We began our gelato-crafting adventure in earnest after returning from our 30th wedding anniversary trip of a lifetime in 2015 to Eastern and Central Europe. On that trip we were thrilled to enjoy delicious dairy-free ice cream in Budapest and Vienna while eating out. Vienna even had an all-vegan scoop ice cream shop which we visited every single day that we were there!

Back home, I had been making vegan frozen desserts for friends, family and clients since I transitioned to plant-based food preparation in 2009. Even my omni friends swooned over the dairy-free gelato I made. But we were disappointed that aside from sorbet, we couldn’t enjoy a scoop of rich, creamy, cool deliciousness as a special treat when we went out, and most grocery store dairy-free options are laden with artificial ingredients and fillers. When I saw people lining up out the door night after night at the little shop in Vienna “I told Kevin, ‘I know how to make that, let’s do it!”

California’s seasonal bounty, and the help, support and taste testing of friends, family and our community have propelled Conscious Creamery from a sweet dream to a delectable reality.

Andrea is a classically trained chef who has catered, worked in health-related food service teaches cooking classes and blogs on her website plantchef.com.