Melting Points: Your Edible Guide to Ice Cream

Using local grass-fed dairy, organic ingredients, working with fair-trade suppliers and employing traditional small-batch methods: these are the ingredients poured into each batch of locally produced ice cream, gelato and vegan treats made around Vancouver Island. These businesses showcase the bounty of local farmers and food producers through their base ingredients, unique flavour combinations and mouth-watering topping choices.

The Sunshine Coast
 

The Folly Food Shop opened in Roberts Creek in 2018 and quickly became known as “the” ice cream shop in town. They serve up small-batch French custard-style ice cream, in addition to vegan ice creams made with coconut and cashew milk. The Dark Chocolate Black Currant is the owner’s favourite, made with local black currants picked right from the gardens in Roberts Creek. 

Wild Scoop Ice Cream in Powell River dishes out small-batch traditional and vegan ice creams in hand-rolled waffle cones—try the “blacklicious” vegan gluten-free cone with your own custom soft serve ice cream creation, with fruits and berries supplied by local farms and foragers. And watch for Kombucha Ice Cream Floats launching this year!

North Central Island
 

In Courtenay at Blue Spruce Ice Cream, try the spruce tip, huckleberry and elderflower ice cream, which is a favourite of owner Kirsten Wood, who hand harvests the ingredients each year. The more adventurous should try the bull kelp ice cream—it's creamy and rich with just the right dose of umami. 

The line-up out the door of Hot Chocolates in Courtenay during the summer is a sure sign that they’re serving up some of their delicious house-made gelato and sorbetto. They offer an ever-changing menu of flavours available to enjoy in a cone or a cup—or a pint to take home with you.

In Comox, the family-owned and operated Benino Italian Cafe and Gelato creates their homemade gelato and sorbetto with fresh local ingredients, as well as specialty ingredients imported directly from Italy. 

All of the ice creams, add-ins and waffle cones at Love’s Ice Cream are made from scratch with local grass-fed milk and high quality ingredients. In addition to several delectable hard ice cream flavours, Love’s serves NZ style Real Fruit Soft Serve Ice Cream, made by blending creamy, rich ice cream with local, seasonal fruit. Enjoy a double scoop featuring both hard and soft ice cream; delicious vegan and gluten-free options available too.

Central Island
 

At Cold Front Gelato, you might find the finest plant-based gelato you've ever tasted—or at least that's what their customers keep saying. Try the Earl Grey Crème Brûlée, or a newer hit flavour, Turkish Cardamom Coffee.   

Burnt Honey Dessert Company specializes in small-batch crème anglaise ice cream and sorbets, with many dairy free options. Try a freshly baked waffle cone filled with ice cream or sorbet and topped with a macaron! 

A visit to the Old Country Market in Coombs isn’t complete without a stop by the Billy Gruff Creamery and Bistro.Their homemade ice cream is a staple of Coombs, and their ever-changing menu of new flavours will keep your taste buds satisfied every time you visit. 

Cowichan
 

The Original Udder Guys have been perfecting their old-fashioned ice cream recipe over the past decade, and they offer scoops or tubs to take home from their Cowichan Bay shop, with a seasonally rotating menu.

Scoops by the Sea is a darling little scoop shop at Waterwheel Park in Chemainus, with a rotating menu of fresh ice cream that is handcrafted daily.

Victoria
 

Parachute Ice Cream incorporates house-baked goods into some of their batches: try the new Nanaimo Bar ice cream, made with chocolate ganache swirled throughout, chunks of coconut Nanaimo Bar base and custard powder.

For a truly Italian gelato experience, you can’t go wrong with ordering up a scoop of the cold treat at Italian Bakery. Their classic, delicious flavours are made onsite and are also available in take-home containers.  

At Pizzeria Prima Strada, follow up your dinner of pizza with some cold ice cream. Their gelato and sorbetto flavours change seasonally but are always made with traditional methods and local ingredients. 

Cold Comfort started out as an ice cream subscription delivery service, and quickly gained ground at farmers’ markets before opening a brick and mortar shop. Rosemary Sour Cherry was one of their very first creations and remains a fan favourite. 

Stefano Mosi’s grandfather made gelato in Italy in the 1920s, and now he carries the family tradition forward with Mosi Gelato. Try the hazelnut gelato, made with a pure hazelnut paste from the Piedmont region of Italy, or the award-winning Seamist, a blend of lemongrass, seaweed, fresh mint and lime.

Kid Sister Ice Cream offers “small batch, big flavour” ice cream. Beyond their delicious ice cream offerings, they also make popsicles in delightful combinations like Roasted Rhubarb Creamsicle and Mocha Cheesecake. 

The Hidden Gem began as a food truck in Cook Street Village and focuses on dairy-free and vegan treats. Lemon Blueberry ice cream is a popular choice, while Black Sesame is a delightfully surprising new addition.

The Fickle Fig makes good use of any farm surpluses: "Too much rhubarb…sorbet it is! A glut of pumpkins? Pumpkin-mascarpone cheesecake swirl coming up! It’s just another way to make sure we utilize everything we or the nearby farms grow," says co-owner Mitchell Morse. 

Rock Coast Confections began as an English toffee venture, and quickly evolved into Salted Toffee Ice Cream Bars. Everything is made in-house, including the Strawberry Blonde Ice Cream Sandwich with lemon curd, one of owner Amber Isles’ recent creations. 

Gulf Islands
 

Ima’s Kitchen is a self-serve farm stand shop on Denman Island stocked with vegan and gluten free ice cream products with flavours inspired by their travels, like Cardamom Mocha cups and Pistachio ice cream sandwiches.

Maverick’s Frozen Treats has added ice cream sandwiches and ice cream half pints to their lineup of popsicles, and are always open at their roadside farm stand on Salt Spring Island. Crowd favourites include Crushed Oreo Ice Cream, topped with a swirl of mom’s homemade raspberry jam.

Pacific Rim
 

At Chocolate Tofino, you’re in good hands with chocolatiers who also happen to make gelato. The Midnight Marauder is a luxurious gelato made with single-origin Colombian chocolate and is featured in the Lonely Planet’s Global Chocolate Tour book.