The Chetek food scene is broadening its horizons in the coming weeks with the addition of an artisan bakeshop and ice cream shop at 608 Second St.
Edgewood Bakeshop and Kurschner’s Super Premium Ice Cream are officially moving in to the main street location—previously the Chetek Bakery.
The happy news comes on the heels of an April announcement that the coveted location was going back on the market. The future of the building has been tenuous due to unforeseen circ*mstances for the previous owner; however, Rebekah Stamps of Edgewood Bakeshop has purchased the building under land contract.
Renovations are underway at the location. It’s safe to say, the community is in for a treat when the bakeshop and artisan ice cream shop open later this summer.
Stamps noted the building has never had two businesses operating under one roof and requires additional plumbing and electrical to meet the two businesses’ needs.
A tentative opening date for the artisan ice cream shop and bakeshop is planned for mid-July. “Renovations are underway and are going well so far; however, we want to make sure we have enough wiggle room to take care of any unforeseen delays or required fixes before opening day,” Stamps said.
Kurschner’s Super Premium Ice Cream
Alan Kurschner, the mind behind Kurschner’s Super Premium Ice Cream, is a super fan of the beloved frozen treat and is sharing his passion for the creamy dessert with the community.
The ice cream shop will be the first of its kind in Barron County as Kurschner will make the hard-ice cream on site and will only use premium ingredients. “I want to offer a product that Barron County can call its own,” Kurschner said.
The shop’s name may be a mouthful; however, the first-of-its-kind ice cream shop’s products contain a whopping 16 percent butterfat content. For reference, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires a meager 10 percent butterfat content to be considered ice cream. The high butterfat content of Kurschner’s ice cream will create a rich and creamy mouthfeel.
A traditionalist, Kurschner’s entire line of ice cream will not contain any artificial ingredients, including Red Dye-40 or artificial preservatives such as potassium sorbate or carageenan, a preservative derived from seaweed.
To say dairy runs in Kurschner’s veins is an understatement. His father, David Kurschner, grew up on a dairy farm in Prairie Farm in the late 1930s. The decor of the ice cream shop will reflect this history.
The ice cream shop will ultimately feature 16 flavors in its dipping cabinet and will include tasty rotating seasonal flavors. Kurschner will integrate his ice cream flavors on a weekly basis working his way to the total offering. Kurschner noted he wants to offer something for everybody and will include flavors that people of any age will enjoy. “People think butter pecan is an outdated and old-fashioned flavor, but it’s my personal favorite,” Kurschner said.
The ice cream shop will feature tasty waffle and cake cones made in-house.
The ice cream offered at Kurschner’s will be gluten free, meaning those struggling with gluten sensitivity have the opportunity to partake in the locally-made dessert. Additionally, the ice cream shop will feature non-dairy, coconut-based options and sorbet.
With a mid-July opening date, Kurschner said he will be open Fridays and Saturdays to start and will increase his hours as needed based on demand for the premium ice cream.
Kurschner’s ice cream is made in small batches and will be available as takeout with pints and artisan ice cream sandwiches available for purchase.
There will be a seating area inside for people to enjoy their ice cream. In addition, the location will feature a walk-up window where customers can order their frozen treats outside and enjoy them at the Main Street Park Pavilion which is next door to the shop. Kurschner noted he has plans for a vintage-looking vertical sign to be installed over the walk-up window to draw people’s attention.
The community will look forward to flavors paying homage to Barron County with names such as “Blue Hills Moon” and “Prairie Farm Sweet Cream.”
Ice cream has always been a part of Kurschner’s life but it wasn’t until about one year ago he decided to make it a priority. “I took my son to an ice cream shop for a cone and we were just sitting there enjoying our ice cream when it dawned on me that it was time for Barron County to have a premium in-house ice cream,” Kurschner recalled.
Shortly after this life-changing ice cream revelation, Kurschner enrolled at the Scoop School in St. Louis, Missouri, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Dairy Foods course on ice cream making where he learned the science behind the treasured dessert. Additionally, Kurschner became a member of the North American Ice Cream Association and has had the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the greats, including the owners of Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream and Culver’s.
Ice cream has been a food staple of the Kurschner household the past year, as the ice cream artisan has worked to perfect his flavors, “My family is a little ice creamed out at the moment,” Kurschner admitted.
The small-batch ice cream artisan is looking to the future and noted he does plan to sell wholesale to retailers in Barron and surrounding counties.
The ice cream maker is brimming with anticipation as he embarks on this new journey; however, he said one of the aspects of this business he is most looking forward to is collaborating with local businesses including Edgewood Bakeshop to collaborate on tasty concoctions for the community, “Having two artisan food establishments right next to one another is going to create a symbiotic relationship, and I can’t wait to see where it takes us,” Kurschner concluded. “Kurschner’s Super Premium Ice Cream will offer the community Wisconsin ice cream at its best.”
Check out the Kurschner’s Super Premium Ice Cream Facebook page for updates.
Edgewood Bakeshop
The popular bakeshop has made waves in the area for the past year or so, as those hungry for a taste of Old World breads and specialty pastries have clamored at every opportunity to bring the rural Chetek cottage bakery to the city limits.
“I am so excited to share this development with the community,” Stamps noted. “It’s been a crazy year or so, and I know this news is going to make a lot of people really happy.”
The artisan baker is looking forward to filling a wrenching gap in the local economy, “Small towns need bakeries, and I am honored to have the opportunity to help bridge this gap in Chetek’s food economy,” Stamps said.
Edgewood Bakeshop is present in the community with local pop-up shops and a significant farmers market presence.
The brick-and-mortar bakeshop will feature many of Edgewood’s familiar favorites and some new grab and go items. Additonally, the bakeshop will feature compound butter flights.
Edgewood Bakeshop is not adopting the menu of the previous bakery. Instead, the baker will continue to offer the community her crowd-pleasing sourdough breads, turnovers and cruffins and a variety of other seasonal, laminated pastries.
With a love of nostalgic flavors, Stamps enjoys marrying flavors like lemon-poppyseed and cinnamon-raisin in her baked goods. Her menu includes seasonal specialties like sweet potato butterscotch scones and rye brownies. Stamps noted that with her newly acquired space, she would like to include local vendors that offer jams, jellies, honey, maple syrup and other seasonal goods, a space where makers and artisans can receive exposure for their products.
Stamps said she will offer a limited cake selection for graduations and birthdays (no specialty cakes). Instead, her main focus will be on her breads and pastries. “There are other fantastic bakeries in the area that have this niche covered, and I don’t see any reason to be stepping on anyone’s toes.”
The Main St. location is looking at offering sourdough classes in the future.
Local restaurants are already lining up to purchase bread wholesale from the bakeshop and Stamps is welcoming the addition of a few more wholesale clients.
With all of the growing pains Edgewood Bakeshop has underwent in the past year, it’s no surprise Stamps is looking to bring a couple of people on staff to help with the brick-and-mortar location. Applications/resume’s can be sent to edgewoodbakeshop.com
Check out the Edgewood Bakeshop Facebook page for updates and check out her website at https://theedgewoodbaker.com/
Check back with The Chetek Alert as the opening draws near for an official opening date and hours of operation for both businesses.
