Only The Best

Filipino artisanal ice cream brand Carmen’s Best just wants to be the best ice cream brand in the land

- Charlene Chow

‘Best’ is a word that crops up most often in our conversation with Paco Magsaysay, founder of Filipino artisanal ice cream brand, Carmen’s Best. Fitting, as it is part of his brand name after all (Carmen is the name of his youngest daughter). But it also sums up his brand ethos. Seven years ago, Magsaysay started his company from scratch, looking to make “the best ice cream” using the “best ingredients”. Today, Carmen’s Best is making its first foray overseas, with 12 of its signature flavours available in Singapore at Carry On Cafe in Tanjong Katong and via GrabFood.

“It’s like a cult following,” Magsaysay says. “I know if somebody has tried our ice cream based on how they talk to me. If they get excited when I give out my card, I know they’ve tried our ice cream.” It may sound like a boast, but then again, this is a brand that has grown exponentially since it started in 2011. From just four flavours—salted caramel, butter pecan, Brazilian coffee and malted milk—Carmen’s Best now offers 25 flavours across over 250 resellers and outlets in the Philippines. It is also available on Philippine Airlines and Qantas business class flights out of Manila.

As with most things, the brand taking flight had something to do with serendipity. “We were very lucky that a year after we started, Häagen-Dazs pulled out of the market. We also had a new President, Benigno Aquino III; our economy was on the uptrend; people were travelling more and trying different things. Our ice cream started to get a following.” Magsaysay adds that social media played a big part. “That was when Facebook was ramping up in the Philippines, and we were boosting our pictures and information. We really grew with social media.”