KNOWN for their culinary flair in turning local ingredients and flavors into world-class dishes, Circa 1900 and Bohol Bee Farm have just opened their newest collaboration project—a Bohol Bee Farm ice cream stall in Circa Dos, Lahug—making the artisan ice cream more accessible to Cebuanos.
Fueled by the drive to uplift local flavors and ingredients on a global scale in the industry, Eya Shrimski of Circa 1900 and Vicky Sandidge of Bohol Bee Farm express their excitement in yet another passion-driven project as well as a newfound friendship, which sprouted out of common interest.
“Even when my husband and I conceptualized Circa Dos, we really wanted to have a gelato place. We were doing so many things already, so we couldn’t devote the time to make our own. We were busy with the breads—as we supply for five hotels already—but we needed something to complement what we have,” shared Shrimski as she explained that Circa had always been known as “high-end,” so she wanted to offer something that was more friendly and affordable.
Shrimski said she had tried many other places—even Italian gelato brands—but they just “didn’t sit right with the flavors.”
“This is just what we believe in. We believe in a local product that is global in perspective. For example, last night we served people a dish with smoked grouper sitting on a bed of malagkit risotto with tablea—that’s what we are about. So, this is just the perfect brand for us. Even foreigners and locals would see it and love it.”
The Bohol Bee Farm brand started in 2000. Fifteen years later, it opened its first Cebu branch.
“We opened our first branch in Cebu back in 2015 at Robinsons Galleria Cebu. It humbles us to meet Miss Eya, who is wholeheartedly passionate and goes the extra mile. I’m so grateful that we’re doing business with the same vision and passion, and not just as a business alone. In both our hearts, we think of our country, employees and staff,” said Sandidge, who emphasized the importance of inclusive growth as “the way to go.”
Both establishments have been pushing locals flavors as their forte—using the abundance of local ingredients as inspiration for the conceptualization of their products. Bohol Bee Farm is famous for its artisan ice cream that specializes in flavors, such as mango, durian, peanut kisses, malunggay, charcoal, avocado and others, all on top of a special cassava cone and sweetened with honey. The ice cream is a much healthier alternative to sweet tooths with dietary concerns.
Circa 1900, on the other hand, is known for its creative way of incorporating certain ingredients in their unique dishes, such as their Five-spice Tablea Chicken Wings, Grouper with Tablea Herb-infused Malakit Risotto, fresh Ube Lumpia, and many more. It will soon be rolling out dessert items specially created with Bohol Bee Farm ice cream.
Taste local flavors in world-class dishes at Circa and end it with some Bohol Bee Farm artisan ice cream—all unique and all local.