Business Spotlight FRESH THINKING AND FRESH WHIPPED CREAM IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Business Spotlight
FRESH THINKING AND FRESH WHIPPED CREAM IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Milkshakes, hot chocolate, and ice cream sundaes… none of these treats would be complete without a swirl of fluffy whipped cream. Like so many things we love, we take whipped cream for granted – It’s time to think about how it perfectly tops our favorite foods – and how fresh whipped cream can make a world of difference.
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Chocolate Hazelnut Milkshake. Photo by Burgerville LLC.

As 2016 came to a close, news of a whipped cream shortage had many in a state of worry. A “Whipped Cream Shortage is Looming,” warned the LA Times. “The Nation Is Facing a Dire Whipped-Cream Shortage During Prime Dessert Season,” reported Time. The problem, which stemmed from an accident at a Florida plant which caused a shortage of nitrous oxide (the gas used to propel whipped cream in aerosol cans) forced makers of canned whipped cream to halt production until supplies of the crucial gas could be stabilized. Disappointed customers flooded Twitter. Restaurants and businesses scrambled to find a solution.

But for those who made the switch away from aerosol cans to fresh whipped cream, using the iSi whipper and charger system, the nitrous oxide shortage had no affect on their ability to provide fresh whipped cream to their customers. Using individual cream chargers of nitrous oxide gas, users of the iSi System are able to control and customize their supply by making fresh whipped cream in restaurants or at home as needed.

The ease of making fresh whipped cream on demand is just one of the many reasons why Burgerville, a popular fast casual chain in Oregon and Washington, uses iSi. “With 42 locations and a fairly young crew, we needed a system that was easy to train and implement but didn’t compromise on taste,” says Burgerville’s Chef Becky McGrath.

Burgerville’s Chef Becky McGrath. Photo by Burgerville LLC.

“We pride ourselves on sourcing the freshest and best ingredients we can,” says McGrath. For whipped cream, that means heavy cream from Sunshine Dairy located in NE Portland, a little sugar, vanilla, and nothing more. “It’s so simple and tastes so good,” says McGrath. With a milkshake program that includes classic flavors like Mocha Perk and Mint & Oreo, in addition to a rotating collection of seasonal/regional favorites like Salted Caramel using Jacobsen Salt Co., Chocolate Hazelnut, and Fresh Strawberry, Raspberry and Marionberry from Leipold Farms near Mt. Hood, Burgerville’s milkshakes are not to be missed.

Chef Jose Chesa of 180. Photo by Aron Lee.

Another Portland hot spot using iSi whippers to make fresh whipped cream is 180, co-owned by PDX innovator, Chef Jose Chesa, his wife Cristina Baez, and partner David Martin. Their authentic, “best desserts we ate in 2016,” Spanish-style xurros have taken the city by storm.

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Iced Xocolata. Photo by Carly Diaz.

To compliment their menu of made-to-order xurros, the shop offers an array of espresso-based drinks and drinking chocolate known as xocolata, all available with fresh whipped cream upon request. “I use iSi in my other restaurants, Ataula and Chesa, so using them at 180 made sense,” states Chesa. “We wouldn’t serve anything other than the real deal, plus I get to add fresh vanilla, or pimentón, and have fun with it,” says Chesa who grew up appreciating authentic food traditions in his native Spain. He felt the same appreciation for fresh ingredients when he moved to Portland, Oregon and thankfully the city has become more delicious as a result.