Make way for Milky Way, your new ice cream sandwich obsession

It was through city councillor Marty Carr’s weekly newsletter that I first came across Amy Forster’s Milky Way ice cream sandwich business. Sometimes it just pays to be open to a variety of sources for your food tips and I also need to recognize that Carr does a terrific job of highlighting local businesses to residents.

Amy and her partner Erik were kind enough to stop by with a variety of treats and we spent a bit of time chatting in the garden.

While she had been studying for her PhD in clinical psychology, it was her lifelong fascination with food that made for a detour. She then married that with her childhood love of the night sky and Milky Way Cosmic Ice Cream was born.

“This little venture of mine has always been about spreading joy and giving back to the community.” It’s a philosophy she breathes each day since her cancer diagnosis in 2014. 

Over the last few years, her business has taken root and she now spends much of her time selling her goods at farmers’ markets, private parties and corporate events. 

At the moment she stocks five core ice cream sandwiches with a new seasonal flavour added almost every week. The strawberry shortcake is her biggest seller and I can confirm that it all makes sense. It’s that strawberries and cream effect that hooks you from the first bite.

I’m also in rapture over her Biscoff Lotus cookie creation that adds the biscuit to caramel and pecans and the thing had me turning into a drooling Homer Simpson.

At the moment, Amy uses Kawartha Dairy ice cream, a product with a long history in Ontario. She takes those flavour profiles and then bakes her cookie recipes to match. It’s a winning strategy as her cookies are very good. Her prices are very fair for the quality with these dessert sandwiches ranging from $6-$8.

Her pink power pedal ice cream cart can hold up to 300 ice cream sandwiches and as the popularity of her products has grown, she now travels with a backup supply stored in a cooler.

I asked her about next steps for Milky Way – “I feel it would be too soon to go into retail but I am thinking about eventually opening my own café.” Who wouldn’t love to take a trip to the Milky Way?

“I’m also interested in partnering with CHEO, dog rescues and metastatic breast cancer initiatives to make an even bigger impact.”

Years ago, her cancer returned and she’s at stage four with the disease having spread to other parts of her body. Since July of 2024, however she has been on a trial drug that has arrested further spread, and that’s a promising sign.

“When I first thought about a business”, she said, “I felt I needed to do something that would make people happy.” A sage sentiment and one we can all practice together.

Amy and her bike will next be at Kiwan Farms (3528 Hawthorne Rd.) on Aug. 9th between the hours of 10-3 pm when she’ll be debuting her next flavour, a cornbread with vanilla ice cream and jalapeno jam. 

Count me in.