- By Charlotte Brown
- January 22, 2025
WITH HIS RECENTLY OPENED ICE CREAM PARLOUR IN THE HEART OF BORDEAUX, ANTHONY DUMAS BELONGS TO THE NEW GENERATION OF FROSTY ARTISANS WHO ARE CRAZY ABOUT THEIR CRAFT.
Text by Gilbert Pytel, photos ©Maison Dumas
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Originally from the Paris suburbs, Anthony Dumas initially wanted to become a designer, so he took a BAC S.T.I. to do so. (Science and Technology for Industry and Sustainable Development).
Upon finding a seasonal job during his vacations to La Martinière, a well-known artisan ice-cream maker on the Île de Ré, he fell in love with working with ice cream: "At 17, the head of the pastry kitchen offered me a work-study program. I learned to work with ice cream makers the old-fashioned way. La Martinière demonstrates real mastery, able to produce industrial quantities while maintaining an essentially manual process.”
In 2010 and 2011, Anthony Dumas completed his C.A.P. in pastry and ice cream at the C.F.A. in Vannes and Le Mans, while working as an apprentice with Meilleur Ouvrier de France Glacier, Alain Chartier. "There I discovered a simplicity and efficiency in production. In terms of technicality and know-how, he's a cut above the rest. As I stayed there for more than two years, I was able to get to grips with different positions within the company.” Anthony Dumas then returned to the Ile de Ré, to work for the La Martinière ice-cream maker and take his B.T.M. at the C.F.A. in Arras.
With Alain Chartier, I discovered a simplicity and efficiency in production
In 2013, he was hired permanently as an ice-cream maker for a company with five outlets on the island. "There, I specialized in making iced desserts in individual portions. These are products rarely found in other ice cream shops. We always started with raw products to produce very large quantities. In high season, we had to make up to two to three tons of ice cream per day.” Anthony then decided to set up his own business: "At the outset, I hadn't planned for this, but it was an opportunity that became available to me." He joined forces with his brother Nicolas Dumas, who also worked at La Martinière as a salesman: “The manager of this ice cream shop, Xavier Cathala, pays particular attention to customer service, which is all too often under valued.”
In July 2020, the duo chose to set up shop in Bordeaux’s old town, for a number of reasons: "Firstly, we love this region, which is beautiful, and we quickly realized that there was very little competition in our business. It's also a city with a population of foodies who have quite substantial purchasing power.” Drawing on their respective experience, the two brothers decided to create top- quality products that combine multiple flavors with originality. We prioritize local raw materials and short distribution channels, whether it's raw milk from Tartifume farm in Pessac for our ice creams, or mineral water from Abatilles for our full-fruit sorbets. The production processes are done by hand, and colorants and additives are totally banned from the pastry kitchen, which is just 100 meters from the boutique.
We prioritize local raw materials and short distribution channels
The menu features more than 24 different ice cream flavors, available by the cone or to take away in half-liter tubs, dominated by the classic flavors (grand cru chocolate, Bourbon vanilla, Iranian pistachio, French hazelnut or Arabica coffee), but also a few more original ones (rice pudding, Chaï Latte, farm yogurt). Not forgetting single- flavored sorbets made using seasonal fruits (peach, southwest strawberry, melon, lemon, raspberry or blackcurrant). "We have a family clientele who inevitably prefer more traditional flavors, but some also like more adventurous tastes." Nevertheless, it's the individual or takeaway ice cream cakes that are the real stars of the boutique: lemon meringue, black forest, snicker, tirasimu or exotic vacherin: "these are products that are complex to make on a daily basis, but so delicious. People had to get used to these unique pastries.”
Alongside this range, we also offer a selection of macaroons, ice cream cones and travel cakes (cakes, cookies and brownies). In an attempt to mitigate the unique seasonal nature of ice cream consumption in France, the two brothers quickly developed a savory lunch menu of waffles, ice cream sundaes and bowls of ice cream, which they serve their customers in the boutique's dining room, which seats around twenty people, as well as on the outdoor terrace, weather permitting. "Even before we opened our boutique, we knew we had to diversify our activity in order to generate the sales we needed to survive.”
The boutique's star product is its ice cream cakes, available individually or to take away
The Saturday and Sunday brunches also enjoy a good reputation with local customers: "On weekends, a lot of people come to the city center, which means a lot of potential customers. From midday until the end of the day, the room is often packed with walkers and tourists. What's more, as we opened during the pandemic, regular visitors to the area were able to discover our brand and our various offerings.” Open six days a week, the ice cream parlour employs three people in production and between three and five in sales at the boutique: "in the long term, we hope to expand our range even further, as well as our customer base.”
The key to success according to Anthony Dumas:
"To sum it up in a simple formula: learn, understand and do. First of all, I was lucky enough to work in places where I was taught an enormous amount of ice-cream know-how. Then, it was my determination to expand the business that set us apart. If you want to succeed, there's no secret: you have to put in the hours.”