Aldi handed out thousands of free ice creams last week in Clapham Common, as it works to help parents save money on “everyday treats”.

This comes as new research from the budget supermarket showed that parents spend nearly £50 per a child on ice creams over the summer holidays. It also highlighted that one in four parents told their children the ice cream van had run out of ice cream to avoid the expense.

On average the research showed parents pay £2.35 per a 99 ice cream, with one in ten spending £4 or over on a single cone.

According to the study, Leeds averages £2.86 per a ice cream, London £2.82 and Bristol and Manchester average £2.80.

It also showed that the six week holiday period is expected to cost families an additional £200 on average when compared to term time and an extra £49 on weekly grocery bills.

Julie Ashfield, chief commercial officer at Aldi UK, said: “Summer holidays are becoming increasingly expensive for families, with the cost of everyday treats and activities quickly adding up.

“With so many families budgeting months in advance and worrying about costs, it’s never been more important that everyday essentials and family favourites remain affordable.

Its ice cream van is part of a wider campaign which highlights Aldi’s £100 million investment in lowering prices across over 330 products.

Aldi has also relaunched its Summer Support Scheme, which gifts £50 Aldi vouchers to families everyday throughout July and August.

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