On 1 April last, IJssalon IJsie Prima (Callantsoog) was awarded IJssalon van het Jaar 2020/2021. Now that the first wave of media attention has subsided, we would like to put this loyal customer in the spotlight.
Callantsoog is known as one of the oldest and most beautiful seaside resorts in the Netherlands. If you want to treat yourself to the most delicious ice cream after a walk on the beach, IJsie Prima is the right place to go. At the Dorsplein, the third generation of the Baars-Tichelaar family has been making traditional ice cream daily since 1963.
Ice cream maker Kees Baars jr, says: "My grandparents started this business in 1963. My parents followed in their footsteps and built IJssalon IJsie Prima into a household name in the region. I literally grew up in this ice cream parlour; it never happened that there wasn't someone from our family in the business. Kees jr. continues: "Just like my brother Ties, I left Callantsoog for a number of years for study and work. It started to itch again for both of us and after a few years in Amsterdam, we both returned. To the ice cream parlour. Together with Kees sr. I run the ice cream kitchen and Ties, my mother and team of ice cream girls and ice cream men are in the salon behind the display case. ”
Tradition, dedication and quality
It will not surprise anyone that IJsie Prima turns ice cream with passion and love every day. The basis of the award-winning ice cream is a recipe dating back decades. From Grandpa Tichelaar. "The fruit flavours contain up to sixty per cent pure fruit. Strawberries we get from the neighbourhood, lemons from Sicily. We import our hazelnuts from the Piedmont in Italy. That's where the best in the world grow. But what then determines the quality of the ice cream? "A good ice cream is characterised by being prepared with a lot of love and, of course, by using fresh and pure ingredients. A good balance and structure of the ice cream is important. It is extremely valuable for me that I can draw on years of experience every day. Yet I notice that taste evaluates over time. That is why we offer our customers a wide range of flavours, ice cream creations and soft ice cream. Vegan, gluten-free ice cream and frozen yoghurt have also become part of our range."
You always make the translation to ice cream flavours
Kees jr. is always and everywhere busy translating his experience(s) into ice cream flavours. His 'ice brain' immediately goes into overdrive when he sees and tastes something special. "I get a lot of inspiration from nature and the surroundings of Callantsoog. On my way to the salon, I pass the largest continuous area of flower bulbs in the world. From April to the end of May, everything here is in full bloom and the fields turn red, yellow, orange and white with tulips. The flavour 'Spring in the Air' was born from this. Fresh, full flowered, soft." Kees jr. continues: "For next year, I am playing with the idea of creating something with sea buckthorn berries, elderflower and elderberries. These grow near the dune lake 'Het Zwanenwater'. It's cool when you can develop all kinds of ice cream flavours with the seasons and capture them in a ball of ice cream.
Wall of Fame
The names of Grandpa Tichelaar, Kees senior and Kees junior adorn the wall with trophies and certificates. "We rely on our own strengths. As an ice cream parlour, we don't live just for the professional competitions, because it's all about the business in Callantsoog, of course. But if you are so dedicated to your profession that you try to become a little better every season, then an award is a nice compliment and recognition of your work." When asked if the Baars brothers have any further ambitions, Kees Jr. replied, "Yes, there are definitely ambitions, but we don't have any concrete plans yet. The only thing we know for sure is that an extra branch may not be at the expense of the current shop in Callantsoog.
Ice cream parlour of the year 2020/2021
The jury was clear: IJsie Prima scores high on all fronts. Both the professional jury and the food safety inspector were very impressed by the family business of the brothers Kees and Ties Baars and their parents. The verdict: 'A well-organised business. The desire to eat and make ice cream here radiates from it.
IJssalon IJsie Prima, Dorpsplein 27, Callantsoog, 0224-582083, www.ijsieprima.nl. Opened daily. Follow on social media or check the site for actual opening hours.
The organisation of the ice cream competitions (De Gouden IJsspatel, De Gouden IJscreatie, IJssalon van het Jaar) is in the hands of our partner: the Vereniging Ambachtelijk IJscentrum.
