The Science Behind San Francisco’s Smitten Ice Cream
“We believe ice cream = joy” is a phrase that perfectly encapsulates most of our feelings towards ice cream. It is also the phrase that embodies Smitten Ice Cream & founder Robyn Sue Fisher’s affinity towards the nostalgic treat.
But when Fisher turned her passion for ice cream into a scientific investigation in 2007, she discovered just how ‘far from the cow’ ice cream had become. “The modern method of production focuses on shelf-life rather than taste, and I just knew there had to be a better way. So I decided to throw that whole paradigm out the window and start from scratch.”
“I figured out early on that if you could freeze & serve ice cream right away, then the artificial stabilizers, emulsifiers, and preservatives are totally superfluous… you can make ice cream that’s delicious without all of that. To achieve this, meant freezing the ice cream at such a low temperature, that it freezes almost instantly, which is where liquid nitrogen comes into play!”
To test this theory out further, Fisher said that she tinkered around in a basement workshop, creating a prototype version of a machine with parts sourced off Craigslist. “It was pretty amazing to see my handiwork churn a batch of ice cream with the simplest ingredients… organic milk, cream, sugar, salt, and butter — in just minutes.”
“And the resulting texture is just insane! Liquid nitrogen is so cold that it creates ice crystals, which makes the ice cream supremely smooth.”
After perfecting the ice cream, Fisher then took the streets of San Francisco in 2009 (literally) to sell her ice cream on top of a Radio Flyer ® wagon.
“I didn’t exactly have all the permits to be selling ice cream on the street… But that’s what I did anyway for almost a year, after which I had the support I needed to open our very first scoop shop in Hayes Valley in April 2011.”
“Almost 6 years later, we’ve opened 7 more shops across the Bay Area and LA (with two more coming in the next three months)!”
And Postmates has definitely helped us sustain and grow, said Fisher.
“Ice cream’s one of those treats you find yourself craving at the strangest of times… and we want to ensure that if you’re hit with one of those cravings, you can get the good stuff (ahem, Smitten), delivered.” But beyond convenience, Postmates has also impacted Smitten’s off-season sales.
“It’s been interesting to see how Postmates has helped us mitigate some of the negative impact of weather on our business. It’s no surprise that as soon as it starts raining, people stay home — which means they’re not out there in our neighborhoods wandering into our shops. So Postmates helps us meet people where they are — whether it’s on their couch or stuck at work — and enables our ice cream to be a part of that experience. Postmates helps us make any weather, ice cream weather.”
Looking ahead, Smitten feels lucky to be working in San Francisco alongside Postmates and other teams in the space that are constantly innovating.
Fisher said that they’ve also got some pretty awesome stuff up their sleeves… “from new shops and flavors to cool partnerships and events.”
To see what all the all-natural ice cream flavor hype is about, order your own scoop of Smitten today — with flavors ranging from: Blood orange with pistachio cookies; Passion, plantains and chocolate; Cookie dough with pretzels and chocolate chips; and Salted caramel!
