by Jen Reeder

Katie Burford, owner of Durango’s newest purveyor of artisan ice cream, Cream Bean Berry, loves her job. She sells her fresh, handmade ice cream from a cart parked on the Animas River Trail just north of the Discovery Museum and enjoys doing her part to “brighten people’s day.” Her sons also love her job – Leo, 7, and Rex, 4, are her taste testers. There’s only one problem.

“I can never say there’s no dessert in the house,” she says with a laugh.

Funded in part by a Kickstarter campaign, Burford launched Cream Bean Berry on May 10 with the goal of creating natural ice cream, gelato and sorbet with an emphasis on locally sourced and organic ingredients. She and her husband, Josh Stephenson, share an interest in gardening, canning and cheese-making. That soon grew into what is now a second career for Burford, who left her job as city editor at the Durango Herald in March. She knew it was imperative to focus all of her efforts on getting her ice cream company up and running in time for summer.

She has applied her research skills as a journalist to starting a small business, navigating the maze of food-related regulations and creating recipes for her rotating menu of flavors, which includes such tantalizing options as salted caramel, balsamic strawberry, avocado and beet poppyseed. Her Aztec chocolate, which includes ancho chili, cinnamon and vanilla, was inspired by a spicy hot chocolate she used to drink in Mexico City, where she worked for The Associated Press.

Cream Bean Berry owner Katie Burford offers customers natural ice cream, gelato and sorbet with an emphasis on locally sourced and organic ingredients. “You think of something that’s frozen as static, but it’s not,” Burford says./Photo by Steve Eginoire

“Ancho chili is not intensely spicy – it’s mild and a little fruity – so it kind of gives it a little kick at the end,” Burford says. “It’s really good.”

She packs her wares into a triciclo, a vending tricycle common in Mexico City, after spending her morning creating her concoctions in rented kitchen space at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. However, in July, she plans to start renting kitchen space at the Smiley Building and opening a second location there, offering more pints and cakes.

Already she offers ice cream concoctions like no other, like beet poppyseed sandwiched between gingersnaps from Bread, and dipped, hand-rolled cones with white chocolate drizzle. Current offerings also include a dairy-free chocolate truffle “ice cream” for vegans and those who are lactose intolerant.

“It’s fun being able to experiment and use whatever is in season,” Burford says.

She’s also had to learn the science of ice cream. She says it has to be just the right temperature and fresh, because even when it’s frozen, the composition is changing – the sugar and ice start to form crystals, which causes the flavor and creamy quality to deteriorate.

“You think of something that’s frozen as static but it’s not,” Burford says. “To combat that, you add emulsifiers – there are natural emulsifiers – but there are (also) laboratory emulsifiers that industrial ice cream uses to prevent that crystallization process so you still have the sensation of it being creamy even though it’s been sitting there for a long time.”

She says community response to offering fresh ice cream has been immediate.

“It’s like the difference between commercial beer and craft brew,” she says. “Durango being Durango, people just responded to it. I haven’t had to do much explaining of how our ice cream is different.”

Durango resident Jennifer Floyd says she and her two daughters had their first taste “and fell in love.” She decided to purchase gift cards from Cream Bean Berry to give to teachers and coaches as an end-of-the-school-year gift because she is proud to support a local business that uses fresh ingredients.

A few of Burford's creatively tantalizing flavors

“It’s such a fun, new, different thing for Durango. It’s right on the bike path – it couldn’t be more convenient – and Katie’s such a nice person,” Floyd says. “Who wouldn’t want to support that?”

Durango photographer Nancy Richmond says it’s great to have an all-natural option in Durango, something she knows Burford and her family value.

“I’ve known the Cream Bean Berry family for many years and they’ve always been very conscientious about eating organic and natural – they grow their own veggies, have bees for honey and chickens for eggs,” Richmond says. “I’m going to try to make my way through all the flavors.”

Ultimately, it’s all about the flavor. Durango resident Regina Wells says ice cream is her “desert island food – the one thing I could have endless amounts of if I were stuck on a desert island,” so she and a friend recently went to Cream Bean Berry for a taste test. She says the dark chocolate brownie was rich and “melt-in-your-mouth delicious,” then moved onto the Aztec chocolate.

“I liked it instantly. It’s more of an adult flavor, not as sweet and just the right amount of spicy,” Wells says. “Lastly, I tried my friend’s (caramel sangria). It was perfect – a ribbon of yummy fruit running through it. Cream Bean Berry ice cream is beautiful to look at and tastes extra good if you let it melt for a few minutes before eating.”

Burford says she is grateful for the outpouring of support from the community, and that giving back is a big part of her plans. For example, she donated 50 percent from the proceeds of her dandelion-lemon sorbet to Turtle Lake Refuge’s organic parks fundraising effort.

“That’s why you live in a small town,” Burford says. “People really do go out of their way to try to help you succeed. The general population is so committed to local – it’s really been evident. That’s been really rewarding.”

Cream Bean Berry’s triciclo is parked on the Animas River Trail behind Burger King 1-5:30p.m.(ish) Wednesday – Sunday, and will be open year-round in the Smiley Building.

For more on Cream Bean Berry and its current flavors, visit www.creambeanberry.com or see them on facebook.