Manchester’s Frozen Yoghurt Phenomenon

FIRST came the cupcake phenomenon.

Umpteen cupcake shops simultaneously sprouted out of nowhere, each attempting to sell a unique range of, erm, exactly the same product.

With a new season comes a new sensation and this summer Manchester city centre is being hit by the full force of a fro yo phenomenon.

Frozen yoghurt bars have been popping up on every street corner, begging the all-too-obvious question: Does Manchester really need this much frozen yoghurt?

Small plastic spoon in hand, Kathryn Woodcock set about the Manchester fro yo journey...

SNOWY JOE'S

History:

Snowy Joe’s is on the upper floor of Manchester Arndale, with another parlour in Blackburn. It’s been open for 15-20 years, making it an exception to the recent frozen yoghurt mania, though it has to be said it looks a little outdated now compared to the rest. Despite this, the place is obviously popular, given the extent to which my interview was interrupted by eager customers in need of an ice cream or two.

Snowy Joe's in Manchester Arndale

What does it taste like?

To my slight disappointment, there were only two flavours of frozen yoghurt on offer: berry mixer and natural (one scoop £2.10, two scoops £2.80, three scoops £3.50). Berry mixer is the most popular, but I was a little let down by the blandness of the yoghurt in comparison to competitors. The yoghurt is served in a cone, so you don’t get the option of smothering it in gloriously calorific toppings. Instead, Snowy Joe’s selling point is its wonderful and wacky ice cream flavours, from standard vanilla to rhubarb crumble and candy floss. Or those who want to skip the cold treats altogether, there’s also cupcakes (£1.75 or four for £6.50) and donuts (£1.20 or three for £3.10) covered in everything imaginable.

Is it healthy?

Since Snowy Joe’s sells mostly ice cream and only has two flavours of frozen yoghurt, there aren’t many fat-free options for those of us watching our waistlines. When asked if there was anything else healthy on offer, the optimistic staff said: “the doughnuts also have a hole in the middle!”

You can’t argue with that.  

Yoghurt or doughnuts, yoghurt or doughnuts...

What happens in winter?

To keep business flowing during colder months, staff at Snowy Joe’s don a selection of Christmas fancy dress outfits so that your freezing cold treat is served by Santa himself. Though we all love the Christmas spirit, I don’t think this would encourage many of us to buy a cold dessert on an even colder day. But then perhaps I’m just being a Scrooge.

Snowy Joe's for yoghurt, ice cream and more

What makes it different?

Staff at Snowy Joe’s say their defining factor is the wider variety of products they have on offer. From Slushies and ice cream to doughnuts and cupcakes, it would be hard to find such variety elsewhere. I have to admit I was sceptical when I first heard this claim, but after visiting other competitors Snowy Joe’s was the only one to sell warm treats as well as cold. Go there to be spoilt for choice.

YOFRO

History:  

YoFro, also found on the upper floor of Manchester Arndale, is celebrating its year anniversary on 1 September, meaning it sprang up in the midst of the fro yo invasion. Frriendly owner, Stephen, started the business from scratch. His obvious enthusiasm for the trade was nice to see, and the staff’s friendly rapport with customers right in the middle of the mall was impressive.

YoFro in Manchester Arndale

What does it taste like?

Stephen gave me two servings of frozen yoghurt (small £2, medium £3, large £4.50 per topping). The naughty serving was chocolate flavoured yoghurt piled high with creamy Nutella and crushed nuts, which frankly tasted amazing. The Nutella had become slightly chewy against the coldness of the dessert which gave it a great texture in contrast to the smoothness of the yoghurt. It was basically everything you could expect from a dessert that calorific and I couldn’t put down the spoon. The healthier natural yoghurt was just as heavenly; the texture and flavour resembled ice cream, which provided the wonderful illusion that you were treating yourself without the impending flab-fear. This healthier option is the most popular at YoFro and I can see why: a guilty pleasure, minus the guilt.  

Is it healthy?

YoFro’s frozen yoghurt is zero per cent fat, with a small serving having the same calorific content as an apple. Baffling, I know. Stephen said:  “Some customers come by simply because they love the taste.” This means there’s endless amounts of scrumptious Nutella, crushed Oreos, chocolate buttons and so on, as well as fresh fruit for the health nuts.   

Heavenly YoFro offerings

What happens in winter?

YoFro have some pretty original ideas for the winter months. The idea of mulled wine flavoured yoghurt had me drooling; it would taste perfect with crumbled mince pie topping. Hot-bottoms – a layer of hot cake wedged underneath a layer of frozen yoghurt – sound divine, and the notion of hot toppings is just the icing on the cake. Roll on December.   

YoFro, the fun without the fat

What makes it different?

