We're so excited to kick off a series spotlighting some of our team members! And no better way than by welcoming owner Elissa Brown to the blog. She's the heart and soul behind the whole operation, and below you'll get a little peek into her brain as well.
What’s your role/what does your typical day at work look like?
As the owner/founder, I wear many hats, so there's a little of everything throughout the week! Sometimes I'll be in the Test Kitchen helping develop a new flavor, churning, or popping in to help pack some pints. Sometimes I'll drop by the Scoop Shop. There's always a lot of communication and checking in with different members of the Wild Scoops leadership team. Other times, I'll be corresponding with vendors, making connections with new collaborators and creators, planning new marketing initiatives or events. Nowadays, lots of planning relating to our new Test Kitchen and Scoop Shop, which will open in spring of 2019!
What’s your earliest/strongest memory of ice cream/food from childhood?
We had a salt-and-ice crank ice cream maker when I was in elementary school and we busted it out for cul-de-sac barbecues every summer! At some point, the ice cream canister lid cracked but we kept using it for decades. The top ice cream layer always was a little salty, but we didn't care.
What’s your favorite flavor at Wild Scoops?
This totally changes throughout the year! As a huge ginger fan, I just love Ginger Oh Snap (ginger ice cream + molasses cookie dough bits + chocolate fleck). Banana Peanut Butter Cup and AK Birch Brittle are also great go-to's, and Northern Tropics (coconut lime ginger sorbet) hits the spot in the summer.
The best way to eat ice cream is….
Always a cone! Licking provides the perfect pacing to release the ice cream's flavors on your tongue and let them bloom. Add the crunchy cone toward the end, and that final bite is the best. And as a nice Alaskan perk...cones melt really slowly in the winter so you have lots of time to enjoy your ice cream experience without feeling rushed!
When I’m not making ice cream, I’m…
Probably somewhere outside, enjoying all Alaska has to offer! Hiking, trail running, biking, skiing, depending on the season. Some reading, painting, cooking or maybe learning a new language for upcoming travel.