Worthenshaws Healthy Ice Cream Company – As Seen on Dragons Den

In July 2010 Peter Jones and Duncan Bannatyne bought in to Kirsty Henshaw’s healthy “ice cream” company. It is not actually ice cream but a frozen dessert which is much healthier than ice cream and only contains 100 calories per portion.

Kirsty Henshaw has developed a frozen dessert which is a dairy-free healthy alternative to ice cream. She developed it for her child who suffers from many food allergies. The company she founded was Worthenshaws.

Worthenshaws currently has 2 brands and 5 products available including Coconice Strawberry Frozen Desert and should see its products being distributed to the major supermarkets soon. They are low in fat (less than 3%) and has no sugar. The only sugars are those in the fruit extracts, so this is also a great low carb ice cream. Tesco will be stocking


Worthenshaws soon and you can order online here: www.tesco.com

Coconice Frozen Dessert

Coconice  is suitable for Diabetics and is available in 3 flavours: Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry. Coconice meets the high standards set by the Vegan Society with no animal products at all.

Coconuka Frozen Dessert

Coconuka is made from Manuka Honey & Organic Coconut and contains Brown Rice Milk, Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Echinacea and Active 10+ Manuka Honey.

Freedom Frozen Desserts

Freedom is the new product from Worthenshaws that will be on the shelves across all UK Supermarkers from September. Kirsty and Peter Jones announced the new product range this morning on GMTV.

It is called Freedom to represent the company philopshy fully, in that it is freedom from all unhealthy ingredients. It will be good for people with nut allergies, food intolerances, free from fat (or high fat), free from sugar and free from artificial ingredients. A pure, natural and healthy dessert as delicious as the finest ice creams.

Is It Ice Cream, Frozen Dessert or something else?


Ice cream contains dairy and often eggs as well as sugar. So, what is in Worthenshaws ice cream? Well, it is not actually an ice cream and the company do not market it as ice cream because it contains no cream. It is free from all the processed calories laden junk that is found in many ice creams today and contains natural ingredients only.

Worthenshaws is free from:

  • Dairy (milk, cream)
  • Gluten
  • Sugar
  • Eggs
  • Soya
  • Cholesterol
  • Nuts
  • Artificial additives

Worthenshaws Contains:

  • Brown rice milk
  • Organic virgin coconut oil
  • Sweet Freedom natural syrup
  • Extract of apple and grape

Where Can You Buy Worthenshaws?

Although this is not mainstream yet, it is expected that with the guidance and influence of Peter Jones and Duncan Bannatyne it will soon be on the shelves in all major supermarkets later this year. Worthenshaws are already in talks with Tesco to introduce it to their 400 stores across the UK. Peter Jones has said that all major supermarkets will stock it from September and Duncan Bannatyne has introduced it to his health clubs.

Update (October 2011) we have seen Worthenshaws products in Sainsburys now.

Lose Weight with Worthenshaws Desserts

Although this product is not currently marketed as a weight loss ice cream alternative, it certainly fits the bill, as it contains almost not sugar, is low in fat and therefore has few calories. So you can eat a healthy dinner and not ruin it by consuming a calorie laden dessert.

As Worthenshaws desserts are low in fat and low in carbohydrates (sugars) they are also great for people trying to lose weight. If you replace your usual ice cream based desserts for Worthenshaws you will dramatically reduce the number of calories you consume during your meal. So do not think about Worthenshaws frozen desserts as being just for people with food intolerances, everyone can benefit from them.

Kirsty Henshaw

Kirsty Henshaw was studying a Sports Therapy degree at Preston’s University of Central Lancashire before quitting the course to work full time on her business.


She now has new business guidance from 2 of the top business entrepreneurs in the country. Well done Kirsty, maybe in a few years you will return to your Sports Therapy degree and develop a product to get us all fit too!

19 Comments on “Worthenshaws Healthy Ice Cream Company – As Seen on Dragons Den”

  1. MotleyHealth says:

    I think that soon they will be in Tesco and other supermarkets from September. For the moment there are a few health food shops around the UK that stock it. Find more details on their website. It seems their website is currently undergoing some updates, probably as a result of the huge interest generated in their product over night!

