MILFORD — The groundhog lied. It’s been a long winter.
But as the April holidays begin and the weather warms up, ice cream shops like Bertie’s Creative Creamery in Milford are starting to see increased sales.
Jillian King, floor manager at Bertie’s, said business will pick up again after the April school holidays. She worked at Bertie’s for five years, starting at the Westwood location. The Milford location on East Main Street (Route 16) opened in 2020.
King said the ice cream and toppings make Bertie’s unique.
“What sets us apart is our quality,” she says. “Because we can make our own ice cream, we choose the best ingredients we can use. We make about 90% of everything in the store, including the candies and chocolate.”
Bertie’s features several flavors that are made in-house and in small batches. They include standard chocolate and vanilla, but also specialties like orange pineapple, Kahlua fudge brownie and King’s favorite, blueberry crumble – a blueberry ice cream with a cinnamon oatmeal cluster and a graham swirl.
While the Westwood location will remain closed until later this spring, the Milford location will be open year-round.
Here are a few other ice cream shops in the region:
Uhlman’s ice cream
234 East Main St. (Route 30), Westborough
Open from March to November, Uhlman’s Ice Cream offers small-batch ice cream in classic flavors. It also offers seasonal flavors such as strawberry cheesecake and campfire s’mores. Uhlman’s also serves frozen yogurt, along with allergy-friendly ice cream flavors without added sugar.
Uhlman’s East Main Street location is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. It also has a fleet that offers catering to various parties.
The spoon shop
1 Lumber St. #103, Hopkinton
This ice cream parlor is open for the season on Marathon Monday.
The Spoonery will have regular opening hours after this week’s April school holidays. Fans looking to enjoy ice cream from Puritan Ice Cream of Roslindale can visit on weekdays from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM and on weekends from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM
New city microcreamery
534A Boston Post Road (Route 20), Sudbury; 28 Main Street (Route 62), Hudson; 403 Massachusetts Ave. (Route 2A), Cambridge
New City Microcreamery uses a liquid nitrogen process to freeze the cream. Owned by the same company that runs Rail Trail Flatbread Pizza, this fast-growing spot offers unique flavors. Some even contain alcohol for adult ice cream lovers.
The Hudson location is open from Sunday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. The Sudbury location is open Monday through Thursday from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from noon to 10 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m. Visit the Cambridge store Monday to Friday from 12pm to 11pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 11pm.
From Mad Willie
963 Worcester Road (Route 9), Framingham
Located across from Framingham State University, this local favorite offers an array of classic flavors and weekly specials. For people who aren’t in the mood for ice cream, Mad Willies offers smoothies, Italian ice, frappes and ice cream sodas. This spot also offers fat-free, sugar-free and dairy-free alternatives to classic ice cream.
Mad Willie’s is now open for spring and summer hours: 12pm to 9pm daily, weather permitting.
Murphy’s eats and treats
911 Edgell Road, Framingham, and 16 West Union St. (Route 135), Ashland
Known for its old-fashioned drive-thru atmosphere, Murphy’s Eats and Treats serves ice cream and other summer favorites like fried seafood, sherbet, sherbet and sundaes.
Murphy’s flagship location in Ashland will open later this spring. The Framingham location is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Erikson’s, Maynard
12 Major Road (Route 117), Maynard
Hans Erikson Sr. founded Erikson’s Dairy in Stow in 1901, but his son, Hans Jr., established a new home for the dairy, with an ice cream stand, in Maynard 36 years later. The ice cream stall has been serving homemade ice cream since 1937.
Erikson’s is open Monday through Friday from noon to 9 p.m.; and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
Ice cream shop on Park Street
Parkstraat 14, Natick
Right downtown, Park Street Ice Cream Shoppe has been serving homemade ice cream for more than 40 years. The shop serves more than 30 flavors and even a Park Street Cookie Pie – an ice cream of your choice sandwiched between two cookies and rolled in sprinkles.
Park Street Ice Cream Shoppe opened for the season on Marathon Monday. Visit from Sunday to Thursday from 12 noon to 8 p.m.; Friday from noon to 9 p.m.; and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Eastleigh Farms
1062 Edmands Road, Framingham
This Framingham favorite will open later this spring. Once you do, enjoy an ice cream served in a renovated school bus with purple polka dots. Eastleigh’s ice cream is made locally in small batches using quality ingredients, and there are also a number of other shops on site.
According to its Facebook page, Eastleigh Farm is expected to open its moo bus later during the first weekend of May. Employees are being sought for the season, which runs from May to October.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Ice stands open their season in MetroWest, Greater Milford
