The secret is in the base.

Sanders and Sons is one of a handful of gelato/ice cream makers in Southern California that is licensed to make their base truly from scratch, with organic milk and cream from Straus Family Creamery’s network of organic farms in Marin and Sonoma counties. Seven whole vanilla beans as added to the dairy mixture which is pasteurized onsite. It’s then steeped with vanilla beans overnight (just like a cold-brewed coffee). A touch of Tahitian vanilla extract is added before freezing and then voilà — best gelato this side of Bologna.

Mainstay dairy flavors include Vida’s Vanilla, The Godfather Sicilian Pistachio (imho the best pistachio-flavored anything), and Valrhona Chocolate. There are plenty of dairy-free, cashew-based flavors such as Stracciatella, Mylky Way (homemade chocolate chips, coconut caramel, and chocolate sauce), Topa Topa (a swirl of dark chocolate and chocolate-covered salted peanuts) as well as dairy-free sorbettos such as Pixie Had a Moment (organic pixie tangerines from Churchhill Orchard, just down the road), Passion Fruit, and Coconut.

Because owner Sanders Marvin creates his gelato in small batches, flavors can change with the seasons. Notable newbies include Apricot with Bitter Almond — nicely tart and infused with the faint scent of almonds and flowers.

Another creative flavor is Golden Milk, for which Sanders partnered with friends from Alquimia Wellness in Meiners Oaks to create a gelato based on their Tonic Latte blend. The ingredients in this herbal-based gelato have been used for generations in Eastern medicine and traditional cultures for their myriad health benefits. It tastes like Ojai.

What’s Sanders’ favorite? Raspberry chocolate chip with berries from The Ojai Certified Farmer’s Market at which you can grab a cone Sunday mornings or at the new Ojai Community Farmer’s Market, Thursday afternoons.

The scoop shop, now open seven days a week, is located next to the gorgeous Shop Plant Based in downtown Ojai.

The scoop shop is open seven days a week!

SUMMER HOURS: Mon-Thu 12 pm - 8 pm | Fri + Sat 12 pm - 10 pm | Sun 11 am - 8 pm

WINTER HOURS: Mon-Fri 2 pm - 8 pm | Sat 12 pm - 10 pm | Sun 11 am - 8 pm

Gelato and Sorbetto hand-crafted using traditional Italian techniques

334 East Ojai Avenue
Ojai, CA, 93023
United States

Cover photo by Micheile Henderson