4 minute read
WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM!
The first time B’s Salty & Sweet’s resident sweet tooth, David Boran, made ice cream, was in 2015 during his pastry school curriculum. He was hooked and has been making it ever since. It was a menu staple at Canela Antigua, his bakery in Antigua, Guatemala, with five to six flavors available at any time either by the scoop or sandwiched between two of the bakery’s cookies.
Fast forward to 2020 and the launch of B’s Salty & Sweet in Columbia, Tennessee. The ice cream had always been on the list of things to add to the menu, and in the spring of 2022, it debuted at the first communal dinner B’s hosted. During that summer, B’s tried to make custom ice cream cookie sandwiches a Sunday special, but there were logistical barriers to the expansion of this treat.
In the spring of 2023, Boran and his wife Bethany, who oversees all the savory or salty elements at B’s, were brainstorming new ideas for the bakery, and ice cream came up again. Thinking of the prior logistical issues, they came up with the perfect solution to have everything prepped ahead of time. Scoops in preportioned cups and sandwich combos sealed up in sleeves.
Instead of offering both dairy ice cream and vegan options like before, the decision was made to pursue the vegan option. Not only did that fit with their ethos and complement most of the offerings at B’s, but it also meant more flavors could be offered because the workload for each flavor would be cut in half.
B’s then decided they would make it in-house and recipe testing began on a new vegan ice cream base with three goals in mind. First, it had to be delicious. Second, like all their other products, it needed to be made from scratch. Finally, it had to be as close to real ice cream in appearance and texture so that it would appeal to all.
After rounds of trial and error, the winning formula emerged, and ice cream production began. The couple decided to make a small batch of ice cream, in a few different flavors, and announced it in their weekly email to customers. They even ordered old-fashioned wooden spoons for people to use!
The first batch disappeared quicker than expected, so the team expanded quickly. Some of the flavors included were mint chip, using fresh mint leaves and house-made thin chocolate flakes, vanilla bean, steeped with vanilla bean pods and seeds, chocolate, using a base made with dark chocolate and cocoa powder with a touch of brewed coffee, and coffee, using B’s beloved De la Gente Guatemalan coffee which is roasted locally by Franklin’s Narrow Gate.
As the flavor list continued to expand it didn’t take long for B’s to turn their house-made graham crackers into the perfect vehicle for ice cream sandwiches. Top flavors include mint chip on chocolate grahams and key lime on graham. The sandwich lineup now includes specially made versions of chocolate chip, rainbow sprinkle, and peanut butter cookies. A gluten-free option is available, with B’s gluten-free chocolate chip cookies filled with either chocolate or vanilla bean ice creams.
There are usually 12-15 flavors and sandwich combos available at any time and with customers raving, B’s plans to offer the ice cream cups and sandwiches year-round. “We’ve had people enjoy an ice cream cup for breakfast, take a dozen to a work party, and stock up their freezers,” said David. “And they don’t stop suggesting new flavors for us. We have a list going on one of our whiteboards!” Unless noted on the B’s menu, all ice creams are also gluten-free and nut-free.
B’s Salty & Sweet is located inside Factory at Columbia at 101 N James Campbell Boulevard, in Columbia. Open Tuesday to Saturday, breakfast and lunch are served daily, along with a full coffee and espresso bar. Patrons can always find a wide array of pastries and bread, all made inhouse, including sourdough bread, croissants, cookies, sweet rolls, pop tarts, as well as a full line of granolas and crackers. It's all so good!
Follow B’s social media at @bsaltyandsweet or head to bsaltyandsweet.com for information on new product launches, like their soft pretzels, communal dinners, and so many other tasty items.
