The Barossa Valley Ice Cream Company started in 2012 and maintains its values of using high quality ingredients and ethical food production practices.
Julie Donnellan and Les Williams met while working as chefs in Adelaide in the late 90s.
Julie arrived from Melbourne in 1997 after travelling and working in hospitality throughout Australia. Les studied design and has a passion for motorsport and competition, honing his skills in detail and precision.
The pair moved to Tanunda in 2005 where Julie taught at the Barossa TAFE. With degrees in hospitality management and wine marketing, the move to the region was to utilise the knowledge and experience gained – and it was also close to Mallala and Collingrove for Les’ racing.
Being among the fine wines and food that this region has to offer, the desire to set up their own business grew and both considered about what they might venture into.
Victorian friends, and ice cream producers, visited in 2012 and fell in love with the region and its food-smitten culture and suggested the couple should make ice cream. And the light-bulb moment hit!
As passionate cooks, it wasn’t a huge step for the pair to move into the business. Les researched and developed recipes based on traditional French techniques to produce a commercially viable quality product.
Les was employed with Pernod Ricard, so Julie took over as production manager, coming up with new flavours with no premix powders or flavour/colour pastes, just whole food.
Rather than open a shop, Julie and Les decided to take their products to the customer so ice cream freezers are now found in winery cellar doors, coffee shops, caravan parks and supermarkets.
A stall at the Barossa Farmers Market also gives people a chance to taste the products, and provide instant feedback for the development of new flavours.
The purchase of a Brazilian ice cream bike in 2013 has also revolutionised the business, and they now have three bikes which are taken to events, festivals, weddings and more.
The ice creams and sorbets are made with whole natural ingredients, about 80pc of which is sourced from within South Australia. Jersey Fresh cream; Riverland citrus; Adelaide Hills strawberries; Murray River pink salt; and Barossa stone fruit are some of the local ingredients that make it into the products.
Imported ingredients include 70pc Fair Trade Belgian chocolate, organic vanilla bean, and Australian sugar from a NSW co-operative.
