Bendick Ice Cream Factory

This is no longer Benedick’s but TransCold Distribution Ltd, which stores and distributes to restaurants and grocery stores select ice cream brands, including the excellent Sara’s Ice Cream, one of increasingly few local sources of black licorice ice cream and the maker whose name and logo are featured on the sign on the distributorship’s door.
If the place located on Manitoba Avenue about two blocks from Superstore on Marine Drive looks like a warehouse or storage facility, that’s because it is, as Jaime Gifford, the cheerful Celt owner/​operator informed me. He also told me that Canada strangely outlawed the harmless ingredient once used to give black licorice ice cream its famous tar-​like appearance. Further hard questions for the Harper government next election. In the meantime, where was my 1.5-litre bucket of the stuff, which I had arranged to pick up by email via the Sara website Contact Us link? There it was — right behind the cold counter as arranged along with another of chocolate, each for $ 8.50, which we decided to sample. In for a penny, in for a pound.
The result? A taste test of Sara’s chocolate ice cream versus Safeway’s by our resident chocolate expert revealed Sara as the clear winner. ‘An extra hint of fudge in her recipe put it over the top,’ he said, ‘no contest.’ There you have it.
The black licorice confection — more a pale grey licorice thanks to Harper — improved the longer it was frozen as per Sara’s instructions. Nice, creamy texture — not too sweet — firms up nicely with freezing. The trick is to keep it in the freezer long enough without frequent visitors testing to see if it’s ‘done.‘
Interestingly, I find that those who so often make faces at my ‘boiled tires’ are somehow unable to resist ‘just a taste … perhaps a small scoop,’ thereby depleting my already very limited supply. I don’t hold it against them, however, as it may lead to increased supply, competition and availability.
Hint: I can think of no reason why Superstore shouldn’t provide Sara’s black licorice scream at the same competitive price.

I found this while searching for Earnest Ice Cream. This is so close to where I live yet I never knew about this place until now… odd. I will admit that the rain this weekend made me a little gun shy, however, better now while the rain isn’t bone chilling cold than later when it is unbearable to even leave the house. I sat in my car to eat the ice cream with the heaters on so that I wouldn’t feel totally insane for eating ice cream on such a day.
This place isn’t obvious, it’s tucked away. They’re a whole sale place that supplies to other places, however, it is open to the public. They have mainstream brands as well as their own house brand in various flavors.
Their credit card machine wasn’t working, therefore, I was limited by what I could by since the only cash I had were coins for other markets that day. I bought 3 sample sizes of fruity flavors @ $ 2 each to sample.
The guy working at the til was very nice, helpful and informative.
The awesome service made my day considering how miserable it was outside.

Got a 1.89 L papaya ice cream from this place. Taste is okay, but the ice cream is seriously overrun (i.e. the ice cream is fluff up by air to make up the volume — you are getting air, not cream).

It’s hidden gems of ice cream factory! I would say they’re the best gelato in Vancouver.
They don’t like other ice cream shop, it’s ice cream factory and not a retail store, so you have to buy and go right the way!
You can buy sample size (150g — $ 2) to try out their flavours or 1 L — $ 4.99 asian flavour (green tea and red bean) or 1.89 L — $ 8.50 ton of preimum ice cream. Even 5.7 L — $ 18 family size ice cream.
They make a lot of flavours, ice cream cakes and yogurts.
I loved the black sesame and mango ice cream, so smoothy and rich.
Pistachio — Italian pistachio ice cream with real pistachio nuts mixed, fansactic.
Espresso Flake — Espresso ice cream with chocolate flakes, decilious.

I’m upping this.
Came back and got green tea ice cream and a poached pear with caramel drizzle.
The green tea was refreshing and had a bit if an icy texture, not the smooth creamy texture. It was good none the less.
The real winner was the poached pear with caramel drizzle. It contained real pears bits, drizzled in caramel in a vanilla ice cream.
I’m coming back for this.

A sky threatening rain, 3 bouncy children, giddy with thoughts of an extra day of school — what to do? Oh yes, buy ice cream.
I had seen a sandwich board on SW Marine Drive advertising a wholesale ice cream shop — sounded like a marvelous place, so decided to check it out.
What a find! They produce ice cream, so you can buy small, unbranded tubs of hokey pokey, vanilla, strawberry ($ 2) 150gm) and various other flavours. As well as ice cream cakes, Ben & Jerry tubs, oh and so many other things. Perfect if you have a family, or a bunch of friends who can never agree on one flavour!
I tried the chocolate (yum), hokey pokey (double yum) and bubblegum (yeuch, but I hate bubblegum flavoured ice cream — my 7year old loves it).
If you are in the neighbourhood, I highly recommend a visit. If you plan on spending less than $ 15, you will need cash.
Enjoy!