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The mother-and-daughter team behind Beachy Cream ice cream

Santa Monica / March 25, 2015

Ann Ryan with daughter Beth Stockwell, partners in Beachy Cream. Photo by Westside People

Get Ann Ryan and Beth Stockwell together from Beachy Cream and it’s easy to see why this mother-and-daughter team loves to sell ice cream.

“We’re not just selling ice cream, we’re selling fun,” said Ann during a recent visit to their storefront shop on Wilshire Boulevard.

Ann was the mother of two with multiple careers under her belt when she got the idea to start selling ice cream from a small cart at the Malibu Farmers Market. She quickly made a name for herself with delicious homemade ice cream sandwiches.

Ann had always been a great chef, playing with concoctions in the kitchen and catering for friends. Her daughter Beth calls her a mad scientist.

“She’s always experimented in her own kitchen with bold flavors,” said Beth, who joined Beachy Cream not long after it looked like her mother was onto a good thing.

More than five later and Beachy Cream is sold in 55 stores including Gelsons and Whole Foods. They cater A-list events. And they plan to open a 14,000 square foot production facility in Long Beach.

“We want to make enough ice cream for the whole country,” Ann joked. But it’s not all that unlikely. All they have to do is try it.

Everything at Beachy Cream is made from scratch and sourced locally so that each bite is layered with rich flavors that sneak up on you as it melts on your tongue. The milk comes from Strauss Dairy north of Petaluma, an organic dairy that’s stayed small. The two even visited the pastures.

Their mint brownie for instance is sourced from organic mint leaves at the Santa Monica Farmers Market. The syrup is made in-house and the brownies from scratch. Strawberries come from McGrath Farms and the “coffee toffee” is made from Groundworks’ bend of “bitches brew.” They also have vegan options with homemade cashew milk that Beth says are some of her favorites even though she’s not a vegan.

“We really like the idea of getting that real punch of flavor,” said Ann. “Ice cream is always good. It’s sweet and it’s creamy. But having that extra punch of flavor is something that really distinguishes us.”

The company also caters events with their team of Beachy Cream pin-up girls who dress like old-time cigarette girls, taking us back to a simpler time when ice cream was rich in flavor.

“Ben and Jerry’s have cows,” Ann said. “We have pin-up girls.”