Husband-and-Wife team of David and Deborah LeRiche seek to market the popular,
all-natural ice cream product nationally
Batch Ice Cream, an all-natural, premium ice cream which has been a favorite in farmers’ markets, shops and supermarkets throughout the region since 2009, has new owners with big plans for expanding the popular brand across the nation.
The husband-and-wife team of Dave and Deb LeRiche of New Braintree, MA, are the new owners of Batch Ice Cream. They have purchased the business from founders Susie Parish and Veronica Janssens of Boston, effective May 7, 2018. Batch was launched nine years ago by Parish and Janssens with a vision of making ice cream with natural ingredients, thereby providing customers with real, pure, creamy ice cream. With flavors including Carmelized Banana & Walnuts, Salted Caramel, Ginger, Mocha Chip, Vanilla Bean, Dark Chocolate, Mexican Chili and Roasted Almonds, the pint-sized products are available throughout a number of locations in New England. And now, the new owners plan to take the product and the concept even further.
“We are excited about the tremendous potential of Batch Ice Cream,” said
, co-owner and President of the firm. His business partner and spouse, Deb LeRiche, added, “The company founders did a great job building the Batch brand. We have such a strong foundation to build upon.”
Dave LeRiche, who has a strong resume in the food services industry, said that he and Deb plan to expand the company’s reach by bringing on additional distributors for stronger market penetration and geographic expansion. They will meet with and work with the company’s current distributors, as well as with the management of current and future locations for carrying the Batch Ice Cream line. Batch Ice Cream currently works with an ice cream manufacturing establishment in Southeastern Massachusetts to create the products to the owners’ specifications. LeRiche says that as the product expands nationally, they may utilize an additional facility elsewhere in the United States. For now, though, everything is made here in Massachusetts.
Another item atop the news owners’ “to do” list is work to develop additional flavors for the popular product.
“We thank Susie and Veronica for their good work, and for their hospitality and assistance during this transition of ownership,” said Dave LeRiche, adding, “They will always be an important part of the Batch Ice Cream family.” In fact, it has been an interesting and busy month for the new owners, who, in addition to purchasing a business together, were married on April 21. And, not surprisingly, part of the menu at the reception included Batch Ice Cream – provided courtesy of the former owners.
Dave LeRiche was most recently Vice-President, Sales at Truco Enterprises, a leading developer and marketer of tortilla chips, salsa and queso under the On The Border® brand. In all, he brings more than three decades’ experience in the food services industry to this new venture. His wife, Deborah LeRiche, co-owner of Batch Ice Cream, is a Registered Nurse, certified in PeriAnesthesia and Critical Care Nursing, and works at the Post Anesthesia Care Unit at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA.
Terms of the sale were not disclosed. Bob Karlis, principal at Cabot Business Brokers in Hingham, MA, was the business broker who handled the transaction.
About Batch Ice Cream
Since 2009 Batch has been creating pure, premium ice cream using only natural ingredients that are locally sourced and fairly traded. Known as the purest pint on the shelf, each flavor of ice cream is crafted without the use of gums, stabilizers, artificial flavors and colors or corn syrup. Ingredients include dairy fresh local cream, milk, egg yolks and organic cane sugar. Batch has nine natural flavors which come from ingredients that include free trade coffee beans, vanilla bean and chocolate. The husband and wife team of Deb and Dave LeRiche fell in love with the creamy all-natural treat and bought the company in 2018 with a commitment to continue the founders’ dream of ice cream made with local, free-trade and minimal ingredients. The company is headquartered in New Braintree, MA, and will continue to expand its distribution and add new flavors. MassLive Media recently named the Batch Dark Chocolate the region’s number one ice cream and the Vanilla Bean was named number three. For more information please visit http://batchicecream.com.
