West Dublin water buffalo ice cream 'beyond luxurious'

When people see the sign for water buffalo ice cream on the side of Highway 331, the road that runs along the LaHave River on Nova Scotia's South Shore, they do a double take.

Farmers Stefan Kirkpatrick and Desi Gordon just started making the ice cream two weeks ago at their farm, West Dublin Buffalo Dairy.

"Buffalo milk has the exact amount of fat for soft-serve ice cream. So we thought we would just try that and it's delicious," said Gordon.

'Beyond luxurious'

The soft-serve water buffalo ice cream is sold only on Thursdays and Fridays at their restaurant down the road, Ploughman's Lunch, which opened Aug. 6.

Customer Jane Hay got a chance last week to try some of the chocolate hazelnut flavour.

"It's incredibly rich and pure and beyond luxurious," said Hay.

Cailin and Ella Fortin and Sydney Nelson, teens from the Petite Riviere area, agree.

"It's amazing ice cream," said Ella Fortin.

"Delicious," added Cailin Fortin.

Thursdays and Fridays only

Ploughman's Lunch also carries regular cow ice cream as well as produce, fresh bread and pastries.

It's in the same space as the old E.S. Publicover store, which hasn't been in operation since 1966. The couple maintained some of the store's original charm.

"There are some folks who have sat down at the counter as kids and had ice cream cones and 50 years later, they get to do it again, which is kind of cool," said Kirkpatrick.

The couple has six water buffalos and because one of the females is pregnant, a seventh is due at the end of August.

Because one of their buffalos is expecting and another recently gave birth, the farm is relying on buffalo milk imported from Ontario to make the ice cream at the moment.

In addition to making water buffalo ice cream, West Dublin Buffalo Dairy is also known for its buffalo mozzarella and buffalo yogurt.