OUR STORY
Hand-crafted in a renovated former dairy barn, since 2008 Sussex Ice Cream has focused on taking the cream produced in dairy farms around Atlantic Canada and transforming it into the best ice cream on the east coast. After a trip to the UK and a tour of a small ice cream producer’s facilities, Dave Freeze became dissatisfied with the quality of ice cream being produced and offered in Atlantic Canada. As a sixth-generation dairy farmer himself, Dave felt the need to ensure that quality products were being made with his and other farmers’ raw ingredients. Resolving to create his own product to fill the need, Dave purchased the necessary equipment for producing small batches of hand-crafted ice cream and enrolled in an intensive course on ice cream making at the University of Guelph in Ontario.
Sussex Ice Cream has a proud heritage. The name comes from the town of Sussex, which has a rich history of dairy farming and is known for its excellent dairy products. Some customers still remember the Sussex Ice Cream of the 1960’s owned by Sussex Cheese and Butter. The milk can in our logo represents the story of our family’s dairy farm and the history of many small farms in the region. Milk and cream producers historically received a producer number. That number was painted on the milk cans that were transported by horse to the train that went to Saint John to be emptied at the dairy. When the empty cans came back the next day, the farmer knew which cans were theirs. 161 was our farm’s number.
Today, Sussex Ice Cream remains committed to producing both classic and innovative flavours with high quality, local ingredients. The product is built on a foundation of 100% Canadian cream, high butterfat content (16%) and low overrun (40%), which is the amount of air incorporated into the finished ice cream. This makes for a smooth and rich scoop of ice cream that falls under the category of “Super-Premium”, alongside products like Häagen Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s. Try it for yourself and experience New Brunswick’s ice cream!