In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Hannah Pollack, founder and CEO of Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches—a high-quality ice cream novelty brand celebrating its 10th anniversary. Nightingale crafts elevated ice cream sandwiches using non-GMO, sustainably sourced ingredients in flavors like key lime pie, banana pudding, and caramel churro that melt the way real ice cream should.

Hannah shares how leaving the Marine Corps led her to culinary school, where she met her husband—a classically trained Belgian chef she lovingly calls Belgian Santa Claus—and how a dessert on their restaurant menu became the foundation of a nationally distributed brand. Caitlin shares how she first encountered Nightingale at the UNFI trade show in June 2025, courtesy of a very enthusiastic fellow exhibitor, and has been a devoted fan ever since.

Together, they dig into what real ice cream actually is (and what frozen dairy desserts are trying to get away with), the strict temperature logistics of scaling a frozen novelty from Richmond, Virginia to California, and why doing site visits with distribution partners is non-negotiable. Plus, Hannah shares breaking news about Nightingale's expansion into 175 Whole Foods center store locations.

Listen in as they cover:

How a restaurant dessert became a nationally recognized ice cream sandwich brand
The real difference between ice cream and frozen dairy desserts—and why it matters
Why Nightingale's ice cream melts like ice cream should, and the challenge of keeping it that way through distribution
The red flags and green flags Hannah looks for when vetting distribution partners
How a culinary background and mise en place mentality shaped the way they run their facility
Seasonality in frozen: what April through August looks like for a brand like Nightingale
The breaking news on their Whole Foods center store expansion into 175 locations
What 10 years of growth looks like—from hand-stamped packages at farmers markets to Food Network and Food & Wine recognition

Whether you're a founder navigating the frozen aisle, a buyer looking for the next standout novelty brand, or someone who's been burned by a frozen dairy dessert pretending to be ice cream, this episode is for you.

Episode Links:

Nightingale Ice Cream Website: https://www.nightingaleicecream.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nightingaleicecream/
Hannah Pollack on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-pollack-a231b12b2/
Nightingale Ice Cream on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nightingale-ice-cream-sandwiches/

Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.

Show Links:

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Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.com
Episode music by Super Fantastics

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Head to www.cognizin.com to learn more.