Ice cream lovers in Monmouth County are uniting – and dividing – in a tasty quest to reign as the champion of the Peninsula Ice Cream War at Nicolas Creamery in Atlantic Highlands and Fair Haven.
During March, pupils from schools in Little Silver, Rumson, Red Bank, Fair Haven, Shrewsbury Borough, Highlands and Middletown are competing to sell the most homemade ice cream flavor that is unique to a school or a to a school district.
The unique flavor combinations may be purchased at Nicholas Creamery, 40 River Road, Fair Haven, and 84 1st Ave., Atlantic Highlands, until March 30.
“Eight local schools (or districts) make up their own inventive ice cream flavors and we make homemade small batches of that ice cream. The school that sells the most (tubs of their) ice cream gets $1,000,” said Jodi Edwards, co-owner of Nicholas Creamery.
The challenge began in 2019. During the competition, Edwards said, teachers from each school will serve as “guest scoopers” and work behind the counter to serve ice cream to community members.
“We love our communities (Nicholas Creamery) is in,” Edwards said. “We are so blessed to live in a place where community is so important. Everyone has been so good to us since we opened in 2018. This is just a fun thing we do with schools (to support) good old-fashioned town and school spirit.”
On March 5, teachers from Red Bank served ice cream to pupils and to members of the public at the Fair Haven location. Dozens of students from Red Bank lined up to purchase a sweet treat from familiar faces.
While many patrons sampled the one-of-a-kind concoctions, some people opted for scoops of classic chocolate or vanilla ice cream.
The flavor that is unique to Red Bank is “Cookies N’ Dreams” and it features brown sugar cookie dough ice cream, chocolate chip cookie crumbles and Oreo cookie crumble.
“The kids know the (school district) motto is ‘Dream big, we’ll help you get there.’ Our Student Council members were brainstorming (flavor ideas) and they played off the words ‘dream big.’ This just happened organically,” said Mary Wymen, a culture and climate specialist for the Red Bank Borough Public School District.
