Chapman's Ice Cream is celebrating a big win at an international tasting competition in United Arab Emirates.
The Markdale-based company's "The Only Chocolate" premium ice cream took first place at the International Ice Cream Consortium conference, which welcomed industry leaders from 13 countries to have their products square off in blind taste-testing competitions.
"We take a lot of what we do from our consumers, and hearing from them what they want, but this was different" says Chief Operating Officer Ashley Chapman. "This is industry professionals that have been making ice cream in their respective countries for decades."
Chapman says officials at the I.I.C.S showed him the scoring as scores were being tabulated, and they showed a very, very large lead for Chapman's chocolate ice cream.
"We didn't just win by a little. We won by a lot" noted Chapman, who said that even among the prestigious awards the company has won in the past, this prize was notable to him. "For us, to win this competition is very special. The competition was very fierce."
The I.I.C.C. is an international association of independent ice cream manufacturers founded in 1986, and features top ice cream brands from around the world, of which Chapman's has been a member since 2013.
"The Only Chocolate" has been on the Canadian market since 2019. Chapman's website states that the product is kosher, and also made with 100% Canadian dairy, and is described on the company's website as "a chocolate lover's dream."
At the same competition, Chapman's won third place in the 'Best Commercial Solution' category for "creating new product awareness through their targeted product testing programs across Canada."