Asheville – Hilltop Ice Cream Shop has opened a new store at 235 Weaverville Road in Woodfin. They have been serving their homemade ice cream at 520 Old US 74 in Fairview since 2010.
Owner Spencer Hilgeman purchased the business from Barbara Borgersen in 2021. He had worked at the Village Hotel on the Biltmore Estate as an executive chef for five years and as a sous chef for five years before that.
He became familiar with the ice cream because the Village served it. “She was a wholesaler, and I got to know her, and I loved her ice cream,” he recalled. “I talked with her a couple of times about expanding the business, but she wasn’t interested.” Then, in 2021, it was Borgersen who approached Hilgeman; she was ready to retire.
“I can’t put a finger on what makes our ice cream unique, other than that we put a lot of care and time into it,” he said. “We taste every single batch and scrutinize the recipes to improve them.”
Hilgeman’s seven-year-old son is the chief executive taster. Hilgeman added, “He’s come up with a lot of good ideas.” The shop also employs Hilgeman’s wife and about 15 high school students.
Hilltop sources its cream mix regionally from farms in North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Georgia. They only use 16% butterfat premium, and yes, it does taste homemade.
The fresh taste that keeps people coming back comes from the real, fresh fruit and authentic colors and flavors they use. For example, the ice cream is colored with turmeric, spirulina, and red beets.
Hilltop keeps its offerings to around 30 flavors. Their peach ice cream is particularly popular. Hilgeman mentioned that customers have been asking since March when it will be back in season. “His peach ice cream has peaches from the Farmer’s Market. So fresh,” remarked one editor of the Tribune.
He can now get his strawberries year-round from a grower in Edneyville and sources his lavender from Landrum. For those who haven’t embraced Starbucks’ lavender trend, Hilgeman assures that his lavender honey ice cream does not taste like a bar of soap. Pausing, he says, “It tastes like Fruity Pebbles to me.”
He does use emulsifiers and stabilizers like guar gum and carrageenan because the ice cream would freeze into sheets of ice instead of creamy goodness without them. “We focus on the balance of flavor and don’t overchurn because that makes it crystally.”
Hilgeman explained, “Part of our business model is to remain more approachable.” They avoid extremes in ingredients but enjoy rotating four or five more interesting flavors into their regular offerings.
In addition to selling from their shops, Hilltop also wholesales. For example, they sell “quite a bit” to Smokey Mountain Creations at the WNC Farmer’s Market. Hilgeman stated, “We often create custom flavors for our restaurants and keep them exclusive.” For instance, they make coconut and green tea ice cream for Thai Spice in downtown Hendersonville.
When asked why he left his position as a Biltmore executive chef to become an ice cream maker, Hilgeman said, “Independence. I have to take the long view for my family. The food industry is tough, very demanding on holidays, nights, and weekends. If you’re in business for yourself and something comes up, you can close the doors for the day and focus on the family.”
One of the aspects Hilgeman enjoys most about the business is how it builds community. He has regulars in Fairview; some come every day. Grandparents bring their kids, and firefighters like to stop in. He now looks forward to seeing relationships grow in Woodfin.
Looking ahead, he would like to open a third shop. Eventually, he hopes to establish a restaurant that will be “very family-friendly, with a simple, quality, affordable menu and ice cream. A place for kids to be kids.”