Humphry Slocombe's ice cream has taken the Bay Area by storm. It has long been a staple in San Francisco’s Ferry Building and has recently expanded across the Bay to locations in Oakland, and, as of a couple weeks ago, Berkeley. As a loyal Humphry Slocombe customer and someone who is always looking for a reason to eat more ice cream, I was so excited to hear about its new location in my college town. I finally got the chance to go, and all of my expectations were exceeded. Here’s what I found at Berkeley’s new Humphry Slocombe shop.
Elmwood Welcomes Humphry Slocombe
Located in the quiet, idyllic Elmwood neighborhood, the shop is only a short AC transit bus ride away from Berkeley’s campus (I love you, 51B line). I went on a sunny weekday afternoon and was one of two customers that wasn’t either four years old or the parent of a four-year-old. Naturally, this made for a more chaotic atmosphere than is probably typical, but the ice cream scoopers somehow managed to keep up with the barrage of requests for samples (of nearly every flavor in the case) with unwavering cheeriness and speedy scooping.
What flavors are offered?
Unlike when I go to many other ice cream shops, I never go into Humphry Slocombe with any idea of what flavor I’ll end up getting. Humphry Slocombe is perhaps best known for its more unconventional flavors like the English alcohol and fruit-based “Strawberry Pimms and Cream” or the graham cracker and cream based tribute to the late San Francisco politician and gay activist Harvey Milk, “Harvey Milk and Graham.” Because of this, customers are allowed samples of whatever they want, an enticing guarantee that often results in me solidifying my own indecision because I love every flavor I try.
After my friend and I tried a few small spoonfuls of flavors like the zesty, Japanese citrus-based Yuzu Cream and Secret Breakfast (Humphry Slocombe’s best seller, bourbon ice cream with cornflakes), I eventually settled on the newest flavor, “Surfer’s Breakfast”. Surfer’s Breakfast is the result of a partnership with the iconic Venice Beach café, The Rose, and is only available for the month of April 2019, so I lucked out. Surfer’s Breakfast is a buttermilk ice cream with black sesame granola and jam, and it is inspired by the makings of—you guessed it—a surfer’s breakfast.
After scrambling to take photos before our ice cream melted, we both finished our cones in what was probably record time.
A surfer's breakfast... as ice cream?
Surfer’s Breakfast did not disappoint. I felt as if I should maybe start referring to my friends as “dude” or “brah” and have more conversations about things I could describe as “gnarly.” But in all seriousness, Surfer’s Breakfast was delicious—the slight tang of the buttermilk ice cream worked incredibly well with the earthiness of the black sesame granola and the sweetness of the jam. I enjoyed getting jam or sesame granola-dominated bites every now and then, but ultimately appreciated how well and evenly incorporated the granola chunks and jam swirls were, making for a cohesive and diversely flavored scoop.
My friend enjoyed her scoop of "Harvey Milk and Graham" on a freshly pressed, still warm waffle cone. We ate our ice cream outside the shop, taking in the sights and sounds of Elmwood on an April afternoon before hopping on the 51B back to campus.
Humphry Slocombe never disappoints, and I’m incredibly happy that I’m now only a short walk or bus ride away from a storefront (although my wallet is probably upset about this fact). I love the creativity and variety of flavors offered and know I’ll be back soon. Next time you find yourself with a hankering for ice cream, satisfy that craving with a scoop from Humphrey Slocombe. You’ll be glad you did.