In 2009, I sent an email to Sarah Mandelson, the CEO of Serendipity Ice Cream. I wanted to get the inside scoop (pun intended) on how Serendipity started and grew to where it is today. To my delight, she responded to my questions!
The following is how the Serendipity Ice Cream Company started. And grew to be a formidable player in Australia’s $1.1 Billion Ice Cream Market. Alix Mandelson started Serendipity Ice Cream in her kitchen. Sara Mandelson is the daughter of Alix and in this piece, Sara looks back on how it all started.
Starting up
Serendipity happened by accident in a little kitchen in Paddington, Australia in 1966. Alix Mandelson was not satisfied that Neapolitan was the most exotic ice cream available. Being allergic to chocolate it left the pink and white strip of ice cream to eat. Neither of these were appealing. As they didn’t contain the real ingredients she was craving. So Alix set to work creating her own ice cream from fresh cream and eggs. As well as other ingredients that we all love in our ice cream.
Some of her first creations were flavours like Maple Walnut, Cherry Garden, and Vanilla Bean (back when nobody knew what one was!!). I remember a time when folks would complain about the little bits of ‘dirt’ in their vanilla ice cream. Thank heavens those days are gone…
Her friends loved her work. And their friends wanted to know where to get some for themselves. It didn’t take long for word to get out and Alix found herself in business. (And there’s me in my first job – tasting ice cream!)
When she started, it was just my mother in the kitchen at home. In 1969 she tiled the floor of her first factory (actually, a tiny shop front in Bondi) herself – 7 months pregnant! I think she had one or 2 other mothers helping her part-time a couple of days each week.
How many people work for Serendipity now?
We now have 22 people working at Serendipity, and distributors in Vic, WA, SA, and regional NSW – all of whom are part of the family.
How many outlets did Serendipity ice cream first appear in?
My mother had 2 outlets, neither of which still exist: Woollahra Home Service on Ocean St, and the Itinerant Cook. There are still a few of the very earliest customers still stocking our product: Ralph’s in Balmain, and Queen St Deli in Woollahra.
How many outlets can Serendipity ice cream be found in today?
Serendipity can now be found in over 500 retailers around mainland Australia – though we are only just starting to push into Queensland. And then there are restaurants, caterers, airlines, etc. which also use our products.
How did your mother grow the business?
Initially, the business started by word of mouth. After all, advertising is hardly affordable when you are only making and selling a few litres of product each week. I recall that she advertised in some of the local papers in the 70s and 80s. But my mother was also pretty good at getting editorial (as am I).
These days we use all means available to us: word-of-mouth, community events, sampling programs, ice cream demo classes, website, ads, editorial, website, sales people. We are also starting to wrap our heads around blogs, tweets, and so on. (Our ‘new-look’ website should go live in the next day or so…)
What is the annual turnover for Serendipity ice cream?
How big is Serendipity today?
Sorry, now that would be telling… but we now produce around 250,000 litres of ice cream annually. Just a drop in the ice cream ocean really.
Is there anything else you can tell me about the Serendipity ice cream brand?
We are one of the few sustainable ice cream brands on the market, using 100% green energy, recyclable packaging, no use of plastic bags in our factory outlet, plus a number of other environmental initiatives. And of course, one of the most highly – and frequently – awarded ice cream brands as well.
Have you or do you intend on expanding overseas?
Yes, we have just started negotiating our way into China, and expect to send our first shipment in February 2010.
Company name: Serendipity IceCream
Founder/s: Alix Mandelson
CEO: Sarah Mandelson (Daughter of Alix)
Established: 1966
Location: Marrickville, Sydney, Australia
Main Products/Services: Gourmet ice cream, handmade frozen desserts and cakes
Number of employees: 22
Revenue: Unknown. Produces 250,000 litres of ice cream annually
Website: www.serendipityicecream.com.au
