The story behind Ruxstons new ice cream range
- Rosie Seddon
- 4 days ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
How did two young entrepreneurs launch a brand-new ice cream line in less than two
months? From the Start of September to mid-October, Apple and I had the absolute
joy of designing and launching Ruxstons’ ice cream range. We have learnt a whole
lot throughout the process, about product development, teamwork, and how much
detail goes into something that might seem as simple as a scoop of ice cream. But
how did we turn an idea on the shop floor into a real ice cream brand?
Who are we?
Apple and I are two 18-year-old girls on our gap year, fresh out of full-time education.
Although university awaits us next year, we are serving as baristas in the Ruxstons
café and working on the shop floor. When the amazing team at Granny Gothards,
located nearby in Willand, reached out to Ruxstons about the possibility of creating
our very own ice cream line, we asked if we could take the ice cream project on as
our own; the prospect of entering the business world was incredibly exciting for us.
And with that, the process began.
The creative process
Ever since the Ruxstons Chocolate Factory opened in the summer, we had noticed
how many of our customers absolutely loved the chocolates; their creative flavours
and designs are truly unique. Using these chocolates as inspiration, we found that
combining their flavours with ice cream could create an innovative, original, and of
course, delicious range, unlike anything that can be found currently in the ice cream
market.
Gabriel, the co-founder of Ruxstons, and Apple then met with Amanda Ringelberg and Susie Hodgkin from Granny Gothards, to discuss all of the different possibilities for our range: from
flavours and prices to order sizes. After the flavours were finalised, the next task was to come up with creative names to match the innovative ice cream. Whilst working as baristas in the Ruxstons café, we brainstormed names and shared our ideas in between serving customers. Some ideas were better than others, and it’s safe to say there were a few that didn’t make
the cut. But eventually, we landed on names that we felt reflected the character of
each flavour, and that tied in with the chocolates that inspired them.
The process of designing the packaging soon followed, with sketches etched first
onto napkins and then into notebooks at any spare moment. We wanted to create a
fun, cohesive look for the range, including hand-drawn sketches of the elements of
each ice cream. We felt that this captured how the ice creams have been carefully
handcrafted, whilst also making the different flavours visually clear and incorporating
designs inspired by the chocolates behind the range. These designs were later
perfected, turned into digital art, and made into a reality, paired with descriptions of each flavour.
We then took on the task of designing the display freezer, again aiming for a sense
of harmony between the design and the products themselves. As with the tubs, we
started off by sketching ideas and quickly realised our priorities: keeping the same
colour palette as seen on our ice cream tubs, and making it instantly clear what was
inside. Once we were happy, the final design was drawn up and printed. It was
another part of the process where we realised how many details go into things you
might never usually think about, such as the layout, the spacing, and the order of the
colours. Every element had to work together.
We next made one final trip to the Granny Gothards ice cream factory, with the tasty
task of checking the flavours, filming some extra social media content, and making
sure everything was running smoothly.
With all of those steps in place, our range was complete and brand created. All that
was left was to properly launch our ice cream, and start selling it on the shop floor!
Why Granny Gothards?
We found that the Granny Gothards team and their ethos aligned perfectly with our
aims for this project. The team at Granny Gothards use local produce for all
of their ice creams, sourcing their milk from Oak Park Dairy, and working with local
farms and businesses whenever possible. This was carried through into our own ice
creams, which use fresh produce from Somerset Lavender, and even meringues
from West Country Meringues. We loved the idea of keeping things local, supporting
nearby suppliers, and making sure every element of our ice cream had a genuine
connection to the South West. It’s something that really reflects both Ruxstons’ and
Granny Gothards’ values: keeping quality at the heart of everything, while also
celebrating the brilliant local businesses around us.
Granny Gothards also prioritise quality and integrity over profit. They collaborate with
top chefs to craft exceptional flavours and produce every batch in small quantities
rather than mass-producing. Each one begins with the team hand-weighing
ingredients before the mixture of eggs, milk, sugar, and flavourings is cooked to 84
degrees to pasteurise the eggs, a process that takes about 15 minutes. After this,
the ice cream is frozen for another 15 minutes before it’s poured out and any
additions, such as honeycomb, chocolate, or meringue, are hand-stirred into the mix.
Every step is done with care and attention to detail, and the team’s dedication to
quality truly brought our vision to life. Seeing that process in person really made us
appreciate how much craftsmanship goes into every batch. It’s very different from the
image of ice cream being churned out by a big factory: it’s a small, skilled team who
really care about what they’re making.
