When Dave and Deb LeRiche got married in 2018, they had an unusual vision for their future: become the co-owners of a business. And, only a month after their wedding, they had achieved the goal.
For the past two years, the New Braintree couple has run Batch Ice Cream, a company originally created in 2009 by Boston residents Susie Parish and Veronica Janseens. The two founders sought to create an ice cream brand that used natural and locally-sourced ingredients and excluded artificial flavors or preservatives – and when the LeRiches heard about the company, they were immediately captivated by its mission.
“‘We thought ‘Oh my gosh, this is different. This is special,’” Dave LeRiche says. “The two original owners … did a really great job in distinguishing the brand, and the ingredients and flavors are very, very unique.”
The LeRiches had hoped to take on a business together utilizing his extensive experience in sales and distribution from his past work at companies such as Frito-Lay and Snyder’s of Hanover. They looked into other food-related companies, including an energy drink business and a pickle company, but neither met a requirement that was chiefly important in their decision: the approval of their blended family of five adult children.
After the LeRiches met with the founders of Batch to discuss acquiring the company, they went to a local grocery store and purchased “as much Batch Ice Cream as we could find” to sample the flavors for themselves. Once they had tasted the product, the entire family agreed that Batch was the perfect company for them to buy.
“We were excited and shared it with the kids, and the kids loved it,” Deb LeRiche says. “They couldn’t believe that we’d found something they actually loved and that they could all get behind.”
Deb LeRiche, of Batch Ice Cream from New Braintree, digs deep into a freezer for a caramel-flavored ice cream at the Chris Thibault Car Wash Fundraiser at Mercedes-Benz of Springfield, last September. (Frederick Gore Photo)
They have stayed true to the company’s concept of using natural, local ingredients. They support Fair Trade and strive to source ingredients – including chocolate, bourbon and coffee – from regional vendors, Dave LeRiche explains.
“We’re just paying more and more attention to what we’re eating, and I think a lot of other people are, too,” Deb LeRiche says. “Once you start reading labels and just being a little more conscious of what we’re taking into our bodies, it’s interesting to look at the number of ingredients in a product, and I was especially very drawn to Batch because of the real ingredients.”
Batch currently produces nine flavors – including the regional favorite dark chocolate and vanilla – which are sold at hundreds of grocery stores across New England. Each summer, the LeRiches also sell ice cream out of their “Scoop Truck,” which can be rented for regional events and private functions.
In the two years since they became co-owners of Batch, the LeRiches have worked to expand the scope of the company. Last year, they opened their own distribution center in Belchertown after one of their distributors announced they were going out of business. The project was “a huge undertaking,” Dave LeRiche says, and required the couple to purchase a fleet of refrigerated trucks and hire new employees. The couple is also working to develop new ice cream flavors, which they hope to offer as samples to customers of their Scoop Truck before they make them available in stores.
“We have a long list of requests,” Deb LeRiche says. “Strawberry and mint chocolate chip are always at the top of the list.”
The LeRiches say finding a balance between their work and personal lives can be difficult, especially since she also works as a nurse two days each week. However, they’ve brought four of their children into different areas of the business, including the management of Batch’s social media accounts and assistance running the Scoop Truck, which enables their family to regularly spend time together.
“They’re involved, and learning and curious about how the total business works and so forth, and it’s a lot of fun,” Dave LeRiche says of their children.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also presented new challenges to the LeRiches’ business for the past several months. With many public events canceled, they haven’t been able to serve ice cream out of their Scoop Truck as frequently as usual. But, the truck has regained some business and been booked for several private events in recent weeks.
Elly Vaughan, the owner-operator of Phoenix Fruit Farm in Belchertown, has allowed the LeRiches to park their Scoop Truck outside of the farm’s store each Friday afternoon this month. Vaughan had previously partnered with the couple to sell pints of their ice cream in her store after she had seen their truck at one of Belchertown’s “Food Truck Friday” events and she fell in love with their unique ice cream, she said.
“They don’t have any fake stuff in it. It’s an all-natural product,” Vaughan says. “It doesn’t have those fake chemical binders or anything like that – simple ingredients. And their warehouse is right down the street, so it’s a good fit for us.”
Despite the recent challenges they’ve faced, the LeRiches are grateful for the continued support of the community and intend to continue their expansion of Batch. They have plans to enlarge their distribution network with additional trucks and delivery routes and purchase another Scoop Truck. The couple also aims to open an online store for their ice cream, but they are still working out the logistics of the endeavor.
“This has been a tough year for so many people, and we’re very, very blessed that we’re doing what we’re doing, and we’re able to do it together with our family,” Deb LeRiche says. “We’re proud of our products, and we’re happy to bring a little smile to everyone’s face that deals with us, because it’s ice cream, and it’s a beautiful ice cream.”
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