When Georgina opened a vegan ice cream shop in South Fremantle a year and a half ago, she just wanted to make the kind of ice cream she wanted to eat. As it happens, lots of other people in Perth like to eat Georgina’s ice cream, and she has recently opened her second store in Leederville, as well as taking on an ever-growing list of wholesale stockists. Georgina named her enterprise Roho Bure, which means ‘free spirit’ in Swahili, to encompass the idea of eating well and being well going hand in hand. As we get into below, Roho Bure is not just ice cream, it’s a way of life.
You started Roho Bure in your garage … was there a master plan, or was it more of a ‘try and see’ approach?
At the time I just had left a corporate job that was really unfulfilling. I essentially started the business to create a job for myself that I would love and that would allow me to indulge in my creativity. I never imagined that it would have blossomed the way it has, and so rapidly!
Everything you make is vegan, refined sugar free and all natural. Is this your personal food philosophy?
I haven’t eaten meat or dairy for around 5 years, and I practice a sugar free, natural and organic diet, so Roho Bure was certainly designed around myself as a customer. For me, being vegan is a holistic lifestyle that I don’t practice perfectly, but offering alternatives such as our vegan ice cream makes that transition far easier. We are demonstrating that making healthy and ethical choices doesn’t have to be a sacrifice and can still very much be an indulgent experience.
You’ve got a rep for making the best vegan ice cream in Perth (and possibly beyond!). What makes Roho Bure ice cream so special?
Whilst we do go out of our way to emphasise on the fact that our ice cream is vegan, we also place as much importance on the quality of ingredients we use. Unfortunately vegan does not always mean healthy, and sweets in particular often overcompensate with sugar. Our ice creams are refined sugar free, working on a 10-12% sweetener content, and we use predominantly organic ingredients. We have also made a conscious effort to ensure our house made products are all gluten free - the more we accommodate dietary needs, the more people can enjoy our ice cream!
We’ve noticed there’s a lot more than just ice cream on the menu … what combos can customers get when they come for dessert?
One of our most popular menu choices is our Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich, a generous scoop of ice cream sandwiched between our house-made tahini cookies. We also have a variety of toppings including popcorn clusters, sauces and fudges so that customers can create their own sundaes!
Those famous vegan ice cream sandwiches.
You regularly collaborate with local businesses - and this week it’s us! Tell us about the special.
This one is for the chocolate brownie lovers! We’re making ice cream sandwiches with the new Honest Goods Co. vegan brownie, then drowning it in The Honest Pantry chocolate peanut butter, with peanut butter fudge on top. We’re also making an Honest Goods brownie version of cookie dough ice cream, which you can have by the scoop or, if you’re going all out, you can have it in the brownie sandwich! It’s all vegan, gluten free and refined sugar free, so it’s the ultimate clean yet indulgent treat.
And you’ve recently opened in Leederville. Do you have plans for more stores, or are two enough for now?!
Two is enough for the moment! We are still settling into our new shop in Leederville, which has the space for us to cater to wholesale demand, which we were previously unable to accomodate. We would also love to develop our mobile business to bring our range to events across Perth.
If you could pick 3 flavours to go in the Roho Bure hall of fame, what would they be?
I absolutely can’t look past out Matcha Mint Choc Chip and Cashew Cream Honeycomb! I’m going to pick 4 because we also did two specials which will forever have a place in my heart: A blend of Coffee with Tahini & Kahlua Chocolate Fudge (topped with Kahlua Caramel & Hazelnut Crunch); and Mango with Black Sesame Brittle & Miso Caramel.
Finish this sentence:
The Roho Bure way of life is about … eating pretty. Food that is beautiful inside and out.
To find out more about Roho Bure, head to the website here.