You Haven’t Lived Until You’ve Tried Paul’s Homemade Ice Cream! [Review]
I once met someone who, just 10 minutes into knowing them, announced that they didn’t like ice cream. Suffice it to say we never became close friends. Who doesn’t like ice cream? It’s just not natural! Without ice cream there would be darkness and chaos. Seriously, think about it – what would you eat when you’re heart broken from a breakup or having the best day ever on the beach with friends? Ice cream is there for you, in the good times and the bad and I couldn’t imagine life without it. But, let’s get serious for a moment because ladies, I’m not talking about just any old ice cream here, I’m talking about the gourmet stuff. The stuff that makes you question why you ever bothered wasting precious calories on plain old vanilla. I’m talking about gems like Paul’s Homemade Ice Cream. If you haven’t experienced the joy of Paul Ballen’s delectable iced treats on your lips then the cold hard truth is you are missing out.
A born and bred Johannesburg boy, Paul started making ice cream after receiving an ice cream machine for a birthday present. He started making one litre a day. Milk chocolate with swirls of Nutella and chunks of Oreo was an early experiment and soon he needed a second machine. He started giving tubs of the stuff away to family and friends and then slowly ventured into the world of selling his wares online through Facebook and then at promo days and markets. His waffles and ice cream quickly became a firm favourite amongst Joburgers who wanted a taste of the good stuff. These days Paul, and his growing team churn out litres of ice cream every hour and Paul’s Homemade Ice Cream is on the lips of ice cream lovers in Joburg and beyond.
What makes Paul’s Homemade Ice cream truly unique is the diversity in the range. There are so many incredible flavours to choose from and the range caters for everyone from Banters and health fanatics to people who just want a good ‘ol fashioned ice cream fix. Standard flavours include delights like Milk Chocolate, Roasted Banana, and Cookies & Cream but the range also offers some pretty out-of-the-box flavours that you would struggle to find anywhere else in Joburg. Flavours like White Russian, Poached Guava, Lemon & Basil, Butter Popcorn, Cardamom & Candied Pistachio, Green Tea, Earl Grey and Chocolate, Chai Tea and Milk Stout and Molasses all help Paul’s Home Ice Cream to stand out from the crowd.
I got the chance to sample a few flavours at an event in Joburg recently and after my first bite I thought I was convinced I’d died and gone to Heaven (yes, in my mind Heaven is a place with bottomless gourmet ice cream). Each and every bite was truly sublime and once I was done with my serving I started to poach little spoonfuls from my boyfriend’s ice cream as well (he was clearly eating too slowly). My only regret now is that I didn’t have more. Stupidly I had dinner before discovering Paul’s ice cream stand and my tiny lady stomach could only fit so much in. But, fear not this story has a happy ending because luckily for me, my new-found addiction to Paul’s Homemade Ice Cream can easily be fed with the regular purchase of the retail range.
Yes, there’s a retail range and it’s available in 125ml and 500ml cartons at selected stores in Joburg. Cartons range from about R30 for the 125ml and R80 for a 500ml. Find it at Tyrone Fruiters, Thrupps, Oaklands Fruit & Veg, Casalotti’s, Love Food and more (click here for a full list of stockists). You’ll also find the range at some petrol station shops around Johannesburg. Paul’s Homemade Ice Cream also delivers directly to Sandton, Johannesburg, Centurion and Pretoria – visit their website to place your order now. You can also visit their store at 27 Boxes in Melville for your ice cream fix on a cone at R25 for one scoop and R35 for two. The store is open from 11:00 – 16:30 Tuesday to Saturday, and from 11:00 -14:00 on Sundays.
But wait, there’s more. You can now also order your favourite Paul’s Homemade Ice Cream flavour as an ice cream cake (true story!) The beautifully decorated 2-litre cakes serve 20 people, and are perfect for birthday celebrations and dinner parties. The cakes are priced from R400, excluding extras (polystyrene box, dry ice and delivery).
For more information on Paul’s Homemade Ice Cream, visit their website or say Hi to Paul’s Homemade Ice Cream on Facebook.
