Looking for a new ice cream flavour? You may want to try this award-winning one from an ice cream maker close to home. Chapman’s Ice Cream, whose headquarters is in Markdale, announced it’s recently received a prestigious honour that celebrates its new pecan butter tart premium ice cream flavour. The International Ice Cream Consortium (IICC) that took place in Argentina Oct. 12 to 17 brought in independent ice cream makers from 13 countries, showcasing the flavours they were most proud of. Inspired by one of Canada’s most iconic desserts, the Chapman’s pecan butter tart flavour was honoured with the Best Ice Cream award. “Let’s just say the development of this flavour was a lot of fun because we’ve got a lot of serious butter tart people in house,” Chapman’s Ice Cream CEO Ashley Chapman tells CTV News. Officially launched in June, Chapman says he and his team were tasting local butter tarts to get the perfect blend. The company first launched a raisin butter tart flavour, but to “satisfy the pecan lovers,” Chapman says they felt they needed to create a pecan version. The flavour includes hints of maple, praline pecans and pieces of buttery sugar cookies and is made with 100 per cent Canadian Dairy. In response to the escalating trade war, the company declared in August it is working to replace 70 per cent of American ingredients by the middle of next year. Butter tarts have a long and storied history in our region with the first known recipe for butter tarts to have originated in Barrie in 1903. The ice cream maker is no stranger to receiving prestigious honours. Last year, Indigenous chef and restaurant owner from Owen Sound, Zach Keeshig, partnered with Chapman’s to create a sweetgrass flavour of ice cream. They won in a tie for first place at the IICC.
