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Now That’s Cold Ice Cream!

Published:Thursday | September 17, 2020 | 12:08 AMKrysta Anderson /Gleaner Writer
Just a spoonful of sugar makes the happiness go ‘round.
Just a spoonful of sugar makes the happiness go ‘round.
Taste the goodness of jackfruit in this scrumptious scoop of ice cream.
Taste the goodness of jackfruit in this scrumptious scoop of ice cream.
If you love black forest and you love ice cream, then you will definitely savour this sweet flavour.
If you love black forest and you love ice cream, then you will definitely savour this sweet flavour.
You have not lived until you have tried the coconut drops ice cream.
You have not lived until you have tried the coconut drops ice cream.
Stacy-Ann Smith was positively glowing at the recently held Taste and Buy event.
Stacy-Ann Smith was positively glowing at the recently held Taste and Buy event.
It’s mango time! And you will love this smooth and creamy medley.
It’s mango time! And you will love this smooth and creamy medley.
Ice plus cake? Now That’s Cold Ice Cream!
Ice plus cake? Now That’s Cold Ice Cream!
Passion fruit ice cream, anyone? Yes please!
Passion fruit ice cream, anyone? Yes please!
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They say life is better with ice cream. Wouldn’t you agree? Serving up scoops of happiness for you to enjoy one lick or spoon at a time is That’s Cold Ice Cream.

The dream started with a gift. Owner Shanique Bethune explained further. “A friend of mine had given me an ice cream maker as a present before I returned home.” Since experimenting is second nature, the frozen dessert became a sweet part of Sunday dinners with family. Pretty soon, she began sharing the delights with friends and was receiving amazing feedback. This was followed by encouragement to become an entrepreneur in the food industry.

And the season of COVID-19 could not be a better time to put her goals into affirmative action. “This is a season to be innovative, bold and rekindle lost dreams. The Lord distinctly spoke to me saying that He wants to restore lost dreams, and this is one out of many dreams that I’ve had, to call something my own,” she highlighted.

Bethune was scared, especially because of the creamy competition out there, but she followed that small but reassuring voice and turned her fear into confidence. “What I saw as fun experimentation, others saw as a business opportunity.” Her sister was instrumental in pushing and helping her to overcome any doubts of starting a business. She even played a hand in selecting the name of the business, along with votes from friends.

So what makes That’s Cold Ice Cream so incredible? The authentic, bold and unique flavours that offer an epic explosion on your taste buds. “Our brand is built on quality ingredients, supporting local farmers and showcasing the boldness of Jamaican flavours. Our first line of products was crafted around the flavours of Jamaica and reflects the bounty of our fruits, local treats and desserts,” Bethune revealed.

That’s Cold Ice Cream prides itself on being an authentic brand and she wanted to reflect that authenticity with its ice cream. Experimentation is the order of the day so her friend, Toni-Ann Martin, brainstormed some ideas, did product testing and the flavours brainstormed came together nicely. When she did the initial taste test with family and friends, along with the tasting focus groups, she consistently heard the comment ‘this tastes like coconut drops’, so why not create that taste to savour?

With creamy choices of mango medley, passion fruit, two non-dairy ice creams, jackfruit and coconut drops, and cake-based ice cream like black forest cake, it’s no wonder customers are falling in love. “All our products are all-natural with no preservatives, no artificial colouring or flavouring, and we are Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) certified.”

When it came to creating flavours like black forest, the option came about based on fusing two favourites, ice cream and cake. “In Jamaica, we tend to eat cake with ice cream and sometimes we mix them together. Being true to the Jamaican experience, we brought this to life with a popular black forest cake with the rum, of course.”

She continued, “I wanted to make my product a part of the decadent offering in Jamaica. We are hoping to launch a curry coconut ice cream flavour. Curry is a big part of our culture and we thought we should bring that flavour to life.” Additionally, she used to bake the varieties of Christmas cakes and sold them during the Christmas holidays, so transitioning that into a flavour played nicely into the cake-based ice cream line; that, for her, was a no-brainer.

The ice cream company introduced its product to market with a taste and buy event on September 12, at Gloria’s Seafood City, Victoria Pier. The review was very positive and encouraging. This partnership, Bethune believed, was perfect, since this is where their products will be retailed from. “Our retail product is in an eight-ounce package; however, family size (quart) can be done to order. We will be expanding to their Ocho Rios branch early next year. We will be continuing the Taste and Buy event for the next two weekends in September.”

As part of the red-carpet roll-out, she will also be introducing deliveries in October, which will be facilitated through the Instagram page @ThatsColdJA. “We will be following that up with launching a website for those not on social media to place their orders.”

krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com