I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on this, and however controversial it may be, I’m just going to come out and ask this question: “Who doesn’t love ice cream?” Now, I hope I haven’t offended any ice cream haters out there too much, but if I have, allow me to change your mind once I show you just how deep the ice cream iceberg gets. “Ice cream iceberg?” Yes, you and I both had no idea just how creative and unique one can get when it comes to making this age-old sweet treat. I grew up on names you’ve heard of, I’m sure. Breyer’s. Häagen-Dazs if we were feeling fancy. Baskin-Robbins’ 31 flavors were mind-boggling to me. Believe me when I say those renditions of ice cream are not even in the same category as what I tasted at Gather Glass. At the glass blowing venue’s new ice cream expansion on Atwells Ave, the marriage of scientific precision and community collaboration has created something that I have truly never seen before. Through their limited-edition blueberry cheesecake flavor, I saw a model of how small businesses can create an impact that extends far beyond the scope of a scoop.
The origins of this blueberry cheesecake ice cream flavor can be traced back to PVD Fest organizers who approached Gather with a specific request. “They asked for something purple,” explains Andrea LaFazia, Director of Operations and Chef at Gather Glass. She explained various natural methods that could have been used to dye the ice cream purple, but Andrea saw an opportunity here, which perfectly demonstrates Gather’s philosophy of resourcefulness and reducing food waste by sticking to fresh, in-season ingredients. “We could’ve used beets to color it, but it made more sense to use the last of the season’s blueberries. So we cooked them down and reduced them until they were super-deep colored to make something really special, just for the festival.”
This approach of turning constraints into creative opportunities, while staying true to seasonal ingredients, exemplifies everything Gather Glass has been building since its first venture seven years ago as a glassblowing studio. The ice cream component may be the newest addition to their ecosystem, but it’s become a visible expression of their community-centered ethos.
The journey from glass studio to ice cream shop reflects the organic evolution of a business that prioritizes a community-driven mission over rapid expansion. When Matt Stone and Elizabeth Bux, who own Gather, started Gather Farm four years ago, it was a natural extension of their commitment to local community building. “We host a CSA — Community Supported Agriculture,” LaFazia explains. “At the beginning of the season, you buy a share in the farm and then your returns are what we grow. Every week, we host our Providence pickup for the CSA. So you come and fill your bag with your dividends from your share in the farm.”
From that foundation grew the ice cream concept, which came from a simple experiment with honey lavender flavors made with farm-grown ingredients. “At one point we were like, ‘Hey, let’s make a honey lavender ice cream,'” LaFazia recalls. “We used ingredients from our farm and rented a kitchen from Hope & Main just to try it out. People loved that ice cream so much. Then we made a lemon basil ice cream — again, people loved it. So we kept going and started creating flavors. That’s how the ice cream business took off.”
If Gather’s farm-to-scoop sourcing of unique and unconventional ingredients for ice cream like corn, basil, and beets, wasn’t enough to convince you just how different this ice cream is, then look to how deliberately they operate when it comes to integrating with and supporting other local businesses. Their cookies and cream uses “Chad Chunks” from Troop in Olneyville — three types of chocolate with sea salt. Their espresso cherry dark chocolate features New Harvest Coffee’s Monster Espresso, while their kid-friendly coffee flavor combines steeped New Harvest espresso with RI staple Autocrat coffee syrup, creating a softer profile for younger palettes.
“Everything we do is to build our community,” LaFazia emphasizes. “We don’t think there is a business model that can survive without supporting the businesses, the people, and the nonprofits around you. And when you build your community’s businesses, you build your own business. So we feel very, very strongly about that.”
But would we really be talking about ice cream if there weren’t room for fun to be had? “We try to celebrate the community that we’re in and the season that we’re in and make it fun and approachable for everyone that comes here. So when you come here for an ice cream making class, you get to make your own flavor,” LaFazia shares.
Every element is made in-house, with uncompromising attention to quality. “Strawberry ice cream is made by roasting chopped strawberries with honey, and that’s how we make things taste like strawberry. Blueberry ice cream is made using homemade blueberry jam. Vanilla is always Madagascar vanilla,” LaFazia details. “There are no extracts or artificial flavors in anything that is done here, whether it’s an ice cream class or larger format ice creams.”
To remind you, this is about deep lessons that I learned from blueberry cheesecake ice cream, remember? Gather’s vision extends beyond just the ice cream. Farmer Dan, who helps oversee the agricultural side of their operation, sees the farm as evolving into something much more ambitious. “The beautiful thing is that the farm project is still relatively new,” he explains. “What’s really exciting is what we’re going to grow in the future. Building out the food forest, so to speak.”
This vision of regenerative farming focuses on creating entire ecosystems, rather than isolated crops. “Rather than modern or industrial agriculture, we’re working toward more traditional food forest systems, which support full ecosystems,” Dan notes. The planned expansion includes raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and fruit orchards with apples, peaches, and plums, all of which will eventually translate into not only farm-inspired ice cream flavors, but more people having access to the CSA, farm-to-table ingredients, and a more ethical, holistic diet.
“The farm is not just a growing space, it’s a community space. An appealing space where people can walk around into the farmland and feel like they can be part of the process,” Dan explains.
This holistic approach to business, where Gather’s glassblowing studio, farm, and ice cream shop all support each other while building community connections, creates something unique in PVD’s business landscape. Six months ago, they opened their current ice cream location and have been hosting ice cream making classes and events using liquid nitrogen for other customers, as well as other nonprofits, and businesses in the community. “We basically teach the recipe to make ice cream; the science behind why some ice cream is better than others; and how ice cream works on a molecular level,” LaFazia enthusiastically shares. See? I told you there really is an ice cream iceberg.
The blueberry cheesecake flavor may have been created for a specific festival request, but it represents something larger: the possibility of running a business that’s simultaneously playful and principled, popular, and profitable. There’s no mass production or artificial shortcuts involved here. Gather Glass proves that there’s another approach to the agriculture business: building relationships, respecting our environment and its seasons, and investing in quality ingredients to create something truly special.
You can try this special flavor at PVDFest 2025 in downtown PVD on September 5 – 7. Follow Gather Glass on Instagram (@gatherglass) and be sure to visit their site (gatherglass.com) to sign up for a glassblowing or ice cream making class!