I was surprised to see Sweet Rose Creamery Ice Cream in the freezer at Vicente Foods. Four flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla, Salted Caramel and Cookies and Cream. $10.99 a pint which is one cent less than in their shops. Saved me a trip to the nightmare which is parking at The Brentwood Country Mart.
Can they still claim to be making artisanal small batches?
Were there lots of pints available? If basic flavors show up only at a local supermarket, I think they could still kind of/sort of claim to make small batches… in general. 
Many small batch artisinal ice makers sell at retail locations.
A prime example is Steve’s Ice Cream, which you can find just about anywhere in the U.S. Even though their slogan is “small batch since way back.”
I didn’t count. Likely, several of each. I had mixed feelings.
Mixed feelings? To the point of not buying? Not sure why it matters. If they’ve become more successful AND maintain their quality, that’s good, right?
No different when SusieCakes opened in brentwood. Thrilled to have a local bakery with an actual Susie at the helm. Now, Susiecakes has more bakeries than I can count. I was excited about Sweet Rose. Thought that the Loebs had another great idea and vision. What is next? Frozen Milo and Olive Pizza? I bought a pint of Salted Caramel and a pint of vanilla.Tasted just fine. Also noticed that Sweet Rose is now appearing on , at least, one restaurant menu…Bottlefish in Brentwood has SRC on the dessert menu.
It shouldn’t matter how big they get, so long as they continue to produce a consistently high quality products that meets customers expectations.
I do, however, become dubious when a company expands. Many craft breweries have expanded, and quality has dropped significantly.
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It may be a sign of expansion (likely) or it may not be much. Vicente Foods has a habit of stocking locally made items from small companies or even homemade items since the California Homemade Food Act made it legal to sell food items made in home kitchens.
I tend to think Sweet Rose saw the success of Jeni’s and decided they wanted some of that loot, too.
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This is how I feel, too. It’s one thing to find the product in local restaurants and a local, non-chain market. If it were in Ralphs or Whole Foods or Gelson’s, I might feel differently.
IIRC, Sweet Rose had pints in their own freezer, so it’s not like they were making excess to begin w/…
The proof is in the tasting. As long as it remains good, I’ll con’t to buy. 
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Agreed. Sweet Rose ice cream has been available at Erewhon location for months. I don’t live near one but if the ice cream tastes good and maintains its standards then I’m all for it.
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I didn’t find another Sweet Rose Creamery topic so I thought I’d revive this one.
Went in today and got the Strawberry Rhubarb which was in a sweet cream base with cookies. Really I am not much for fruit in ice cream but this was very good (and with Whip cream on top even more decadent.
As an aside apparently they are they are making and pasteurizing there own ice cream base now with Clover milk and no preservatives/gums ect.
How are they compared to Jeni’s and McConnell’s?
The best supermarket artisanal chocolate ice cream I’ve had is Fiorello’s Valrhona chocolate which, if my memory serves me correctly, tastes almost exactly like the chocolate ice cream at Bouchon’s. It’s all over the bay area. I don’t know if it’s reached soCal.