The Leatherby family has crafted fresh ice cream in Sacramento since 1982.
FOLSOM, Calif. — The Leatherby family has made cold, fresh ice cream in the Sacramento region for decades, with the first Leatherby’s Family Creamery opening in 1982.
ABC10’s Mark S. Allen went to the family’s Folsom location to learn more about the family of ice cream makers.
HERE ARE 3 THINGS TO KNOW:
- Leatherby’s Family Creamery was founded by Dave Leatherby Sr., also known as “Big Daddy Dave,” along with his wife Sally. According to the Leatherby’s website, the pair dreamed of starting a business that would one day be run by the entire family. As history played out, their dream came true.
“After school, I was coming in here. My mom worked right back here. She managed this store,” said Matthew Leatherby, one of Dave’s grandchildren, while reminiscing about his childhood. “[Jake Leatherby’s] dad was the general manager when I was a little kid, so we grew up coming here. We ate probably five times a week at Leatherby’s.”
- Leatherby’s Family Creamery prides itself on many things, including the fresh taste of all of the creamery’s products.
“It’s fresh,” said Jake. “You cannot compare the freshness because it’s made here, put into a blast freezer in -30 degrees. The ice crystals stay small. It stays smooth, creamy.”
According to him, ice cream that isn’t fresh will have ice crystals that expand and detract from the texture and flavor.
Leatherby’s also uses an Emery Thompson machine to mix the ice cream, a machine Mark S. Allen affectionately calls “the Cadillac of ice cream makers.”
- Leatherby’s Family Creamery has a variety of permanent and seasonal flavors, so much so that the family doesn’t always know how many flavors are currently available.
“We have a book of all the flavors we do all year long,” said Jake. “At any given time, we have over 35.”
A popular flavor at Leatherby’s Family Creamery is “1982,” which is named after the year the business was founded
“It’s caramel-based ice cream, so we take our homemade caramel sauce, put it into the machine with the vanilla-based ice cream, do a marble fudge swirl and Oreo cookies,” said Jake.
Every morning on ABC10 Morning News, Mark S. Allen shines light on the people making a positive difference in our communities and the world. He also routinely chats with A-list award-winning stars of stage, screen and things-to-be-seen as he offers up entertainment options and what to watch.
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