Kate Schrire is the founder of The Creamery, a popular artisan brand. The third cafe opened in Mouille Point in November 2015.
YN: How did your business start?
Kate: Our concept is natural ice cream made predominantly with seasonal, locally produced ingredients, with no preservatives, artificial colourants or flavourants.
We started trading at markets and events in 2011. We opened our first permanent retail stall at the V&A Food Market in 2012, and went from there. Marianne Visser is now my co-owner and co-director at The Creamery – she started as a manager and grew with the business.
YN: Why did you choose this area to set up shop?
Kate: We didn’t choose Mouille Point; it chose us. Good ice cream is about nostalgia and part of that story, for South Africans in particular, is about ice cream at the beach. So it always made sense to have an outlet at the sea, but it had to be part of a year-round community.
YN: How did you find your premises?
Kate: We were renovating our Newlands branch when a letting agent contacted me about the Mouille Point shop space.
YN: Why are the premises ideally suited to your business?
Kate: The lifeblood of our business has been a community of loyal customers who think of The Creamery as their local spot, and go out for that once-a-week treat. As a neighbourhood-driven business we knew ice cream at the beach would provide a special year-round community.
YN: Who are your neighbours?
Kate: Hussar Grill (formerly Theo’s), Putt-Putt, The Blue Train, the Serendipity Maze and Green Point Urban Park. It’s why this is such a good location.
YN: What are the shop rental/sales prices like in this area?
Kate: Per square metre, Mouille Point rentals are significantly cheaper than the V&A Waterfront, just around the corner, and a third cheaper than central Claremont.
YN: Who forms your shop traffic?
Kate: On weekdays 70% of our sales happen after 5pm. We sell about 220 scoops per weekday, and 480 on a weekend day. There is year-round interest thanks to the promenade and Green Point Urban Park nearby.
YN: Do you have any expansion plans?
Kate: Not now. We have a coffee, ice cream and dessert cafe at Mouille Point. Our original cafe is in Dean Street, Newlands – we doubled its footprint in June 2015. At our cafe in Durham Avenue, Salt River, customers can see our production kitchen through the glass. The V&A Food Market stall offers only scoops.
YN: Do you operate online as well?
Kate: Social media has been a big part of our brand development from day one. It’s free, a very good medium to be spontaneous and it’s interactive.
YN: What are your most popular items?
Kate: It’s heartening that the majority of our sales are still ice cream. The March flavour of the month is hot cross bun, with spices and currants. At Mouille Point only we serve a hot cookie menu. Chewy cookies and ice cream is a match made in heaven – you can grab one and hit the promenade.
See for yourself:
021 434 2455
Words: Kim Maxwell
Photos: Supplied
