Get your spoons ready, because the best ice cream just got even better. Humphry Slocombe, a cult favorite artisan ice cream purveyor for the past 11 years, will feature a new flavor with a chef partner every month this year. Twelve chefs stepped up to bat, in collaboration with Humphry Slocombe Co-Founder and Ice Cream Mastermind Jake Godby, to develop an adventurous, showstopping slate of flavors for 2020.
Known for its boundary-pushing combinations like Jalapeño Corn Bread and award-winning Black Sesame, the ice cream innovator never shies away from making ice cream different – and out-of-this world delicious. The year-long chef collaboration series brings together the brightest culinary minds to incorporate their favorite ingredients into signature treats, resulting in a dynamic lineup of savory and sweet combinations. Each flavor will be available at scoop shops in the Bay Area with a portion of the proceeds benefiting a cause near and dear to each chef’s heart. Chosen beneficiaries include Larkin Street Youth, No Kid Hungry, and the National Breast Cancer Association.
“Collaborating and releasing tribute flavors has always been one of my favorite parts of the job,” says co-owner and pastry chef Jake Godby. “Working with these creative and diverse chefs has been great, and each one has a unique style and perspective captured in their ice cream. I think the flavors we created are fantastic and representative of who they are.”
Kicking off the month of January is Ravi Kapur, the Hawaiian-born chef whose home-inspired dishes cemented San Francisco’s Liholilo Yacht Club as a top dining destination and earned himself a spot as a Food and Wine Best New Chef of 2016. Kapur’s ice cream will continue to pay homage to Hawaii and his favorite snacks with his Hurricane Popcorn flavor, featuring a buttered popcorn ice cream base infused with wakame (seaweed for broth), candied rice crackers, and a black sesame caramel, making for a unique dessert chock-full of crunch with a buttery finish.
“Collaborating with Jake and team at Humphry Slocombe on this flavor was an awesome way to share a profound, taste-inspired memory from growing up in Hawaii,” says Ravi Kapur. “Furikake popcorn was an essential snack when going to the movies and the only way I ever ate popcorn growing up. Furikake, arare (assorted japanese rice crackers), and butter are all added to popcorn for a savory, sweet, crunchy combo. This ice cream is an homage to that, and by collaborating with the HS team, we ended up with something better than I could have imagined.”
Throughout the rest of the year, ice cream devotees can expect to see new flavors debut from a stellar list of renowned, inventive chefs. Participants and their spotlight creations include:
- Chris Cosentino – Winner of Top Chef Masters and Executive Chef and Owner of Cockscomb Chris Consentino will debut a Hemp & Hops flavor, infused with both ingredients for a fun play on the close relation of the two plants
- Tanya Holland – Author of New Soul Kitchen, Owner of Brown Sugar Kitchen, and national TV mainstay Tanya Holland will introduce a decadent Red Velvet Cake flavor with white chocolate chips and chunks of her famous red velvet cake throughout a tangy crème fraiche base
- Sujan Sarkar – Internationally known for his modern, high-end spin on dishes inspired by his upbringing in India, Executive Chef of ROOH Sujan Sarkar will premiere a creative besan burfi flavor featuring chick peas, cardamom, and brown butter.
- Melissa King – The frequent Humphry Slocombe collaborator, Top Chef favorite, and upcoming Top Chef All Stars competitor Melissa King opens up the flavor time capsule to bring back the first-ever Humphry Slocombe collab favorite Hong Kong Milk Tea, featuring creamy Hong Kong milk tea ice cream with almond cookies.
- Jason Neroni – Celebrated around Los Angeles for his treasured stints at restaurants like Osteria La Buca and Superba, Executive Chef of The Rose in Venice Jason Neroni is tapping into his love of the ocean for a Surfer’s Breakfast flavor, featuring buttermilk ice cream with incorporated fruit jam and black sesame granola
- Reem Assil – Named Thrillist and San Francisco Magazine’s “2018 Chef of the Year” and winner of the national OpenTable competition in 2016 to fund her superb bakery Reem’s in Oakland, Chef Reem Assil will feature a cold brew with pistachio halva flavor, inspired by a popular beverage sold at her café.
- Roy Choi – Known for cementing the food truck as a viable spot for amazing eats, his accolades from Anthony Bourdain, and Netflix’s The Chef Show, internationally-renowned Chef Roy Choi will release a Hawaiian-shaved ice inspired flavor, sweetened with Kool-Aid and condensed milk
- Mark Bittman – Beloved former writer for The New York Times and author of 16 books and cookbooks, Bittman plans on going all in on cashew for a vegan cashew based flavor that showcases the many facets of the rich nut.
- Dominique Crenn – The only female chef in America with three Michelin stars for her restaurant Atelier Crenn, Dominique Crenn plans on paying homage to the classic Kir French cocktail with a Kir Breton flavor, complete with blackcurrant notes and hints of white wine
- Brother Luck – Winner of Beat Bobby Flay in 2016 and finalist on Chopped, Brother Luck pulls from his Creole heritage to bring a unique treat to the table with a blackened yam flavor
- Pim Techamuanvivit – Winner of Michelin stars for her restaurants Kin Kao and Nahm, Pim is a cognitive scientist-turned chef with an innovative take on Thai cuisine.
This chef-driven series further highlights Humphry Slocombe’s commitment to raising the bar when it comes to the world of ice cream. Out-of-California ice cream fanatics should stay tuned to the Humphry Slocombe website, as flavors will become available for national shipping via delivery service Goldbelly.com
