A Snowball Effect

Changing trade rules, the rise of Q-commerce and a band of culinarians curious about the possibilities of the retail and packaged goods market has led to an upsurge of homegrown, artisanal brands, many of which are making ice-creams. And summer has never looked better

- SUMAN MAHFUZ QUAZI

Finding the sparing swirls of caramel in HäagenDazs' Vanilla Milk Chocolate Almond Ice-Cream Bar is like chancing upon lucky beans in an unkempt garden. It evokes a certain joy that I frequently find myself indulging in, late into the night, way past my bedtime and resolve. Ravaging a treat from the American retail brand in the comfort of my home paints a starkly different picture from, say, 14 years ago, when the company had just launched their first outlet/cafe in Saket, Delhi. I suspect it's just as surreal for Preity Zinta fans, each time they spot Ben & Jerry's, summoning memories of the 2005 cult Bollywood romcom, Salaam Namaste, where the actor helped make 'Belgian Dark Chocolate' the new 'It' flavour. And while global ice-cream brands have been steadily making their way into the country, for the last decade or so, a more veritable trend within this space is marked by the rise of premium/artisanal ice-cream ventures from the home turf. In the last half-decade alone, we've seen the springing up of companies like NOTO, Get-A-Way, Good Fettle, Minus 30, Zoet Desserts, The Brooklyn Creamery, Amadora, Tandy's Creamery, Blanchette and Bono Ice-Cream, to name a few.