If your production plan treats October like a quiet, pre-Christmas break… you’re missing out on something special: Diwali the Festival of Lights. Desserts like Kulfi (Indian style ice cream), Mithai traditional Indian sweets, Gulab Jamun (Indian style fried doughnuts) etc are now a major seasonal moment in the UK and globally. This year, most of India will celebrate on Monday 20 October 2025 (with some regional observance on the 21st), making Diwali a time to think about capacity for dairy-led favourites like barfi, kulfi and ghee-rich sweets. So save this for 2027!
Why Diwali matters commercially (yes, even if you’re not an “ethnic” brand)
Audience scale: Over one billion people are estimated to celebrate Diwali worldwide. That’s not “niche” that is HUGE.
UK demand is visible on the high street: Harrods is literally lighting its Knightsbridge façade for Diwali (20 Oct, on the hour from 6pm) a clear signal that premium retail considers Diwali a headline event. Asda has grown its seasonal Diwali aisles (61 stores and counting), Sainsbury’s runs dedicated Diwali ranges and pages, and Waitrose curates Diwali recipe edits shoppers can click straight from. Even Tesco launched a limited-edition Diwali mithai-inspired range recently.
Add to that a UK population where South Asian heritage now accounts for roughly 9% of England & Wales (2021), and over 1.0 million Hindus and Sikhs, many in prime household-shopping age.
Flavours & formats winning right now
Your R&D team won’t be shocked by pistachio, cardamom, rose and saffron but note how these are surging across mainstream bakery, confectionery and ice cream:
Trade and trend trackers flag pistachio as a top flavour for 2024–2025 (yes, the “Dubai chocolate” wave helped) you can read our May blog on that because we covered that too, with Middle-Eastern/South-Asian notes crossing into UK retail. Expect traditional mithai cues to collide with familiar British formats (think barfi-inspired fudge, “pista-rose” biscuits, kulfi-style ice cream with saffron/cardamom). Premium grocers and brands are already surfing this.
What that means for production teams (and where Machinery World helps)
Diwali demand concentrates into a short window. Hitting it cleanly is about process flexibility and the right machinery. Here’s the kit mix we feel you can use if you want to jump onto this trend:
1. Ghee & butter prep (for mithai bases and frying):
Butter churns: (batch or continuous) to push consistent butter and feed ghee kettles; used units can be a smart, quick-lead add-on. We stock and source churns, plus service & spares.
2. Vacuum cooking, emulsifying & size reduction for barfi/peda mixes:
ROKK CCM universal vacuum cooker–cooler–mixers handle mixing, heating (incl. direct steam), particle size reduction and deaeration for dense, glossy mithai bases with fewer air pockets and better shelf life. (Also brilliant for nut pastes and condensed-milk styles.)
3. Kulfi & South-Asian ice cream:
For higher volumes and precise overrun control on kulfi/ice-cream lines, continuous freezers are the workhorses. We have the ROKK Continuous Freezer
4. End-to-end used plant, fast:
Need to spin up capacity quickly? Check our ever-changing used machines inventory (from butter plants to full soft-cheese lines) and talk to us about sourcing and installs.
Innovation inspo: traditional meets premium
If luxury spirits can go “Diwali limited edition” (see Johnnie Walker Blue Label x Rahul Mishra), dairy and dessert absolutely can elevate, too. Consider pistachio-saffron kulfi bars, rose-pista ripple churns, or barfi-inspired gelato bricks dressed for gifting. Seasonal packs and limited flavours = margin
Ready to light the (production) lamps (we love a pun)?
Whether you’re adding a butter churn, stepping up with a ROKK CCM for mithai bases, or chasing higher LPH on a continuous freezer, we can source, install and service the lot new or used plus secure the spares you’ll wish you had at 2am. Talk to Machinery World today and let’s make your Diwali run your most efficient (and delicious) yet.
Happy Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas to all those celebrating from everyone at Machinery World.
References:
https://corporate.asda.com/newsroom/2023/11/02/asda-launches-unmissable-diwali-deals
https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/events/diwali
https://www.foodandwine.com/pistachio-flavor-of-2025-11703296
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