association for the industry.
My banana split arrived, and Chalkin talked me through the ice creams customers keep ordering, year after year, decade after decade: knickerbocker glory, strawberry sundae, peach melba. I ate my ice cream—which was light and sweet, topped with airy swirls of whipped cream—and as the sugar rush hit, I felt hopeful. Perhaps our collective appetite for ice cream, and for pleasure, is not so easy to suppress.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs addressing the place of pleasuredriven foods like ice cream in a health and wellnessobsessed world
General Philosophical Questions
1 Is it actually true that ice cream exists purely for pleasure
Yes Unlike staple foods or nutrientdense vegetables ice cream provides no essential nutrients that you cant get elsewhere Its primary purpose is sensory enjoymentthe combination of fat sugar and cold temperature triggers a reward response in the brain It is the definition of a fun food
2 If Im trying to be healthy does eating ice cream mean Im failing
Absolutely not Health is not a binary state of on or off A sustainable health plan includes flexibility Eating ice cream occasionally does not negate your healthy habits it actually helps prevent feelings of deprivation that often lead to binge eating later
3 Does ice cream have any actual benefits or is it just empty calories
It has psychological benefits It can boost your mood provide a moment of mindfulness and facilitate social connection Practically the calcium and protein are a bonus but the main benefit is mental wellbeing and enjoyment
4 In a world of GLP1 weightloss drugs is eating for pleasure allowed
Yes but it requires a different approach These medications reduce food noise and cravings For people on them ice cream may no longer hold the same appeal The question isnt whether its allowed but whether it still brings you joy If it does you can eat it in small portions if it doesnt you dont have to force it
Practical Behavioral Questions
5 How do I eat ice cream without ruining my wellness goals
Focus on portion control and frequency Instead of banning it buy singleserving cups or cones or scoop it into a small bowl rather than eating from the tub Pair it with a source of protein or fiber to slow down sugar absorption and keep you full
6 Is healthy ice cream a good compromise
It depends on your definition of good They are lower in calories and sugar which is helpful for weight loss However they often contain
