Lindsay’s Handmade ice cream isn’t just a name; it’s a reflection of Lindsay Arakelian’s dedication. From the shortbread pieces and lemon curd in her “So Fraîche, So Clean” pints to her business’s website, social media accounts, and carton labels, everything is crafted by Arakelian herself in a commercial kitchen in Norwalk.
Arakelian’s venture into the food business mirrors the stories of many entrepreneurs during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as those behind Rebel Daughter Cookies and Pop-Up Bagels. Stuck at home, she decided to recreate a goat cheese ice cream she had enjoyed in Maine. This marked the beginning of her ice cream journey.
“I started experimenting with other flavors,” Arakelian says. “I want to do things that no one else does because I want to see what they taste like, see what I can do.” Viewing ice cream as a blank canvas, she continuously searches for recipes or dishes to convert into ice cream flavors and scouts markets for fresh ingredients that would enhance her creations. This innovative approach has led to unique flavors such as roasted pineapple with rum caramel, baklava, and “Da Real MBT” maple-bacon-toffee. Her rainbow cookie and black cherry-Oreo flavors have become customer favorites.
Encouraged by friends and neighbors who loved her ice cream, Arakelian decided to turn her hobby into a business. She attended Ice Cream University, a training and seminar program for aspiring ice cream entrepreneurs.
“That was the first time I saw the big, real ice cream makers that I have now, and I was all starry-eyed,” she recalls.
Lindsay’s Handmade continues to surprise and delight with its innovative flavors, setting a high bar in the artisanal ice cream market.