  2. Mrs J Hall says:

    Where can I buy these?

  3. Eunice Rose says:

    Hi, Congratulations on what seems a good product, but will you tell me please, what is the baseline of Sweet Freedom Natural Syrup?

    many thanks
    E.L. Rose.

  4. I think this is such a good idea as I cannot have any dairy and also on a diet. I miss ice cream such things in the summer. Brilliant can not wait to try this.

  5. On the free from part it doesn’t mention wheat. Can you confirm this product is wheat free as my nephew is both dairy and wheat intollerant. Thanks

  6. MotleyHealth says:

    It is Gluten free, so I am pretty sure it has to be wheat free too. Best to double check the label.

  7. MotleyHealth says:

    Kirtsy Henshaw has announced that Worthenshaws Desserts will be in the top 6 supermarkets nationally in September 2010. So there should be no problem finding then after the summer holidays.

    In the meantime they are in some health food shops as well as the Bannatynes Health Clubs. There are 60 clubs across the UK, you can find them here.

  8. MotleyHealth says:

    You can see Kirsty on GMTV tomorrow the morning with Peter Jones. Between 8.30-9am. Hopefully they will have some news on exactly when we will see more in the shops.

  9. Anita Sykes says:

    After watching Dragons den, I dashed to Boothes supermarket to buy coco ice (my daughter has severe nut allergy) But I am confused by the packaging which says ‘NO NUTS’ then on the back of carton it lists nuts as an allergen! I am confused an unsure whether suitable for my daughter????
    Would appreciate any feed back.

  10. This is just fantastic, I will be a committed buyer, can’t wait to try it.

  11. Mark Smith says:

    Bought the chocolate & vanilla varieties of Freedom desserts.
    The chocolate is fine but the vanilla has a medicinal flavour and I would not buy it again.
    Strangely, in the Sainsburys store where I bought them, they were not displayed with the rest of the frozen desserts, but in a cabinet next to pies and pizzas.

  12. MotleyHealth says:

    Maybe Sainsburys felt that people buying pies should also have a healthy dessert? :)

  13. I went to Sainsburys as always to stock up on free from food but found Worthenshaw’s instead of the very tasty Swedish Glace. Was shocked by price and thought well it must be good. Tried the Vanilla and was so horrid I could not finish it – it’s like frozen condensed milk. So they have been on Dragon’s Den but why do supermarket’s have to replace a perfectly nice product with a yukky bandwagon one. As for nut free it is not made in a nut free factory! Life is bad enough on a restricted diet but don’t give us one choice and a bad one at that. Bring back Swedish Glace and all will be forgiven. Forget the TV hype and do some taste tests please!

  14. MotleyHealth says:

    Did you speak to Sainsburys? It may just be that the bad weather has prevented them importing the Swedish Glace. Lots of people like the taste of the Worthenshaws, they obviously cannot cater for all tastes with just a few brands. My wife loves condensed milk, I may have to buy some of the vanilla one myself.

  15. I have emailed them and await a response. I want my ice cream back! [Boo Hoo] Interesting that on the vegan forum many others agree with me on the taste but a minority did like it. Ice cream is like oxygen for my body! Life is not the same without it. I am sure some people will like W’s and try it because it was on Dragon’s Den but don’t see the need to oust a perfectly lovely product with a loyal following.

  16. MotleyHealth says:

    I just Googled “Swedish Glace” and there are plenty of places where you can order it online – get it delivered direct to your door! Goodness Direct look OK.

  17. dairy=migraines says:

    The Vanilla flavour is disgusting, it does taste medicinal, like I’ve gargled TCP ewwwww!!! I’m dairy intolerant so I thought I would try it and It cost a lot of money to buy too!!! Yucky!! I’ll stick to Swedish Glace from now on, I wouldnt recommend buying the Vanilla flavour, haven’t tried the chocolate or strawberry yet, I’m put off by the idea of those now, How can you get Vanilla so wrong!

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