Then. Now. Next.

July 28, 2025

Happy Birthday Central Smith! 🎉🍦

We’re celebrating Central Smith’s birthday by taking a walk down memory lane. For well over a century, Central Smith has been a part of the Canadian dairy story—evolving from a small farmers’ co-op to a nationally recognized ice cream producer. Let’s take a look at how far we’ve come.

Our Sweet Journey

1896

Central Smith Creamery was established as a local farmers’ co-op in 1896. Back then, dairy farmers from the area would bring their fresh milk to be processed, or made into dairy products like cheese and butter.

1952

With the development of refrigeration and freezers, and a change in ownership, came a new focus: In 1952, Central Smith began exclusively producing ice cream, a tradition that continues today. Our flavour range started growing, and recipes were fine-tuned to perfection.

1978

The Scates family purchased Central Smith in 1978, a legacy that’s now three generations strong. With just five employees at the time, the team worked hard to grow the brand, always keeping innovation at the heart of the business.

2010s

Big things were happening in the 2010s. At the beginning of the decade, we installed our extrusion line, a major milestone which launched us into the world of single-serve ice cream bars. With support from Ontario grants, we continued to expand production, create new jobs, and scale operations in a big way.

2020s

In 2020, we expanded our warehouse storage — a game-changer that boosted our year-round production and significantly increased sales.

Over the past five years, Central Smith has come out with many new products and continued to grow our brand. Here are some stand out releases that have marked our journey:

⭐ 2021: We introduced flavours that quickly became fan favourites and helped define who we are — Monster Cookie, Chocolate Salty Caramel, and Big Foot.

⭐ 2022: Our innovation continued with the debut of the bold Peanut Butter Pretzel. This year also marked the launch of our fruit sorbet line — our first-ever non-dairy options.

⭐ 2023: Things went out of this world with the release of Moon Mist and the introduction of a nostalgic new favourite: Cinnamon Bunz.

⭐ 2024: We brought back a classic with Central Smith’s Rocky Road and made a splash with the launch of our first-ever Central Smith ice cream bars in Monster Cookie and French Vanilla varieties.

⭐ 2025: Our latest creations, True North Cherry Cheesecake and Grand Slam, are indulgent, inclusion-packed flavours that have already won over ice cream lovers all over Canada. We’ve also expanded our non-dairy offerings with the launch of our Oat-Based Vanilla.

Today: Still Dreaming in Ice Cream

This year, we are celebrating Central Smith's 129th birthday! From five employees in 1987 to over 60 today, we’ve grown — but we’re still proudly family-owned. Ian and Jenn Scates are the second generation at the helm, with their daughter, Jillian, now playing a key leadership role in shaping the next chapter of Central Smith.

We produce over 50 flavours of ice cream (and counting!), with many of our ingredients sourced right here in Ontario. Ice cream makes up more than 95% of what we do — the rest comes from our tasty sherbets, sorbets, frozen yogurt, and frozen desserts.

You’ll find our products in restaurants, scooping parlours, and freezers across Canada. We also partner with brands through custom co-packing and private label production — creating delicious products behind the scenes.

A Taste of What’s Next

Central Smith is always dreaming up new ways to delight ice cream lovers across Canada. From exciting new flavours and expanding options, to improving our current line-up, innovation is always on the menu.

We’re also exploring new ways to grow, with upcoming operational improvements that will help us craft the creamy treats you love more efficiently than ever.

One thing’s for sure: no matter where the road takes us, we’ll keep doing what we do best – giving the customer an exceptional experience by ensuring quality, service and innovation in our products.

Get the Scoop and Stay in the Know

Don’t miss out on the latest flavours, behind-the-scenes fun, and exciting updates from Central Smith!

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Photography by Heather Doughty

heatherdoughtyphotography.com