Many of you know ice cream and sorbet maker James Spica from his bright yellow tent at the front of the Beacon Farmer’s Market every Sunday. You may also recognize his voice from his weekly radio show on WVKR 91.3FM. James makes and sells popsicles and cups of ice cream and sorbet. But you can only mainly get it on Sundays at the market. Until he partnered with Annie down at The Chocolate Studio on the east end of Main Street near the mountain.

How did this happen, and what is available?

James tells A Little Beacon Blog (who is a regular customer of his strawberry rhubarb): “Back in 2024, Annie approached me at the Beacon Farmers Market and asked if I would be interested in having my award winning line of vegan ice cream and sorbet offed at The Beacon Chocolate Studio. Already up to my eyeballs in new orders I said thanks so much for the offer but I can’t do it. Annie asked again in 2025 and I had to say yes. It’s been a pleasure to have my New Confectioner vegan ice-cream in her shop. I’ve been a vendor at the three time Best Of The Hudson Valley winning Beacon Farmers Market since 2011, and I am so proud to be a small part of that. Annie just stocked up with our most indulgent flavors including Matcha, Strawberry Rhubarb, Turkish Chocolate Coffee and more. Thanks Again Annie, You Rock!!”

How Did James Get Started?

“A while back,” James tells ALBB, “my most excellent wife, Judy, got me a simple ice cream maker for my birthday. That turned out to be a light switch moment and the beginning of my total obsession with frozen desserts.”

James discovered the frozen dessert in the small town of El Pescadero Baja Mexico. “I had some very rustic, but oh so delicious helado flavors. Prune, avocado, corn, tequila, and almond. These sound simple enough, but the authenticity of the flavors really came through," James recalled.

“Later, I had the good fortune to taste my first vegan ice cream in Rome, Italy, a place with a long history of dairy gelato. But Rome is also know for its world renowned food, and we found a vegetarian spot that had wonderful vegan ice cream.”

In 2010, with two new Ice creams maker in hand, James began to selling his vegan treats at the Millbrook Farmers Market. “To my surprise, they took off. After retiring, I had the benefit of some retirement money. So I took classes at the Culinary Institute of America and at Penn State.” Having the Culinary Institute of America so close to Beacon in the Hudson Valley has produced several culinary self-starters like James.

“The year of 2025 was my 16th season, and I can’t imagine ever stopping,” James concluded.