Coles and Woolworths quietly pull iconic Aussie dessert from shelves

Supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths have stripped Sara Lee’s iconic one-litre ice cream tubs from their freezer aisles, leaving fans of the dessert to search elsewhere.

A spokesperson for the brand has confirmed the delisting to nine.com.au.

“Unfortunately, both Coles and Woolworths have delisted all Sara Lee ice-creams and [they are] no longer stock,” they said in a statement. “Our ice cream is now only available at IGA and local independent stores.”

While Coles made the move more recently, a Woolworths spokesperson clarified to nine.com.au that the one-litre tubs have not been on its shelves for the past two years.

Since removing Sara Lee's ice cream line, both supermarket chains have actively expanded their own private-label ranges with comparable flavours at lower price points.

The phase-out also comes on the heels of a difficult result in Choice's October 2025 vanilla ice cream test, where supermarket home brands dominated the leaderboard.

Coles Irresistible Vanilla Bean secured the top spot, Aldi's Indulgent Vanilla Bean Gourmet placed second, and Woolworths Vanilla Bean Indulgent took fourth place, while Sara Lee Creamy French Vanilla finished 14th.

Read more

Beloved Aussie snack pulled from shelves after urgent recall

Despite losing space in the major supermarket freezer sections, Sara Lee continues to develop its ice cream lineup, recently adding Vanilla Lemon Curd alongside core flavours French Vanilla, Ultra Chocolate, Hokey Pokey, and Strawberries & Cream across IGA and independent grocers.

Major retailers, including Coles and Woolworths, continue to stock Sara Lee’s broader baked dessert catalogue.

The brand's bakery goods continue to earn industry recognition, with its French Vanilla Cheesecake voted Best Frozen Cheesecake Brand in an April 2026 Canstar consumer survey for the sixth consecutive year.

Founded in 1971 in the New South Wales town of Lisarow, where its manufacturing facility still operates, Sara Lee entered voluntary administration in 2024 before being acquired by Australian couple Klark and Brooke Quinn.

The Quinns previously revived Darrell Lea in 2012 by transitioning the confectionery brand from standalone retail outlets into wholesale supermarket distribution.

Following the acquisition, the Quinns highlighted their personal connection to the brand, stating: “We are a small Aussie family that shared in the tradition of having Sara Lee apple pie and vanilla ice cream every Sunday night at the dinner table and could not be more proud to put the Aussie-made and owned stamp on the Sara Lee brand.”