Chapman’s, one of Canada’s oldest ice cream manufacturers has teamed up with an Ojibway-owned company to create a brand new ice cream flavour.
Part of Chapman’s new “Super Premium Plus” line of ice cream, the new cold brew coffee flavour is a collaboration with Birch Bark Coffee Co., and is set to hit shelves in the spring.
Established in 2018, by Marsolais-Nahwegahbow from Whitefish River First Nation, Birch Bark coffee is certified organic, Fair Trade coffee that is SPP (the acronym of the Spanish name, Simbolo de Pequeños Productores) certified, which means that it’s grown and produced by farmers that are Indigenous descendants.
“We recognize the need for an Indigenous inclusion continuum that extends globally, beginning with the Indigenous women and men farmers producing Birch Bark coffee beans to the customers supporting our cause-driven movement to the Indigenous families across Canada impacted by poor water conditions,” the company, which is based out of Ottawa states on its website.
The first collaboration for Chapman’s in their 50 year history, a portion of the proceeds of the sale of the cold brew ice cream will be donated to clean drinking water initiatives for Indigenous homes across Canada.
Birch Bark Coffee Co. took to their Instagram to share news of the launch.
“Another huge milestone for us,” the company captioned the post. “Beyond @chapmansicecream supporting us by turning our coffee into the cold brew that’s the foundational flavour in this Premium ice cream, this collaboration brings so much more to the table.”
“Our business philosophies align because we both place such great value in giving back to the community” the caption concludes.
Marsolais-Nahwegahbn told the CBC that their ice cream is the first of its kind because it’ s made with cold brew rather than freeze-dried instant coffee crystals which are typically used to make coffee-flavoured ice cream.
Birch Bark Coffee is available in retailers including Costco as well as restaurants and coffee shops including Kensington Market’s PowWow Cafe and Sanagan’s Meat Locker.
For every 50 bags of coffee purchased online, the company donates a water purification system to an Indigenous family and one for every 100 bags purchased from their retail locations.