Merry Monarch Creamery Ice Cream Delivery Is Fit For a King
Chef Gregory Maze Creates Small Batch Ice Cream That Strives For Perfection
Ice cream maker Gregory Maze wants to create the perfect scoop.
An Austin native with a love for locally-sourced ingredients, Maze started Merry Monarch Creamery in the summer of 2020, with the idea of creating super premium ice cream with organic eggs and dairy from nearby farms. A former sushi chef, Maze says he applies lessons from working at Uchi, an upscale Japanese restaurant in Austin, to creating his frozen confections. He wants every lick of ice cream to be perfect, like a single piece of nigiri.
“I apprenticed at Uchi with the pastry chef, Phillip Speer, and got to learn about sushi from the chefs there,” Maze told Tribeza. “Learning from Phillip has been a huge influence on me for my ice cream and as a cook.”
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Maze says that Speer’s influence led him to incorporate daring ingredients into his ice creams: “Phillip was the first person I saw take things that normally wouldn’t make it into desserts—goat cheese, tobacco, corn and tomatoes—and make them taste really comforting and sweet,” says Maze. “My ice cream philosophy is to make fancy ice cream that is whimsical and adventurous, yet fun and comforting. That’s kind of what I felt Phillip’s desserts were like.”
Releasing his ice cream in small batches, Maze rotates flavors often and introduces new creations frequently. This month, he’s offering a flavor called Euro Step, an ice cream made with sweet cream and infused with caramelized sugar, orange, vanilla, pistachio praline and stroopwafels.
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New flavors are announced through Merry Monarch’s newsletter and social media channels. Ice creams are sold by the pint, at $10 each. You won’t find Merry Monarch on store shelves, however. The frozen confections are only available for pick-up and delivery.
“I operate out of a commissary kitchen,” Maze says, “but customers can either get delivery or come pick it up from my residence in the Northwest Hills area.”
The name of the business is a nod to King Charles II, known as The Merry Monarch. At one of the king’s famous ceremonial feasts, ice cream was included on the menu—said to be the first recorded mention of ice cream anywhere in the world.
Visit merrymonarchcreamery.com to place an order.