The launch night
To give our new range the launch that it deserved, we decided to host a launch
event, giving the public the chance to be the first to try all eight of our new flavours.
This included a mystery flavour, in which the first to guess it would win the entire
range. We wanted the launch to be fun, engaging, and memorable, as well as a
space where people could truly see the story behind the product and actually taste
the results.
To advertise our evening, we began researching and contacting journalists to share
our story, and local figures in the community who might be interested in our story. We
also spread the word on social media and our website so that everyone had the
opportunity to join us. We quickly realised how much organisation goes into planning
an event, from sorting timings and signage to scooping enough taster pots of ice
cream! This evening was made possible by the amazing Ruxstons team, who
worked tirelessly in the lead up to the event, ensuring that it all ran smoothly.
The event itself was a huge success, with welcome drinks, pizza, tours of the
chocolate factory, a dive into the creative process, and of course, ice cream tasters.
All eight of the flavours inspired by our chocolate range were circulated around the
room, and were rated out of 5 on ‘tasting cards’. It was decided that the favourite
flavours of the night were ‘Dearly Bearloved’ and‘Full of Beans’, and the mystery
flavour (apple and cinnamon, “All Things Nice”) was guessed at a remarkable speed!
It was the perfect evening to introduce our new range, and a whole lot of fun.
The Ruxstons Ice Cream Range
Our Ruxstons Ice Cream comes in twelve different flavours, eight of them inspired by
our chocolates made in-house.
“Dearly Bearloved” is chocolate, caramel and sea salt flavoured. The mini chocolate
bears found throughout the ice cream are created in our Ruxstons chocolate factory,
and then delivered to Granny Gothards before production. The same caramel and
chocolate used in our original chocolate caramel bears are incorporated into the ice cream,
capturing the true flavour of the inspiration chocolate.
“Black Forest” is dark chocolate and cherry flavoured. Real cherries are used along
with Colac cherry syrup from Ruxstons, achieving its rich and fruity depth. We also
use Mona Lisa Dark Chocolate, again sourced from Ruxstons and replicating the
signature taste of our dark chocolate cherries.
“Buzz & Bloom” is honeycomb and lavender flavoured. The lavender is sourced from
Somerset Lavender, just outside of Bath. The milk is gently infused with lavender for
four hours at a simmering temperature, and then strained and cooled to create the
ice cream base.
“All Things Nice” is apple and cinnamon flavoured. The cinnamon is cooked directly
into the ice cream, allowing the flavours to infuse during production. This result in a
warm, comforting flavour combination. British Bramley Apples are used to give this
ice cream its tartness and texture.
“Full of Beans” is dark chocolate and coffee flavoured. The coffee flavour is achieved
from a coffee paste, and Ethiopian coffee beans are also infused into the ice cream
as it cooks, deepening and layering the flavour. Different styles of coffee ice cream,
such as flat white or espresso, can be achieved by adjusting the balance between
coffee intensity and the milk-to-cream ratio.
“Perfect Pistachio” is white chocolate and pistachio flavoured. The pistachio crème
uses Sicilian pistachios, known for their naturally sweet flavour thanks to Sicily’s sun,
volcanic soil, and sea breeze which create the perfect growing conditions. It is hand-
piped through the ice cream as it comes out of the machine, before entering the
potting stage, to ensure that every pot has distinctive, creamy swirls.
Our Dairy Free Chocolate ice cream is dark chocolate and sea salt flavoured. A
common misconception about vegan ice creams is that they require many additives
to replace dairy, but this one contains only five ingredients: water, 70% dark
chocolate, sugar, cocoa, and chocolate pieces.
“Lemon Bliss” is lemon meringue and white chocolate flavoured. The lemons come
from Sicily, using both the juice and zest for a bright, tangy flavour. The meringues
are made by West Country Meringues, and offcuts from their pavlovas are used to
prevent waste. The meringue is stirred in by hand as the ice cream leaves the
machine. The meringue doesn’t dissolve thanks to its stable foam structure, which is
tiny air bubbles trapped in egg proteins and sugar, so stays solid when combined
with the cold ice cream.
The range also includes Strawberry, Raspberry, Vanilla, and Chocolate ice cream.
Looking for the best ice cream near you? Look no further… join us in-store in
Wellington, Somerset to try our delicious creations.
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