Bacon, potatoes and corn, oh my: New Town ice cream brand features creative confections

NEW TOWN - Bacon.
Sweet corn.
Sweet potato.
All the flavors you’d ever want in an ice cream and more.
What.
Not convinced?
Well, some things just taste better than they sound, says Seth Locken, 24, of New Town.
Locken has been churning out his new MilkHaus brand ice cream for about a month and selling it at Kennbeck’s Jack & Jill in New Town.
It’s also on the shelves at Jason’s Super Food down the street.
Locken said the most difficult part of his startup has been satisfying customer demand for traditional flavors while working in more creative combinations.
Like sweet corn.
“People don’t really think corn should go in ice cream, but it’s actually really great,” he said.
But you won’t find MilkHaus sweet corn on the shelves these days.
“I use the freshest ingredients possible, so you’re not going to see any corn right now. You’re not going to see a lot of fresh fruits.”
Locken’s winter creations run more along the lines of curry butternut squash and salted caramel, among other flavors.
He said he just made a smoked apple pie and is working on a recipe for smoked milk, “which people also think is very strange, but it’s a great flavor,” Locken said.
MilkHaus ice cream is sold by the pint and in push-pops, with pint-sized portions costing $8 and push-pops priced at $3.
Locken intends to expand his offerings to Fargo, and he’s working on setting up a freezer at the Red Raven Espresso Parlor to display specialties.
He also plans to bring 1,000 of his push-pops to the Unglued Craft Fest on Saturday at the Plains Art Museum in Fargo.
He hopes one day to peddle his products directly to the people.
“I am working on a tricycle - an icicle tricycle, it’s called,” Locken said. “It will have a little freezer on it, so I can start building a presence and a little repetition with my customers.”
Kenneth Haugsdal, who owns Kennbeck’s Jack & Jill with his wife, Becky, said MilkHaus ice cream and its off-beat flavor offerings have quickly gained a following among customers.
His own favorite: MilkHaus bacon ice cream, with genuine bacon bits.
“The bacon is crispy, that’s what I like,” he said.