Banter Ice Cream x noissue
With their unique, locally made flavors and compostable ice cream packaging, a delightful ice cream experience awaits at Banter’s. Read all about it here!
By noissue — 13 December, 2024
Everybody loves a good scoop of ice cream, and why not? It’s perfect for any time of the day, whatever the season is, and its versatility in flavors and combinations makes for a delightful and exciting palate journey—an absolute crowd favorite! Fraser Valley’s Banter Ice Cream understands this all too well.
Like an inspired artist, ice cream serves as a blank canvas for Banter. And behind this delectable artistry are founders Zach and Laura. On their quest to create ice cream that anybody can enjoy, they ensure that their flavors go with the seasons by creating monthly new flavors made from locally sourced ingredients.
Aside from quality, Banter also puts their customers' experience above all else. From the lively yet relaxing atmosphere that manifests in both their Abbotsford and Chilliwack shops to the beautifully designed food packaging they serve their scoops with, Banter just never misses.
Read on to learn more about Banter!
Tell us a bit about your brand!
People like to tell stories about ‘life changing’ food experiences. For Zach and Laura, the inspiration for Banter began just like that. On a weekend trip to the gulf islands, they tasted a scoop of homemade salted caramel ice cream; smooth, rich, creamy, sweet… And that was it!
Laura began tinkering with different recipes and methods using a small, borrowed ice cream maker from her sister. We served our first customers at a Thursday night Farmers Market, and over the course of a few exciting summers, we refined recipes and met some amazing customers.
The opportunity to open up a retail store came in 2020, and we opened up a shop in Abbotsford’s Jubilee Park. It’s the perfect environment to slow down and connect with people over a scoop of delicious ice cream. We quickly outgrew our tiny kitchen and found a second location to open up shop at the Vedder River in Chilliwack.
Our mission is to craft a memorable dessert experience marked by novel flavours, genuine connection, and friendly Banter.
Tell us about the design for your packaging and how you’re using them?
Packaging is a key part of how we communicate our brand and values. Our graphic designer Grant Mitchell (@grantdrawsstuff on Instagram), is the artist behind what we call our "Community Graphic" that you can see featured on our ice cream cups. He also designed our food wrap, and you'll notice that we often incorporate people and flowing, organic shapes in our packaging, capturing the fun & whimsy of enjoying ice cream which aligns with the joyful experience we want to deliver!
The importance of packaging extends beyond aesthetics though. It’s about doing justice to the quality and care we put into our products. Every flavour at Banter is made in-house, with most of our fixings crafted from scratch at our Chilliwack kitchen. We source as many ingredients as possible locally, and celebrate the changing seasons with four new flavours each month. Our thoughtfully designed bowls and food wrap highlight the uniqueness of our ice cream and elevate the experience, whether you’re enjoying a scoop in a bowl or a homemade waffle cone!
What made noissue a good fit for your packaging?
As a company in the food industry, minimizing waste is a core priority for us, and compostable packaging has always been a no brainer. noissue stood out by offering compostable options alongside values that resonate with ours, such as creativity and community.
For a smaller business like Banter, sourcing affordable packaging in quantities that match our needs—without overwhelming our storage facilities—can be a challenge. noissue not only made this process easier, but provided a range of options that allowed us to upgrade some of our packaging while maintaining our commitment to sustainability.
Banter Ice Cream’s featured products:
Shop and packaging imagery, photographed by Shelby Herfst (@shelbyherfst)