YoFro is as original and wacky as frozen yoghurt can get. Themed days include ‘Monday Madness’, which involves the choice of some crazy and questionable toppings, the wildest example of which is salt and vinegar crisps. Don’t ask. ‘Totally Topping Tuesday’ gives a free topping to customers fulfilling a random criterion such as wearing pink shoes that day. For ‘Secret Word Wedsnesday’ a witty password is put on YoFro’s Facebook page so those brave enough to announce the embarrassing phrase over the counter will have their bravery rewarded with a lower price or larger serving. Finally there’s ‘YoFro Challenge Sunday’ where staff are set random yoghurt related challenges that are videoed and uploaded to Facebook the next day. These guys definitely have a sense of humour.

FRURT

History:

Frurt in Spinningfields is a family run frozen yoghurt place with only two in the country, the other on Whitworth Street West. It’s another of the newly created frozen yoghurt businesses and it offered the first non-dairy yoghurt in the UK. In addition, their yoghurt has been certified Kosher by a Rabi and also contains twenty billion friendly bacteria according to the owner. Luckily for us, they’re looking to expand and also introduce a self-serve yoghurt section so we don’t have to waste all that time deciding at the counter.

Frurt in Spinningfields

What does it taste like?

Among the standard variety of fresh fruit and naughty treats, there were a few toppings I hadn’t seen elsewhere – Hershey’s cookies and cream, Reese’s Pieces, Agar jelly – but the best of the bunch was a selection of marble-sized fruity juice balls that burst in your mouth like some kind of fruity bubble explosion. These really complimented the fruit toppings, filling your mouth with a geyser of flavour. The yoghurt itself came in natural, lemon, strawberry and mango flavours (small £2.50, large £3.50, 50p per topping) with lemon being the most popular as a result of its zesty kick.  

Is it healthy?

Frurt’s claim that their yoghurt is low in fat was once challenged by a rather bold customer who argued that most sweets are just as low in fat, but still rack up a large calorific content. Frurt however, insist on making their own yoghurt fresh in-store rather than buying large quantities of pre-made product. This is great news for health-freaks everywhere, given the lower sugar and calorie content. Syed, my interviewee, said: “It’s not only a treat but a lifestyle.”

A fresh fruit example at Frurt

What happens in winter?

Given that our winters are painfully long, in a month’s time Frurt is introducing yoghurt frappes and a porridge selection with hot toppings to match. Hot toppings seem to be a recurring winter theme in all frozen yoghurt venues but the yoghurt frappes at Frurt are a pretty original touch.

Toppings at Frurt

What makes it different?

Frurt has a particular edge over its competitors, an edge that takes the form of a celebrity clientele – they’ve had JLS, British star Chipmunk, Coronation street and Eastenders actors all guzzling down their delicious treats. If it’s good enough for the s’lebs...

FROYO BERRY

History:

The newest member of the frozen yoghurt brigade, FroYo Berry on Cross Street, has been open a grand total of one day. The frozen yoghurt phenomenon is clearly far from over. It’s a family run business, the owners having researched the market for a while before setting up, and their first 24 hours of business have been pretty successful so they say.

FroYo Berry

What does it taste like?

The first thing I noticed was that FroYo Berry’s yoghurt (small £2.45, medium £2.95, large £3.45, one topping 50p, two toppings 90p) was far more… well, yoghurt-y. Most of the other frozen yoghurts I’d tried had a sorbet type quality to them, but FroYo Berry’s was thicker, smoother and much less like ice cream. Some might think this is a bad thing but I think frozen yoghurt should be exactly that. The most popular flavour, watermelon, had a luscious sweetness and fruitiness to it, while still maintaining that great yoghurt-y texture.

Is it healthy?

Again with the recurring theme, FroYo Berry’s yoghurts are fat and gluten free, packed with probiotics for the extra healthy gut. But something rather different that caught my eye was a curious weight loss drink, Neuro Trim, that apparently expands in your stomach to keep hunger at bay.  While this is great for excessive dieters, the allure of the nearby fro-yo alternative would distract the majority of us far too easily.

FroYo Berry, the most yoghurt-y of them all

What happens in winter?

Everyone loves the Manchester Christmas market so you can imagine my glee when I found out that FroYo Berry is thinking of going there to sell healthy festive crepes with frozen yoghurt fillings this winter. Another hot treat and curious creation on offer - Matcha Tea – is the equivalent of having fifteen cups of green tea in one serving and contains 70 times the antioxidants of orange juice. Talk about a health boost.    

FroYo Berry toppings

What makes it different?

Alongside the crazy weight loss drink, FroYo Berry stood out for its collection of low calorie Neuro drinks. Neuro Sport provides fast rehydration, Neuro Sonic improves mental performance, Neuro Sun is packed with vitamin D, and Neuro Bliss is meant to promote relaxation. Everything your average superhuman needs to keep on top of things.

And Finally, Coming Soon...

THE FRUIT EXCHANGE

Opening soon, this latest addition further proves that the frozen yoghurt phenomenon still has legs. Found on Deansgate, it looks like it’ll be selling… you guessed it, frozen yoghurts and smoothies. Just like its competitors, it’s going to need its own unique selling point, but my sceptical self can’t help but wonder if everything’s already been done. I guess only time will tell...

Coming soon... The Fruit Exchange