The final note of your meal at Sparrow comes from Olympic Mountain Ice Cream, a Washington family business that has been handcrafting small-batch frozen desserts for four decades and is treasured by chefs throughout the Puget Sound region.
A Washington Love Story, Since 1984
Olympic Mountain began with Karl and Bev Black, lifelong Washingtonians who met over 45 years ago at a potluck, where Karl was won over by Bev’s chocolate-chip cookies. The two homesteaded in the Skokomish Valley, hand-building a rustic cabin on fifteen acres in the foothills of the Olympic Mountains, where they raised their three children, Trail, Alana, and Joel. On a 1984 road trip, while sampling a refreshing cantaloupe sorbet, they imagined a new business. They first opened “Heavenly Gelato” in Lacey, Washington, then began selling their desserts wholesale to Puget Sound restaurants, found a devoted foodie audience, and renamed the company Olympic Mountain Ice Cream.
Small Batches, Real Ingredients
More than thirty years later, the family still holds the same exacting standards. Everything is made in small batches, packed by hand, and built from real ingredients: berries and stone fruit purchased at their peak from Pacific Northwest growers, and herbs grown on the family’s own farm. There are no artificial flavors and no industrial shortcuts. Over the years the family has developed hundreds of flavors of ice creams, gelatos, and sorbets, always working from the belief that ice cream should be an indulgence worth savoring.
The Perfect Finish at Sparrow
Olympic Mountain is the kind of producer that, once a chef discovers it, they carry with them everywhere they go. We are proud to serve their gelato and sorbet as the closing note of your experience at Sparrow, a fitting end to a meal built on Pacific Northwest craft.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Olympic Mountain Ice Cream made?
In Shelton, Washington, in the foothills of the Olympic Mountains, by the Black family.
What makes their gelato and sorbet special?
Everything is made in small batches from real Pacific Northwest fruit and farm-grown herbs, with no artificial flavors, a tradition the family has kept since 1984.
What is the difference between gelato and sorbet?
Gelato is a dense, milk-based frozen dessert churned slowly for a silky texture, while sorbet is dairy-free and made from fruit, making it naturally lighter. Sparrow serves both from Olympic Mountain.
Discover their story at olympicmountainicecream.com.
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