Sponsored

On Sunday, February 10, 2019 from 1 to 3 p.m., visit Fat Cat Creamery at 1901 North Shepherd for a special tasting event showcasing the work of owner Sarah Johnston. The event is sponsored by Callebaut, maker of a wide range of fine chocolates chosen by top pastry chefs around the world for its consistency and high quality.

For the event, Fat Cat Creamery is serving its iconic Milk Chocolate Stout ice cream as well The Dude Malted, a malted milkshake made with Milk Chocolate Stout ice cream, peanut butter, malt powder and garnished with a chocolate-covered pretzel stick. Both treats are also available for all of Houston Chocolate Heroes Month, which runs through February 10. During the event only, all of Fat Cat Creamery’s treats made with Callebaut chocolate are buy-one-get-one-free — so bring a friend!

Johnston’s dream of starting a craft ice cream shop in Houston’s Heights neighborhood started when she realized there wasn’t one already. She says ice cream is her favorite food, so this was a solution for satisfying both her cravings and her creativity. She worked on Fat Cat Creamery in the evenings —introducing people to their ice cream at special food events — while maintaining her day job at a prominent commercial property management company. It took two-and-a-half years to make the dream come true, but Fat Cat Creamery’s storefront opened in December 2013.

Johnston prides herself on using the best ingredients for her ice creams, including milk, eggs and fresh fruit from local farms. She sought out excellent chocolate as well. “I’ve been using Callebaut since first starting Fat Cat Creamery,” says Johnston. “We use the milk chocolate in our Milk Chocolate Stout ice cream and also the white chocolate on a regular basis. We always have it in-house for doing one thing or another.” Fat Cat Creamery even makes its own toppings and chocolate-dipped cones.

Johnston first discovered the Callebaut milk chocolate in block form at a local Whole Foods. “I tasted it and it was so delicious. It was exactly the milk chocolate I had in mind and I’ve never gone back.”

Sustainability is a focus of the Callebaut brand — and for Fat Cat Creamery as well. The shop’s ice cream pints and single-serve packages are made of leftover wheat straw and while spoons are manufactured with of environmentally friendly materials, such as bio-plastics and cornstarch.

Callebaut’s marketing manager, Miriam Madrigal, said that the Bayou City was a natural fit for the company’s Chocolate Heroes promotion.

“We are lucky to have many wonderful customers all over the United States,” she said. “However, Houston, not only has a great food scene, but it was the city that helped us kick-off the Beanology Bus Tour in 2015, which was a blast! So, we thought it would be great to come back to Houston and partner with local chefs as we launch[ed] our next big project, Chocolate Heroes.”

Fat Cat Creamery is one of eight independent Houston businesses featured during Houston Chocolate Heroes Month.  Click to view all the Houston Chocolate Heroes on a map. Visit any of them to pick up a Houston Chocolate Hero Month Passport and collect a sticker for each of the treats throughout the month. Once you’ve collected all eight stickers, use the attached, pre-stamped envelope to mail the passport and receive a FREE Chocolate Heroes apron!

For the most up-to-date information, follow and tag these on social media:
Facebook: Callebaut.US and HoustonFoodFinder
Instagram: @CallebautChocolate and @HoustonFoodFinder
Twitter: @HTownFoodFinder

Use hashtags #ChocolateHeroes and #HoustonFoodFinder to keep up with the latest posts!

For questions or additional information on the Houston Chocolate Heroes events, please email us. We look forward to seeing you and trying these delectable chocolate creations as a community!