MILFORD — The groundhog lied. It’s been a long winter.
But with April break and the weather getting warmer, ice cream spots like Bertie’s Creative Creamery in Milford are starting to see more business.
Jillian King, floor manager at Bertie’s, said business picks up after the April school break. She has worked at Bertie’s for five years, starting at its Westwood location. The Milford location on East Main Street (Route 16) opened in 2020.
King said the ice cream and toppings is what makes Bertie’s unique.
“What sets us apart is our quality,” she said. “Because we can make our own ice cream, we choose the best ingredients we can use. About 90% of everything in the store, including the candies and chocolate, we make ourselves.”
Bertie’s boasts several flavors that are made in-house and in small batches. They include standard chocolate and vanilla, as well as specialties such as orange-pineapple, Kahlua fudge brownie and King’s favorite, blueberry crumble — a blueberry ice cream with a cinnamon oatmeal cluster and a graham swirl.
While Westwood’s location remains closed until later this spring, the Milford location is open year round.
Here are a few other ice cream stores in the region:
Uhlman’s Ice Cream
234 East Main St. (Route 30), Westborough
Uhlman’s Ice Cream, open from March until November, offers small batch ice cream in classic flavors. It also offers seasonal flavors, such as strawberry cheesecake and campfire s’mores. Uhlman’s also serves frozen yogurt, along with allergy-friendly and no sugar added ice cream flavors.
Uhlman’s East Main Street location is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. It also has a fleet of trucks that offer catering to different parties.
The Spoonery
1 Lumber St. #103, Hopkinton
This ice cream spot opened for the season on Marathon Monday.
The Spoonery will have regular hours following this week’s April school vacation. Fans looking to enjoy ice cream provided by Roslindale-based Puritan Ice Cream can visit on weekdays from 3-8 p.m. and on weekends from noon to 8 p.m.
New City Microcreamery
534A Boston Post Road (Route 20), Sudbury; 28 Main St. (Route 62), Hudson; 403 Massachusetts Ave. (Route 2A), Cambridge
New City Microcreamery uses a liquid nitrogen process to freeze its cream. This fast-growing spot, owned by the same company that runs Rail Trail Flatbread Pizza, offers unique flavors. Some even contain alcohol for adult ice cream lovers.
The Hudson location is open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The Sudbury location is open from 2-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from noon to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. Visit the Cambridge store from noon to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Mad Willie’s
963 Worcester Road (Route 9), Framingham
Located across from Framingham State University, this local favorite offers an array of classic flavors along with weekly specials. For people not in the mood for ice cream, Mad Willies offers smoothies, Italian ice, frappes and ice cream sodas. This spot also offers fat-free, sugar-free and dairy-free alternatives to classic ice cream.
Mad Willie’s is now operating under its spring and summer hours: noon to 9 p.m. daily, weather permitting.
Murphy’s Eats and Treats
911 Edgell Road, Framingham, and 16 West Union St. (Route 135), Ashland
Known for its old-fashioned, drive-in kind of atmosphere, Murphy’s Eats and Treats serves ice cream along with other summertime favorites like fried seafood, sorbet, sherbet and sundaes.
Murphy’s flagship location in Ashland will open later this spring. The Framingham location is open from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
Erikson’s, Maynard
12 Great Road (Route 117), Maynard
Hans Erikson Sr. founded Erikson’s Dairy in 1901 in Stow, but his son, Hans Jr., established a new home for the dairy, with an ice cream stand, in Maynard 36 years later. Since 1937, the ice cream stand has served homemade ice cream.
Erikson’s is open from noon to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Park Street Ice Cream Shoppe
14 Park Street, Natick
Right in the heart of downtown, Park Street Ice Cream Shoppe has served homemade ice cream for more than 40 years. The shop serves more than 30 flavors and even a Park Street Cookie Pie — a choice of ice cream sandwiched between two cookies and rolled in sprinkles.
Park Street Ice Cream Shoppe opened for the season on Marathon Monday. Visit from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; from noon to 9 p.m. Friday; and from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday.
Eastleigh Farms
1062 Edmands Road, Framingham
This Framingham favorite plans to open later this spring. Once it does, enjoy ice cream served from a purple-spotted renovated school bus. Eastleigh’s ice cream is made locally in small batches with high-quality ingredients, and also offers a number of other shops on its property.
Eastleigh Farm is expected to open its moo-bus later during the first weekend in May, according to its Facebook page. It’s seeking employees for the season, which runs from May through October.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Ice cream stands opening for season in MetroWest, Greater Milford