Brave Robot’s Animal-Free Ice Cream: The Future Favors the Brave
A kinder, greener future is possible, and we believe food is the first step to change. But we can’t do it alone. That’s why, in partnership with global and local brands alike, we’re making delicious, animal-free products without compromise. Our partner Brave Robot is helping us create a future you can taste, by making creamy, delicious, sustainable ice cream with our animal-free dairy.
To celebrate National Ice Cream Month this July, we sat down with August Vega, Chief Growth & Sustainability Officer, to talk about Brave Robot’s ethos, vision, and how they are creating a kinder, greener future one pint at a time.
Tell us about Brave Robot.
We are an indulgence brand that makes ice cream, ice cream sandwiches and cake mix that just so happen to be animal-free, lactose-free, cholesterol-free, and exceptionally delicious.
What is Brave Robot’s ethos?
We believe everyone deserves to be able to enjoy the foods they love without the impacts they hate. We’re passionate about making delicious foods differently, through the use of technology, limiting the impacts that large scale industrial agriculture has on the world around us. Most importantly, we believe awesome products like our ice cream should be widely accessible. We’re in over 8,000 stores nationwide, with more to come! If you haven’t tried us yet, find a store near you here.
What would be in your dream ice cream sundae?
My dream ice cream sundae centers around three generous scoops of Brave Robot Vanilla ice cream and is complemented by grilled summer peaches and strawberries, with a decadent animal-free caramel drizzled on top.
Which Brave Robot product is your favorite?
I’m not usually a chocolate ice cream kind of person, but we knocked it out of the park with A Lot of Chocolate. It’s perfectly rich, the texture is amazing, and the chocolate chunks make it an overall extraordinary flavor experience. I can’t fully put into words how incredible it is, you really have to try it yourself.
What is Brave Robot’s most underrated flavor?
Brave Robot has a lot of fun flavors, Buttery Pecan and Hazelnut Chocolate Chunk to name just two, but our Vanilla is such an unsung hero! It’s timeless, perfect on its own as well as with any dessert, any day, any time. Our team has made countless sundaes, affogatos, and milkshakes with Vanilla as a star contributor. It’s a cornerstone flavor, without a doubt, and we know countless others feel the same.
What is your proudest milestone?
As a brand, I’d say the sale of our millionth pint of ice cream in fall 2021 was our proudest milestone. That’s the equivalent of taking away one million miles of greenhouse gas emissions.
However, we’re a growing company and are continuously soaring to new heights. I can proudly say that we just made history by launching the first ever ice cream sandwiches made from animal-free dairy.
What is a flavor or product you’ve tried to make but didn’t work out?
Our team was excited about debuting a low-sugar animal-free dairy ice cream, but we realized that at this time, our energy is best directed towards making awesome ice cream that regular dairy ice cream eaters will fall in love with.
While creating low-sugar options is still very much on the table, we learned it’s best to prioritize ice cream that will have the biggest, most delicious impact. That’s why we decided to debut the world’s first ice cream sandwiches made with animal-free dairy, a collaboration between Brave Robot and Coolhaus. They’re incredible and are a great way to reach new folks who have loved Coolhaus for years and are just learning about animal-free dairy.
What is a flavor you wish you had in your product line?
It’s a tie between Coffee Caramel Swirl and Salted Caramel.
If you could give one of your products to anyone – past or present – to try, who would it be?
Reuben and Rose Mattus. For those who don’t know, they are the founders of Häagen-Dazs, the iconic, Danish-sounding ice cream brand (they chose their name as a tribute to Denmark’s exemplary treatment of Jews during the Second World War, but it’s not actually Danish). They made exciting flavors in a different, more indulgent way than what had been done before, forever revolutionizing the ice cream industry.
We think if Reuben and Rose were around today, they would be excited about our transformational approach to ice cream and food in general. Ours is one that charts the path to a whole new way for the food industry to think about dairy.
And finally, what is your vision of a kinder, greener future?
One we are excited for future generations to experience! In short, one full of ingenuity, compassion, and equity. A kinder, greener future requires us to reimagine our food system. This includes, but is not limited to, ending factory farming and its harmful effects on the environment. We know there is a smarter, more compassionate way to eat the foods we love! We know a kinder, greener future is only as big as the sum of its parts. While factory farming is a big deal, it doesn’t end there. We champion environmental protection in public policy and support human rights everywhere.
Thanks to Perfect Day’s animal-free whey protein with a carbon footprint 97% lower than animal-whey, we’re able to eat the foods we love without compromising on taste or texture.
We’d love to hear your thoughts!
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