Claire Crowell Of Hattie Jane’s Creamery Is A Flavor Machine
Photo by Simply M Photography
Claire Crowell is churning up Southern deliciousness at Hattie Jane’s Creamery, her Tennessee scoop shops. Named for Claire’s first daughter, Hattie Jane’s features local and seasonal flavors, like lavender & wildflower honey and strawberries & cream, and offers plant-based and allergen-friendly options. Read on to learn more about Claire and her biz.
MY NAME
Claire Crowell
MY NickAME
Mom
MY HOME BASE
Columbia, Tennessee
MY BIZ
Hattie Jane’s Creamery. We’re a Tennessee-born and -raised creamery and scoop shop serving small-batch craft ice cream, parfaits, and baked goods since 2016.
WHAT I’m KNOWN FOR
We’re known for churning out Southern-inspired, seasonally-driven ice cream that’s made from a proprietary base using 100% Tennessee cows milk for a completely scratch-made product that's consistent, rich, and creamy. We offer unique seasonal flavors like Sweet Corn & Blackberry Jam or Lavender & Wildflower Honey that rotate five times a year—winter, spring, summer, fall, and holiday—as well as several permanent menu items and really great plant-based options that are free of dairy, soy, gluten, and corn.
Some of Hattie Jane’s flavors. Photo by Anne Whidby
WHAT MAKES ME STAND OUT
To start, we’re resolutely Southern! What flavor ingredients we don’t make ourselves in our Columbia kitchen, we source from local and regional makers, farmers, and producers to stay true to our roots. As an independent women-led business, we also emphasize ways to support and elevate other local and female-owned brands through community partnerships and collaborations. Some of our most inventive and delicious flavors have hatched out of these partnerships.
HOW i’m doing
I’m staying busy and focusing on continuing to grow and expand our brand. There’s never a dull day in the world of ice cream!
Cone only summer! Photo by Anne Whidby
HOW THE BOMBESQUAD CAN SUPPORT ME
The biggest thing people can do to show support is by ordering our ice cream and merchandise online and by signing up for our Ice Cream Adventure Club Annual Subscription. Also, if you find yourself in Tennessee, swing by one of our scoop shop locations!
my SECRET SKILL
We have a small farm in rural Tennessee and I’ve been surprised to find that I have a knack for taking care of baby animals. I’ve hatched chicks and brought them back from the brink of death, bottle-fed livestock, and even helped one of our cows deliver her first calf! All things I didn’t know I’d be called to do and could do.
my MOTTO
Ice cream makes me happy!
MY MOST LOVED COOKBOOKS
There are so many I go back to… I think my favorites are the community cookbooks that my grandmother gave me; I call them my “church lady cookbooks.” I also actually won a Cherry Bombe Cookbook in a giveaway that I love (shout out to the Pink Spaghetti recipe—my girls love that one), and you can’t beat Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
ESSENTIAL KITCHEN TOOLS
It depends which kitchen I’m in! I have two favorite home kitchen tools. One is a set of heavy cobalt blue ceramic bowls that my grandmother passed down to me, which, funny enough, were given to her by my grandfather’s ex-girlfriend. The second is a wooden spoon from Portugal that’s made from olive trees and was given to me by a dear friend. When I’m in the ice cream kitchen, our Carpigiani ice cream maker is indispensable.
A beloved classic
PANTRY STAPLE
It’s in my freezer, but the beef that we raise on our farm. Every single week, I make spaghetti sauce with our ground beef and Rao’s marinara sauce to have on hand.
SQUAD SHOUTOUT
Nadiya Hussain is my favorite winner from The Great British Bake Off and my favorite podcast interview on Radio Cherry Bombe. I also want to give a shoutout to Maneet Chauhan from my hometown Nashville!
Keep up with Claire and Hattie Jane’s Creamery on Instagram.