With home-made artisan ice cream the top US dessert trend for 2017, and the industry as a whole now worth $10bn, Kerstin Kühn looks at four leading players pushing boundaries with the cold stuff
America’s love affair with ice cream has never been more intense. An industry valued at $10bn (£7.5bn) a year, it has gone way past simple chocolate or vanilla scoops, with an increasing number of artisan ice cream brands pushing culinary boundaries. They’re launching food trucks,
pop-ups and brick and mortar shops in major cities and are shipping nationwide, while supermarket freezers are giving more shelf space to lesser-known brands that offer unique flavours and quality ingredients over big brand names.
According to the National Restaurant Association, home-made, artisan ice cream is the top dessert trend for 2017. From locally-sourced, organic ingredients to artistic flavours, vegan scoops and innovative churning methods, hand-crafted, artisanal ice cream is on the rise, and here are four of the biggest players in this emerging sector:
ENI’S SPLENDID ICE CREAM
The concept: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream started in Columbus, Ohio, in 2002, sparking the artisan ice cream movement more than a decade before it became a top food trend. Over the past 15 years, the company has grown to over 30 scoop shops in eight cities across seven states, and its pints and ice cream sandwiches are also available nationwide at over 1,500 American grocery stores and through its home-shipping business.
Who’s behind it? Founder Jeni Britton Bauer started making ice cream in 1996.
She is the author of the New York Times best-selling book Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home, for which she earned a 2012 James Beard Award, America’s most coveted honour for those writing about food and the culinary arts.
Signature flavours: Brambleberry Crisp – oven-toasted oat streusel and a sweet-tart jam of blackberries and blackcurrants layered throughout vanilla ice cream; Brown Butter Almond Brittle – candy crushed into buttercream ice cream; Salted Peanut Butter with Chocolate Flecks.
Price: Single scoop $4.50; pint $12
Future plans: Last year, Jeni’s agreed to sell an ownership stake to Castanea Partners, a Boston-based private-equity firm. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Bauer said the investment gives Jeni’s the wherewithal to improve and expand. A second Chicago shop opens this month.
VAN LEEUWEN ARTISAN ICE CREAM
The concept: Set out to revive the classic American ice cream truck, Van Leeuwen started in Brooklyn, New York, in 2008. Its classic and vegan ice creams are made with just a handful of fresh ingredients, sourced from artisan producers and farmers both local and from around the world. Van Leeuwen now includes trucks and five stores in NYC and three stores in Los Angeles, as well as pints sold in grocery stores on both the East and West Coasts.
Who’s behind it? The company was founded by Pete Van Leeuwen together with his brother Ben and his wife Laura O’Neill. In June 2015, the trio released the Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream Cookbook, with more than 100 vegan and classic recipes.
Signature flavours: Honeycomb; Salted Caramel; Sicilian Pistachio; and Choc Chip Cookie Dough, all of which are available in classic and vegan versions. The classic ice creams are made with just fresh milk and cream, cane sugar and egg yolks, while the vegan scoops are made with housemade cashew milk, coconut milk, coconut oil, cane sugar, cocoa butter, and carob bean.
Price: Single scoop $5.50; pint $8.50
Future plans: The company moved its facility last year to a larger premises and plans to open two more stores in NYC later this year. For now, it remains bicoastal.
SALT & STRAW
The concept: Originally from Portland, Oregon, Salt & Straw has built a cult following with handcrafted ice cream made from local and seasonal ingredients. The 10-unit chain, with locations in Portland, Los Angeles and San Francisco, is also making a name for itself with its progressive workplace ethics: all of the company’s employees, including part-time workers, are eligible for health benefits and paid leave.
Who’s behind it? Founded by cousins Kim and Tyler Malek, Salt & Straw started as an ice cream cart in 2011. Kim, who formerly worked in the corporate office at Starbucks, oversees the business side of the company, while Tyler, the brand’s “head ice cream maker and creative director”, develops its chef-driven flavours.
Signature flavours: Freckled Woodblock Chocolate, made with hand-roasted chocolate beans; Black Olive Brittle & Goat Cheese, with oil-cured olives from Olivos del Mar farms and Cypress Grove Creamery’s goat cheese.
Price: Single scoop $5; pint $11
Future plans: After securing investment from Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group and Affiliates, Salt & Straw is in growth mode. Currently focusing its expansion on the West Coast – with plans for a second location in SF and a first site in Seattle, Washington, as well as new industrial kitchens in SF and Portland – an opening in New York City seems inevitable.
SMITTEN ICE CREAM
The concept: Smitten’s story began in San Francisco in 2009, when founder Robyn Sue Fisher started to sell ice cream out of a Radio Flyer wagon. With a unique machine using liquid nitrogen to make ice cream to order in just minutes, a social media storm erupted and in 2011 she opened her first bricks and mortar location in Hayes Valley. The group now operates seven stores in San Francisco as well as one in San Jose and one in Los Angeles.
Who’s behind it? After attending Stanford Business School, founder Fisher put her life’s savings into researching how to make the best ice cream and in 2007 patented the Brrr machine, which is outfitted with continually moving beaters that keep the ice cream in constant motion, dousing ingredients with liquid nitrogen at -321oF to rapidly create a cold, smooth texture.
Signature flavours: Fresh Mint Chip; Cookie Dough with Pretzels and Chocolate Chips; Blueberry Lavender; Earl Grey with Milk Chocolate Chips.
Price: Single scoop $5; pint $12
Future plans: Smitten is backed by venture capital firm 3rd Creek and opens a flagship store in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, this month, with plans for another LA location in Culver City later this year.
■ Kerstin Kühn is a US journalist specialising in the hospitality sector
