by Michael Vyskocil, photography by Nikola Tzenov
Katie Johnson
No preservatives. No artificial anything. Just truly memorable taste.” That’s the premise behind every ice cream produced at Norwood Ice Cream & Candy Company in Sykesville. Each week, three times a week, the team goes to work using their recipes and creativity, incorporating the freshest fruit of the season and other fun additions, to offer customers one of the highest-quality ice cream products in Carroll County.
If the customer experience was like an ingredient, you’d find it incorporated into every ice cream the company produces. “I tell my staff that our reputation is our most important quality,” owner Katie Johnson said.
Since opening in 2017, Norwood Ice Cream & Candy Company has quickly gained a reputation in the Sykesville community for its creative approach to ice cream. From flavors such as honey lavender and Earl Grey to oatmeal cream pie, peanut butter and roasted apple and riesling sorbet, you’re sure to find a flavor to suit your ice cream personality.
“During the summer, we focus a lot on berries and fruits following the harvest calendar. During the fall, we’re into the spices such as pumpkin spice and apple pie. In the winter, our huge seller is the vanilla bourbon with spiced pecans,” Johnson said. “We’re very experimental. We do a red velvet and banana Nutella. Every season offers something different.”
Suppose you’re a vanilla or chocolate ice cream purist. You can’t go wrong with Norwood Ice Cream & Candy Company’s classic flavors that include vanilla bean, Guittard dark chocolate, minted chip and salted caramel chip.
At Norwood Ice Cream & Candy Company, customers can take part in the experimentation. If you have a vision for an ice cream flavor not yet on the menu, Johnson said you’re welcome to offer the staff your suggestion.
In addition to ice cream, the business is also Carroll County’s home for Baltimore’s beloved Wockenfuss Candy. “They’re a 115-year-old, family-owned business. I approached the family about bringing their candies to Carroll County, and our partnership with them has been very successful,” she said. “The candy season runs opposite with our ice cream season. From October to Easter, we sell a lot of candy.”
Whether for your indulgence or gift-giving, you’ll find the peanut butter meltaways, dark chocolate marshmallow creams and dark sea salt caramels you crave.
Johnson attributes the success of the business to the support of the Sykesville community. “We live in downtown Sykesville. It’s my mother-in-law’s hometown,” she said. “We’ve supported events for elementary schools, Rotary, the Lions Club and so many others. Without them, we wouldn’t be us, and they wouldn’t be them. It’s people who support our local businesses.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, that support made the difference perhaps more than ever. “We were able to stay open because of our customers,” she said. “Food creates happiness, and during the pandemic, I can say that we were a source of happiness for people.
“We’re a family-owned business. Everyone in my family plays an important part in it,” she said. “I think ice cream brings a level of happiness to a community. If you can sit down and share ice cream with someone, so many wonderful things can happen.”
Fun fact: Norwood Ice Cream & Candy Company offers an interactive element to its ice cream experience with the traveling ice cream social. Ride an ice cream bike and churn your ice cream with pedal power. You can request the ice cream bike for your next event; contact the business for more details.
norwood ice cream & candy company
4556 Main St., Sykesville • 410-875-7238 • www.NorwoodIceCream.com
