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Published in the Salt Lake Magazine, August 2005

Dogs Days of Summer

by Vanessa Chang

John Winders shifts his weight from foot to foot, arms gesticulating, miming the process that just produced another batch of Bailey's Chip ice cream. Words stream from his goateed mouth. And hand gestures punctuate words like "overrun" and "butterfat content," concepts he learned during a recent trip to Penn State's prestigious ice cream seminar--a boot camp for industry heavyweights like Baskin Robbins and Ben & Jerry's. This man doesn't just talk ice cream. He loves the stuff. And now with Spotted Dog Creamery, he lives it.

A seasoned chef and caterer, Winders set about to introduce a high quality, locally made frozen treat to the ice cream addicted hordes of Zion. His goal: to take ice cream to another level. A modern day Good Humor man, he and his partner in business and in life, Kristin Johnson, are resurrecting a once-thriving facet of SLC culture. "There used to be a lot of mom-and-pop shops making local ice cream," he says. "Now, they're pretty much gone." From their debut at area farmers markets and outdoor events, they've grown into a new production facility designed and set up by Winders. There, the whole entourage, including namesake pooches, Jaxson and Hopper, supply the valley with hand-made batches of the cold stuff. Winders oversees a solitary industrial ice cream maker, incorporating Bourbon vanilla, Rimini coffee, fresh seasonal fruit, and all-natural extracts into 15 percent butterfat custard made from local milk.

Winders and Johnson bring scoops to the masses in their trademark blue, grey, and black carts; local restaurants feature Spotted Dog on their dessert menus. In the expansive holding freezer, special-ordered batches of Rocky Road, Tiramisł, Caramel Cup, Cappuccino Crunch, and Apple Pie flavors await delivery to Takashi, The Grand America Hotel, Mikado, Este Pizza, and Ruth's Diner. You can buy a pint at the Spotted Dog factory store, Schmidt's Pastry Cottage locations (5664 S. Redwood Road, Taylorsville; 2050 E. 6200 South, Holladay; 609 E. 2100 South, SLC), and The Store (2250 E. 6200 South, Holladay).

But before anything goes out for the day, Winders has to check the latest batch. He takes out the tub of Bailey's Chip destined for MacCool's Pub. The dogs look on from behind the glass office door as he opens the lid and takes a spoonful. He goes quiet and nods, then shifts his weight from foot to foot, a smile spreading across his face. "Oh, yeah," he coos. This batch makes the cut.

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