Elisabeth Adams, founder of Glacë-Manufaktur GM GmbH, shares her journey from an academic background in Art History to realizing her childhood dream of creating gourmet, artisan ice cream. She discusses the philosophy behind her company’s natural, high-quality products, the challenges of the gastronomy sector, and her vision for maintaining excellence while adapting to market changes.
Can you describe your itinerary in a few words?
I have a PhD in Art History but have never worked in that field, except for student jobs and the typical unpaid internships. Opening an ice cream shop has always been my childhood dream. My career started in a German bank in Luxembourg in the communications department, followed by ABBL and Luxembourg for Finance. In 2020, I decided to follow my dream and gave myself one year to prepare for the opening of the ice cream shop, which came to life in 2021. However, I soon realised that the physical impact that comes with the job, especially on the production side, was just too much. So I got myself an associate and manager, Alex, and a job back in Luxembourg. I am now working at the UP_Foundation, a young foundation based in Esch, which focuses on projects around the well-being of children through informal education. I am managing a wonderful project, a mentorship programme for young kids. My associate now runs the ice cream shop, while I still help out with salaries, accounting, and orders.
What kind of experience does your company offer its customers?
We produce natural, artisan ice cream made with organic milk, without artificial colouring, additives, and—a fact that is unique in the Greater Region—artificial emulsifiers. We calculate our recipes ourselves and follow trends and wishes of our customers while also offering classic flavours. We have a large range of vegan ice cream beyond fruit sorbet, for which we are renowned. We strive for very high quality—there’s just too much cheap and artificial gelato out there, especially in Germany. Flavours without industrial sugar are a new addition to our range. Ice cream is a treat, and we want it to be a unique gourmet experience.
“We produce natural, artisan ice cream made with organic milk, without artificial colouring, additives, and—a fact that is unique in the Greater Region—artificial emulsifiers.”
What is your company’s vision for the next 5 years?
The gastronomy sector is a very tough one, and you have to adapt constantly. Prices for chocolate and pistachios have been multiplying over the last few months, so we have had to adapt our pricing constantly. We hope to create an understanding among our customers regarding the price of high-quality ingredients and manual labour, without making our ice cream a luxury product that only a few can afford.
