The reason Richardson’s wins our favor every time? Its ice cream is simply sublime. This writer—a born New Englander who grew up going out for ice cream on a regular basis—moved to Seattle for 12 years, where “going out for ice cream” isn’t the cultural norm it is here. So when I returned home, I wanted to do just that—a lot.
During my inaugural visit to Richardson’s, my companions played a little joke: They ordered a “small” cone for me. Now, anyone who frequents the place knows a small is anything but. It was a scorcher of a summer day, and I held in my hands something close to a pint and a half of vanilla ice cream atop a disproportionately sized cone. I couldn’t keep up with. Ten minutes in, I was a sticky, though utterly happy, mess. Thus began my love affair with Richardson’s, and I have since introduced everyone I know to its elights—not the least of which is its near-mile-long list of flavors. Add to that the fact that their dairy products are made from the milk of their on-site cows.
The operation that is Richardson’s as we now know it dates back to 1636, when it was a subsistence farm run by the first three generations of Richardson’s. (To date, nine generations have taken the helm.) By 1917, the farm had increased its herd and the family was bottling and selling milk. The 1950s saw the building of an ice cream stand offering over 50 flavors. So popular was their product that, by 1978, they were delivering their ice cream to other stands and markets—something they continue to do today. In addition to milk and ice cream, they offer half-and-half and eggs.
Seasonal flavors like pumpkin and apple in autumn and eggnog around the holidays round out the flavorful fun that is the Richardson’s experience.
156 S. Main St., Middleton, 978-774-5450, richardsonsicecream.com
