OUR ICE CREAM
Custard based ice creams
- egg yolks make our ice creams rich, dense, and creamy
- low overun means you eat less air
- asian inspired
- nostalgic flavours
- no preservatives
- we try our best to stay away from artificial flavours and colours
Ruru Baked makes small-batch custard ice creams and treats in Toronto, ON, creating fun new flavours inspired by fond memories and experiences. The business started as a small pop-up, became a happy pandemic success story, and now has a brick-and-mortar location in the community of Bloordale and a second location in Pacific Mall.
Ruru Baked has had the pleasure of collaborating with brands and community organizations such as Adidas, Reebok, Nike, Xylk, Hxouse, The Kickback, Soho House Toronto, Hoegaarden, Makeway, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Imanishi, Color Cannabis, and Vitamix, and many more. Our hope is that you have as much fun eating our ice cream and treats as we do making them.
GIVING BACK
We want Ruru Baked to be more than just ice cream and treats. In order to serve a bigger purpose, we donate what we can to charitable organizations, and often leave grocery items and unclaimed pints at local community fridges.
Donations made:
January - June 2018:
Daily Bread Food Bank - $100
July 2018 - October 2019:
Sheldrick Wildlife Trust - $200
FEAT for Children of Incarcerated Parents - $200
May 2020:
Black Visions Collective - $250
Know Your Rights Camp - $250
Campaign Zero - $250
June 2020:
FoodShare TO - $1,570.34
Black Solidarity Fund - $1,570.34
July 2020:
The Kickback and Tier Zero - $8,000 +
September 2020
Patchwork Collective (in collaboration with Reebok) - $1,020
April 2021
ESN Toronto - $2,202
Asian Mental Health Collective - $2,202
June 2021
Tier Zero, Patchwork Collective, Balkonahae - $7,863.94
July 2021
Legacy of Hope - $1,800
November 2021
Second Harvest - $700
December 2021
Parkdale Food Bank Toy Drive - $1,000
Muslim Legal Support Centre - $100
May 2023
S.O.F.T - $1000
August 2023
Filipino Student Association of Toronto Met - $150
August 2023
Kapisanan Centre - $200
Parkdale Community Food Bank - $800
December 2023
Messy Productions Drag Brunch - $100
PLASTICS
We’ve spent hours upon hours of research into whether or not to use paper or plastic pint packaging. Here’s what we discovered and why we chose plastic:
- We need to use paperboard that has a plastic lining which ensures our ice cream maintains it’s best quality and no liquid seeps through the packaging.
- The best form of this packaging that we found is made from sustainable forestry + a polyethylene lining that is made from sugar cane, rather than fossil fuels.
- Although this seems like a great alternative, plastics made from sugar cane are similar to conventional plastic; they are recyclable but not biodegradable. They also require a higher amount of resources to produce increasing its carbon footprint.
- If these plastics get into the environment they will still break up into microplastics and cannot mix with the earth.
- Paperboard with any plastic lining cannot be recycled. Therefore, no matter what, these containers will end up in the landfill. The paper will decompose, while the lining will take a long time to break up into microplastics.
- Ultimately bad for the environment if put in landfills.
- If used and disposed of properly using the 3 R’s this can be a more sustainable solution to waste.
- Reduce: Our containers are made in a facility that strives for long-term sustainability. Their “near-term goal is to reduce electricity, natural gas, and water consumption per pound processed by 1% per year. Our long-term goal is to achieve best-in-class energy and water efficiency.”
- Reuse: our pints are made from #5 polypropylene. This means they can be washed and reused multiple times.
- Recycle: 95% of North Americans have access to a recycling facility that processes polypropylene. Only 5% have access to a facility that is able to recycle paper with plastic lining. If rinsed and recycled properly our pints will not end up in the landfill and can be recycled into new materials. PLEASE RECYCLE!
In the end we chose to continue with a sustainably produced plastic. The likelihood of our consumers properly recycling or reusing our containers is high, and we’d rather bank on a conscious consumer then knowing our packaging will end up in the landfill. We also offer a closed loop pint system where customers can drop off their clean Ruru Baked plastic pints and lids. Our friends at Case Reuse pick up the pints weekly, sort them, wash and sanitize them in a commercial facility, and we buy them back.
On the retail side of our shop, we use compostable bowls and lids, along with paper napkins and wooden spoons.