Which 'wich' is the best frozen treat?
Editor’s Note: In celebration of National Ice Cream Month in July, we are spotlighting a local company that produces a popular frozen treat enjoyed by many in the Charleston region. Read below about Wich Cream, a business that is often spotted serving up cool treats at Daniel Island events!
It does not have to be National Ice Cream Month to enjoy the tasty, handcrafted treats Wich Cream has to offer, but it is a fun July bonus!
After leaving his job at The Grocery, a restaurant in downtown Charleston, Brandon Belk found himself with a rediscovered passion for food and the culinary arts, specifically those with fresh, sustainable ingredients. After creating the company Wich Cream with his wife, Lauren, they now sell a product that takes the old-fashioned nostalgia of the standard ice cream sandwich bar and kicks it up a notch. Belk has decided to devote his days to the farm to table movement, adding his spin on a product that emphasizes the shift.
Belk initially had lukewarm feelings about ice cream. There was no lifelong dream to scoop or fathom odd flavors to delight others. Ice cream became a vessel for Brandon, a way to showcase all the locally-sourced, quality ingredients that can take any meal or novelty from good to excellent. After leaving his former position in 2014, he started out in his kitchen, and later went full time in 2016. He now provides a product that is available readily in the Charleston area.
Within his desires to shift back to flavor-based food, something he says was lost during the Industrial Revolution because of the need for convenience, Belk and his wife put considerable thought and effort into every ice cream sandwich that leaves their cart. They use milk sourced from Jersey Cows (jokingly known as “boutique milk”), along with fresh fruits, eggs, honey and even salt.
The Belks, who often serve up their Wich Cream specialties at Daniel Island events, focus on what ingredients are best during that time of year. Their staple flavors, such as salted caramel, mint chocolate chip, cookies and cream, and vanilla bean, all heavily rely on the quality of milk. Flavors such as blueberry Cheri (a nod to the woman who grows their blueberries) will never be found in the winter time, despite its popularity, due to the fact that blueberries flourish during the summer. When it is in season, it becomes a prime ingredient for the Belks’ creations.
Wich Cream has been making a name for itself all over the Charleston area. Weekly, it can be found at the Mount Pleasant Farmers Market on Tuesday, the Farmers Market in Marion Square on Saturdays, and MUSC at lunchtime. They also can make their menu items available at school events, weddings and birthday parties. Additionally, they sell the product in gallon bulk to the Granary and Rappahannock Oyster Bar. A full list of Charleston restaurants and stores carrying the product can be found at WichCream.com.
Overall, Belk wishes to promote the awareness of sustainable food systems, with a significant focus on dairy. He finds that dairy has not had its time in the spotlight during the sustainable movement. Working with local farmers, Belk says, “I wanted to shift from viewing milk as a commodity from a grocery store. It can have flavor and character like any other ingredient.” For this mission to be fulfilled, he gets to work with Celeste Albers, a Lowcountry dairy farmer. Belk is the only one using the farm’s milk commercially.
According to the Wich Cream website, their offerings have plenty of mouth-watering appeal. “Handcrafted ice creams are lovingly snuggled between a rich, made-from-scratch, wafer-thin brownie or a vanilla cookie made with local heirloom cornmeal, and our other ice creams are served up in the buff on a stick,” states the site. Driven by passion, Belk ensures greatness is tasted within every bite.
As for future plans, Belk is hoping to expand the footprint of Wich Cream, all while making good strides. He wishes to continue to share his product, spend greater time on the production process and potentially move out to new cities, utilizing that town’s freshest ingredients on hand. For more information on Wich Cream, visit www.wichcream.com.
Kerrianne Riley of Daniel Island is a Bishop England graduate who will begin her sophomore year at Boston College this fall. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in English (creative writing concentration) and a minor in journalism. In addition to writing, her interests include songwriting and traveling.