Courtesy Ryan VanderGiesen
Santa Fe isn’t exactly a stranger to local ice cream shops (shout-out to the Railyard’s La Lecheria), but as the summer ends and fall sets in fully, it might not seem in-season to get a scoop of the stuff—we’d have to disagree. Ryan VanderGiesen’s Hello Sweet Cream is just that good. And before you start to say Eldorado (7 Caliente Road B2, (505) 525-0266) is a bit too far to drive for autumn ice cream, please be aware Hello Sweet Cream has maintained an outpost inside the CHOMP food hall for several months now (505 Cerrillos Road), and it’s super-good. If you’re looking for a classic flavor, you’d be hard-pressed to find chocolate as rich and flavorful as VanderGiesen’s. Looking for something a bit more unique? Try the basil berry cheesecake crumble or praline pecan with caramel. Also? If you’re looking for something especially New Mexican, you won’t want to miss the blue corn with piñon brittle. Hello Sweet Cream also has seasonal flavors, with plenty in store for the coming months. In short, VanderGiesen and his crew seek to “redefine the local ice cream experience.” Since the weather isn’t freezing cold yet, there’s no better time to ask VanderGiesen about his business. This interview has been edited for clarity and concision. (Callie Elkins)
When and how did Hello Sweet Cream get started?
We opened in April of last year in Eldorado, so I have my shop out there. That’s when we got started, but it really started with a non-dairy ice cream business when I lived in Denver back in 2017, so that’s what really sort of kicked off the making, the drafting of the ice cream bug, as it were, and I’ve been sitting on it before we lived in Santa Fe. We lived in Atlanta for eight years, and so, for a good part of 10 years, I’ve been sitting on wanting to open up my own ice cream spot. So when we moved here, I was like, all right, it’s time to say goodbye to corporate America; hello, sweet cream.
How has your experience been as an LGBTQ+ business-owner in Santa Fe?
I would say I have felt incredibly welcomed here. Being a gay business owner is who I am, but it’s been really most meaningful to see how the community has rallied around my business and embraced Hello Sweet Cream, because at the end of the day, people are coming for ice cream, right? And I love that it’s really become a gathering spot for everyone. People continue to discover us. I mean, we had our spot in Eldorado, and people were like, ‘if you were in town, if you were in town…’ So now we’re in town. People already come [to CHOMP], and new people are discovering us all the time, so we’re just growing and building. I’m always thinking of different flavors, first and foremost, and that’s part of the fun of what we get to do in terms of food in general, but certainly what I get to do with ice cream. It’s just like, what sort of flavor profiles can we like to bring together and create sort of a surprising experience for customers? The wintertime is really great, because that’s when I get to just do some research and development, and so I have a couple fun offerings that I want to try this winter, just to see how they work in my shop and what customers’ responses are.
Where do you source your ingredients and equipment?
My equipment kind of comes from all over. Like, my dipping cabinet is actually a Swedish-made dipping cabinet, so it’s kind of funny, because all the buttons are upside down. We’re flipping it on, but it actually looks like you’re turning it off. We make our ice cream right in our Eldorado shop, and many of the mix-ins—like fudge, caramel, and compotes—we make from scratch. We also love bringing in seasonal produce from local markets and working with other makers in the community. Between what we make ourselves and what we source locally, the flavors end up feeling really special. Our ice cream is made by hand, which gives it a rich, satisfying texture, and we’re always rotating flavors inspired by our customers and the seasons. You’ll find some classics, but you might also discover something new that surprises you. I worked with an individual to help really craft out what our sweet cream base is, and it’s one of the cleanest ice cream bases that are out there, and I’m really proud of that.
