Victoria ice cream shop sells customized pints
If you're in the Victoria, B.C. area and you've got an idea for a quirky ice cream flavour, you might want to stop by Cold Comfort.
Located on North Park Street, One of Autumn Maxwell's shop's unique features is the postcard that it sells, which is redeemable for a custom-made pint, personally delivered to your door.
Customers can jot down their vision for an ice cream flavour on the card along with any instructions and mail it back to the shop. They should then expect to receive a call from Maxwell to discuss specifics and set a delivery date.
Maxwell said she's received requests ranging from "something that tastes like Hawaii" to ones so detailed, customers have run out of writing room.
She estimates the shop has created more than 350 flavours, and counting.
Community involvement is key
"A regular customer stopped by and poked his head in yesterday and said that he had made cordial with elderflower and asked if I would like to work with that," said Maxwell, who accepted the offer.
"I love it when people want to be involved."
"It doesn't really matter to me about the ice cream itself. I'm sorry if that breaks anyone's heart.
"For me, it's all about the people, the smile on their face after saying, 'This is the best ice cream I've ever tasted.'"
No recipes, just whole ingredients
"I just do everything intuitively now," said Maxwell, who admitted she doesn't keep a record of past recipes.
"My sorbets, Italian gelaterias might scoff at them because I don't use any of the stabilizers or inverted sugars that they use.
"I just use organic cane sugar, and simple syrup, and fresh fruit. The texture might not be perfect, but I know what's in it."
Maxwell said she never dreamed of making ice cream for a living, but the community's high demand has kept her in the business.
"I ... stayed in line with my values, and got the best quality ingredients I could, and just made sure that everything is up to the standard I would want if I was going to buy it. I think people notice that and really appreciate it."
Mission statement
The long list of flavours include staples such as vanilla and strawberry, but also blue cheese and honey, pepper float, Hoyne's Dark Matter beer, malted milk and dairy-free lemongrass coconut with Thai basil.
"Our mission statement is painted on our sandwich board over there. It says, 'Doing whatever the hell we want since 2010."
To hear the full audio piece, listen to the audio labelled: Cold Comfort Ice Cream.
