The Need

W Taipei Hotel, a five-star luxury hotel in Taipei, Taiwan, was planning to host a “Summer Nomad” event series with a focus on locacl music, atmosphere, vitality, and local food. The event includes a poolside market featuring local vendors, live music performances, morning sound bath yoga, and a nighttime mermaid experience. There will also be fluid art classes, a seasonal menu and drink list, and a focus on sustainability with art installations made from recycled water bottles.

While W Taipei Hotel is a long time Haagen Dazs customer, the hotel wanted to offer ice cream that highlights their connection to the local community and represents Taiwan culture. Haagen Dazs does not offer any local, Taiwan-inspired flavors and does not offer custom ice cream services.

Given the shifting Taiwan consumer preference to local products, the hotel’s management team made it a priority to find an ice cream partner that could deliver a high-end, premium experience while connecting with the local community.

How Elliot’s helped

Fast custom ice cream development with local ingredients & flavors and high-quality small batch production

In collaboration with W Hotel’s head chef, Elliot’s developed and produced 10 custom, locally-influenced flavors in 10 days for a tasting with W Hotel’s leadership team, including the executive chef, director of food & beverage, events team, PR, and the general manager. The team ultimately selected mee-thé, a traditional Taiwanese roasted buckwheat dessert, and red guava with plum powder flavors to represent summer in Taiwan.

The mee-thé captures the rich flavor of the traditional Taiwan dessert once enjoyed by all ages in an American style, rich and creamy ice cream. This ice cream carefully balances Eastern and Western influences, preserving the slow-roasted wheat notes in a smooth, balanced ice cream.

Inspired by the plum-powdered guava found at Taiwan’s famous night markets, the red guava flavor combines the refreshing, subtly sweet fragrance of guava with the sweet-and-salty kick of plum powder. It’s a bold yet refreshing twist on a familiar favorite. In order to highlight the subtle guava flavor and create a refreshing, fruity experience appropriate for the Summer, this ice cream was crafted into an Italian-style gelato, which is bold in flavor, yet light on the tongue.

Ice cream cart service

W Hotel selected our umbrella ice cream cart to match their poolside, summer theme. We provided everything they needed to serve ice cream, including cups, spoons, napkins, as well as scoop training for the hotel staff.