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

If a Findus Crispy Pancake with a slice of Cappuccino Vienetta for pudding sounds like gastronomic heaven, there’s a good chance you came of age in the 1970s when frozen convenience food really took off. 

Since then, the image has been rather tarnished by Bernard Matthews Turkey Twizzlers and Heinz Beanz Pizza, with a lot of the favourites from decades past now discontinued after falling out of favour with health-conscious consumers. 

However, the convenience and cost of frozen food still holds huge appeal for shoppers, and supermarkets are expanding their freezer aisles to meet demand. 

M&S, for instance, is set to double its frozen range as it targets more family weekly shops – but don’t expect lower quality: the new line includes products such as new £4.50 Collection Toscano Olive Oil Ice Cream and £7 Only 3 Ingredients Meatballs.

In light of its investment in frozen foods, the store will increase freezer space across its stores by over 25 per cent to support the expansion of its new frozen offerings.

Over at Waitrose, meanwhile, customers can get their hands on Canadian Whole Cooked Lobster in the frozen aisle for £12.50 or £5.50 True Tide Frozen White Clams and £6.60 No.1 Frozen Tarte aux Fruits.

The new, posher ranges available in stores today are worlds away from what the frozen aisle once was, when budget-friendly, brightly advertised convenience foods reigned supreme.

Sara Lee Gateau

It was a common treat in the 1970s and 80s, but the Sara Lee Black Forest Cake with Fresh Cream vanished from shelves in the early 2000s.

The retro pudding was made of decadent layers of chocolate sponge cake with whipped cream and cherries.

But despite being unavailable, statistics show the nation still craves a similar dessert, as sales of Waitrose’s chocolate sponge, cherry and whipped cream version boomed in 2024, with a 134 per cent sales uptick.

At the same time, Marks & Spencer also noticed a similar trend with its £15 luxury version, while Morrisons said it had been the fastest-growing dessert of the year.

The soaring popularity may have been started by social media users reminiscing about the classic, long-discontinued Sara Lee frozen Black Forest gateau.

Wall’s Calippo Shots

Calippo shots, a frozen dessert made of flavoured iced balls in a shaker-style container, were a summer favourite for countless people around the UK.

No doubt upsetting fans, however, the frozen sweet treat was discontinued in 2020.

That same year, Parliament was forced to respond to calls to reinstate the famous Calippo Shots, but it was ultimately rejected because it failed to meet the petition standards.

Bernard Matthews Turkey Twizzlers

Last year, Turkey Twizzlers were discontinued for a second time – decades after Jamie Oliver’s battle to have them banned.

The lunchtime favourite was launched in 1997 but quietly disappeared from supermarkets with no warning or announcement.

They were previously axed in 2005 after Jamie Oliver’s healthy-eating ‘Feed Me Better’ campaign to ban them in schools.

The corkscrew-shaped turkey sausage creations were singled out by the TV chef in his campaign to improve school dinners, and shamed for containing just 34 per cent meat.

Shortly after the series was broadcast, sparking huge national conversations about whether school dinners were helping to fuel the child obesity crisis, Turkey Twizzlers were banned from school menus due to their poor nutritional value.

The move sparked outrage among schoolchildren across the country, who, even 20 years later, still declare that Jamie will ‘never be forgiven’ for it.

Turkey Twizzlers comprised of just 34 per cent turkey meat, whilst the rest of the ingredients included pork fat, rusk, multiple preservatives, and a coating that had 21 ingredients alone.

Original Findus Crispy Pancakes

They debuted in the UK in the early 1970s, and Original Findus Crispy Pancakes quickly became a household staple before being discontinued in 2016.

In their heyday, the product came packed with fillings including cheese, minced beef, and ham.

The brand became popular with shoppers seeking frozen meals in the UK in 1958, but suffered a serious blow during the 2013 horsemeat scandal when Findus frozen lasagna was found to contain horsemeat instead of beef.

Young’s subsequently pulled the product from the market. The brand declined to comment, but it had registered trademarks for Original Pancake Co and Chef’s Classics with the Intellectual Property Office.

Birds Eye Potato Fritters 

For many, Birds Eye Potato Fritters were a freezer staple – the crispy treat served as an ideal side dish for a quick and easy dinner.

The potato snacks were phased out in the early 2000s, reportedly due to declining sales.

Nowadays, shoppers can get their hands on similar Birds Eye snacks, such as its much-loved Potato Waffles.

Cappuccino Viennetta

Thought it might’ve been reserved for life’s more special occasions, Cappuccino Viennetta was once a popular dessert in many UK households.

The coffee-flavoured ice cream cake, launched in the 1980s, featured layers of vanilla ice cream and dark chocolate sheets.

But despite building up a loyal fan base, the statement pudding faded from shelves during the mid-1990s.

Arctic Roll 

In its day, the Arctic Roll ruled the frozen dessert aisle, with shoppers keen to get a taste of the jam-filled sponge cake.

The pudding launched in UK supermarkets in 1970, thanks to inventor and Czechoslovakian immigrant, Dr Ernest Velden, who started manufacturing it in Eastbourne in 1958.

It was popularised 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

It was the posh supermarket ice cream of the 80s, with multiple flavours, from Toffee Fudge to Tutti Frutti and Mint Choc Chip.

In addition to its ice cream, Gino Ginelli, which also sold a range of frozen pizzas in the 90s, was known for its adverts and ‘Gino, oh Gino Ginelli’ theme tune.

The brand ultimately struggled to keep up as other luxury ice cream brands hit the market – and disappeared from supermarket shelves in the early 2000s.

Flintstones Push-Up Sherbet Treats

Another classic 90s frozen sweet treat was the Flintstones Push-Up Sherbet Treats, manufactured by Nestle.

The lolly came in a cardboard cylinder and with a plastic stick to push the inside up as you went along.

Orange was among the most popular flavours, alongside Dino’s Granite Grape and Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm’s Cave Kid Cherry.

Romantica cake 

Romantica cake from Wall’s, a popular treat in the 1990s, was a luxurious meringue-based dessert with thin biscuit, chocolate and ice cream layers, topped with chocolate balls.

Despite being a budget-friendly option, the Romantica cake had the wow factor, thanks to its impressive appearance and creamy taste.

While shoppers might spot the dessert pop up in Tesco, it was largely discontinued in the early 2000s, and versions today typically feature a heavily altered recipe compared to the original.

Heinz Baked Bean Pizza

It makes the debate on whether pineapple belongs on the Italian delicacy less controversial, but Heinz Baked Bean Pizza was, perhaps surprisingly, a hit in the 90s.

The product, which was pulled from supermarkets in 2003, has a crispy base topped with tomato sauce, baked beans, mozzarella and cheddar cheese. 

Despite the nostalgic 90s frozen meal being discontinued, it had a revival in Iceland back in 2023.

Funny Feet Ice cream

Children nowadays might look confused if you mention a foot-shaped ice cream, but Funny Feet were once a popular dessert.

The strawberry-flavoured ice cream, originally launched in 1980, became a cult-classic treat until they were gradually phased out in the 2000s.

In 2014, a spokesperson from Wall’s told the Mirror via Manchester Evening News: ‘There wasn’t a conscious decision to get rid of Funny Feet. 

‘It was just pushed out by innovation. The 1990s saw the launch of the Magnum, for example.’

However, due to popular demand, Iceland temporarily brought the ice cream back in 2021.