by Sabine Rhyne
July 2014

He’s been making gelato since 2008, but Peter Solley still feels his heart leap when he sees a pint of Vermont Gelato in a fellow customer’s shopping basket at the store. The feeling is similar to the one he had in his early days as a session musician and producer when he heard a tune he produced on the radio.

It’s a classic Vermont story: a couple decides to move to Vermont for an idyllic life with a small business, and before you know it, the second career takes on a life of its own, and off they go. Peter and Susan started the Newfane Café & Creamery with partners back in 2008, and Peter began to “play around at home” to make gelato for the retail store. One thing led to another and they left the café about a year later, but the gelato had begun to take off. Peter went to “gelato school” in New York for formal training, but he found his instincts and experience gave him the best foundation. He discovered a space opening up in the Cotton Mill, and the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) assisted his company with a few months rent-free while he purchased and installed larger equipment (including a Kickstarter project for a pasteurizer). The Vermont Gelato Company was off and running hard. “Our sales are up 250% from last year,” Peter says. He still makes all of the gelatos, though his wife and one part-time employee assist him with labeling and pasteurizing. This growth is now pushing him to think about distribution, as his deliveries can only extend to western Massachusetts, western New Hampshire, and Vermont. “I’m not actively selling anything,” he explains. “People just call or email, having tasted our gelato here or there, and then we are in a new retail or restaurant.” With distribution, more gelato and more employees will almost certainly be needed, so this new frontier is being carefully strategized.

Alex Gyori,
General Manager
July 2014

In July, the Brattleboro Food Co-op will head resolutely into Year Three in the new facility! It marks a pivotal year in which gradual, consistent growth will settle the Co-op firmly back into its accustomed financial strength—those of you who have been following the Redevelopment Project are familiar with the challenges that BFC has faced. In this month’s article you will learn how we plan to reach our goal, and how you can help us get there.