The new Bold Spoon Creamery, located in Park Hills, is family-owned and operated by two of the grooviest new residents to the 573. Rachel Burns, an investment consultant, and her husband, Corey Wilkinson, an aeronautics engineer, landed in the 573 from St. Louis with a super sweet idea—specialty ice cream.
The new Bold Spoon Creamery, located in Park Hills, is family-owned and operated by two of the grooviest new residents to the 573.
From her garden in the backyard, Rachel grabbed some mint to make a batch of mint ice cream...BOOM, it was a big hit!
The first batch of what has become a family passion was born in 2017 when one of Corey’s college friends brought his family over for a nice summer swim. From her garden in the backyard, Rachel grabbed some mint to make a batch of mint ice cream for them as a perfect way to end a summer day. BOOM, it was a big hit!
By the spring of 2019, she was tinkering with ingredients, brainstorming combinations, and writing down her original recipes with tons of new flavors like; Mixed Berry, Roasted Peach, Garden Mint, Coffee with Chocolate Freckles, Vanilla Crème Brûlée, Salted Chocolate, Lavender Vanilla, Brie with Spiced Honey, Goat Cheese with Fig Jam, Lemon Curd, Burst of Cinnamon…
The flavors you see today are the product of creativity, trial & error, a lot of reading, and food-science knowledge courtesy of Rachel's brother who is a lifelong Chef.
The Garden Mint Ice Cream is like none I have ever had before.
Mint chocolate chip ice cream is a classic that will last through the ages, and has always been one of my favorites. Yet Bold Spoon Creamery found a way to make it even better. The Garden Mint Ice Cream is like none I have ever had before. You can definitely tell it was made with fresh mint. It has a wonderful, light flavor, but like the other Bold Spoon ice creams, it’s very rich, very creamy, and very tasty. The two major differences that sets Bold Spoon’s mint apart from other mint ice creams is the color, and the fresh mint flavor. With no added food coloring, which can sometimes take away from the taste, Bold Spoon's Garden Mint Ice Cream is a creamy white with the slightest tinge of yellow...all natural. As far as the flavor...WOW! It just has a very, very fresh and crisp, almost herbaceous but not overwhelmingly so, sweet kind of taste. And the chocolate is delicious, but doesn’t steal the show or outshine the mint. It’s just the perfect amount for the two flavors to compliment each other in sweet and perfect harmony.
The Vanilla Crème Brûlée is absolutely heavenly!
The next flavor I tasted was literally a miracle. Created by accidentally burning ingredients for the base of a batch of mixed berry, the Vanilla Crème Brûlée has an angelically creamy rich flavor and texture with just little bits of a caramelized crunch throughout. You can definitely taste the crème brûlée. It's just like the creamy vanilla custard and delicate crisp top of one of my all-time favorite fine dining restaurant desserts. The flavor is just outstanding! Whether this was a happy accident or divine dessert intervention... the taste is absolutely heavenly!
Goat Cheese and Fig...might be my new favorite ice cream flavor.
The Goat Cheese and Fig Ice Cream is much richer and creamier than the others. The texture is downright decadent and even though it still melts the same as ice cream, the creaminess of it and the flavor more reminds me of cheesecake. It is rich, creamy, and really almost euphoric. The figs are an amazing touch. They really make this flavor something special. The fig jam really sweetens everything up and you get some nice fruit texture in there. The goat cheese and figs definitely play well together. In fact, it might be my new favorite ice cream flavor.
The Lavender Vanilla...literally tastes beautiful!
The Lavender Vanilla is a wonderfully creative twist on the traditional classic vanilla ice cream. Like the other Bold Spoon flavors, it’s magnificently rich and creamy. You can definitely taste the vanilla’s presence there, but the subtle notes of lavender gives it its own new feature. It's a whole new taste all together, and kind of hard to describe. The best way I know to put it is, it literally tastes beautiful!
This 573 Story is sponsored by Hoods Discount Home Center in Farmington, MO.
The business took flight and a few years later our happy creamers got the same idea—escape from city life.
Once Rachel announced her intention to start an ice cream business, the St. Louis media swooped in, and soon many local groceries stores and restaurants began carrying and serving her cream. The business took flight and a few years later our happy creamers got the same idea—escape from city life. They bought one of the most beautiful plots of land on this green earth and set up the creamery. I love it when people drop out of the big city and move here for a more peaceful life. Worked for me.
Today, Rachel is a consultant by day and confectioner by night and weekends, hosting tasting events, private parties and visitors from far and wide.
Both Rachel and Cory share in making the ice cream, helping the visitors, maintaining the gardens, where they grow most of the ingredients for the ice cream—their passion for excellence is as obvious as the sea salt and chocolate in the mint chocolate ice cream—my favorite. Whatever ingredients they don't grow they source locally. Milk and cream from Rolling Lawns Farms, goat cheese from Baejte Farms, pumpkins, peaches and sweet potatoes from Friedel Family Farm, coffee from Kuva Coffee and honey from Top of the Hill Farms…
Travelers can stay at Bold Spoon Farm through Harvest Hosts...a membership program providing access to a network of wineries, farms, breweries, and other unique attractions that invite self-contained RVers to visit and stay overnight.
Travelers can stay at Bold Spoon Farm through Harvest Hosts. Harvest Hosts is a membership program providing access to a network of wineries, farms, breweries, and other unique attractions that invite self-contained RVers to visit and stay overnight. For a yearly membership fee, Harvest Hosts’ members can stay at thousands of exciting locations in North America and experience new opportunities to explore and enjoy the RVing lifestyle.
Rachel and Corey also hold special events where people come out for ice cream and wine. They call these events pop-up open houses, which happen in Spring, Summer, and Fall.
Rachel and Corey also hold special events where sometimes, as many as 250 people come out for ice cream and wine. Yup, you heard that right. They have a liquor license and serve beer and wine (outside drinks are not allowed). Who would not enjoy eating delicious ice cream or sipping wine by a sunflower field? They call these events pop-up open houses, which happen in Spring, Summer, and Fall. You can stop in and enjoy ice cream overlooking the St. Francois mountains or just swing by to grab some to take home. This year they will be adding live music on occasion and a field of wildflowers, sunflowers, and pumpkins in the fall.
To stay in touch, visit boldspooncreamery.com/events
GET OUT THERE!
words & pics by t. smugala
tasting descriptions by aj koehler
