Soft Peaks; Sourced from Off The Eaten Track website
We all scream for Vancouver’s ice cream! Over the last few years, the city’s ice cream scene has exploded, with tons of artisanal shops now open. From soft serve to vegan options, Vancouver has it all for ice cream fans!
If you want to get a sense of the breadth of Vancouver’s ice cream, Off The Eaten Track has the dream tour for you this summer! Plus, you’ll get to know some of the iconic neighbourhoods in the city.
For the third year, the Vancouver tour company, Off the Eaten Track, will be offering a Gourmet Ice Cream Tour. Needless to say, this is a popular one! The tour runs from now until the end of September 2017, and is held Thursdays from 5-7pm and Sundays from 3-5pm (entails 35 minutes of light walking). The cost is $29.99 (plus GST and $1.50 booking fee). All together, you’ll hit four stops and have six ice cream samples.
The experience starts at Railtown Café (397 Railway Street) where you’ll try three of chef Alex Abley’s delish flavours. You’ll also walk around Railtown and learn about the history and evolution of this area of the city.
Sourced from Off The Eaten Track website
The next stop on the tour, Cadeaux Bakery (172 Powell Street), is located on the edge of Gastown and run by pastry chef Eleanor Chow. And, the bakery is known for one of the best ice cream sandwiches in the city. Just imagine salted chocolate shortbread with house-made ice cream sandwiched in-between!
Sourced from Off The Eaten Track website
From there, you’ll move to the cobbled streets of Gastown and its rich heritage. No ice cream tour would be complete without soft serve, always a crowd favourite. However, Soft Peaks (25 Alexander Street) doesn’t serve just any soft serve; theirs is made from local, organic milk and features gourmet toppings. You’ll get to try the Mudslide, their signature twist topped with TimTam flakes and chocolate syrup.
Sourced from Off The Eaten Track website
However, save room for one last stop. You’ll finish the tour at Chinatown’s Virtuous Pie (583 Main Street) who specialize in plant-based vegan ice cream made from cashew and coconut milk.
Sourced from Off The Eaten Track website
During a phone chat, owner Bonnie Todd says the tour is bigger and better than previous years. It’s been expanded from one to two hours (for the same price) in order to make for a more leisurely and in-depth tour. The ice cream flavours at Railtown Café and Soft Peaks will be different from last year, and Virtuous Pie and Chinatown are whole new additions.
Off The Eaten Track is a unique food tour company because you get a guided experience of the city itself. “You’re totally going to get some ice cream, but you’re also going to learn about Railtown, Chinatown, and Gastown. Three neighbourhoods for the price of one!” Todd explains.
Further details and tickets are available on-line. The ice cream tours tend to sell out quickly, so don’t wait too long to book.
