Nicole Spikes has been known for her creamy, delicious, handcrafted Sweetport ice cream since 2016, first sold from a truck called “Sweetie” and later from a brick-and-mortar location at 3301 Line Ave. in Shreveport.
Spikes has been making his ice cream for seven years — classic favorites like homemade vanilla or strawberry, and more unique options like Elvis Has Left the Building, a blend of peanut butter and banana. He and his shop have developed a loyal following of ice cream enthusiasts who stop by to pick up one or two of the 19 to 20 flavors he normally keeps in stock.
Ice cream is still something he wants to do, but it’s not the only thing he wants to do.
“I always want to try new things. Jeffrey (her husband Jeff Spikes) tells me to stop trying new things, but that’s the fun part,” she said. “I see something on Instagram or Facebook, my feed is always all about food.”
A sampling of the food served at afternoon tea at Sweetport, an ice cream shop in Shreveport, Louisiana, on Saturday, June 22, 2024.
Spikes sees products made by international bakers but not available locally.
“So we started making Pavlova and the black and white cookies that you can find all over New York, but you can’t find them here,” Spikes said.
His English friends made him think of something else, a traditional English Tea with sandwiches, scones, sweets and of course tea. All very English, all brewed in tradition, like the eponymous loose leaf tea.
“I had it in the back of my mind to try it, and one day, I just said, ‘I’m going to try to make clotted cream, I’m going to try to make scones that taste good,'” Spikes said. “Once I got that down, I said, ‘OK, we can serve tea.'”
A guest sips tea during afternoon tea service at Sweetport ice cream shop in Shreveport, Louisiana, on Saturday, June 22, 2024.
Visitors to the intimate English Teas, which began in March, are greeted with a tiered tray of handmade goods. Downstairs, there is currently a selection of sandwiches that include a classic cucumber, an egg salad and a chicken salad sandwich.
The second stage is where the culinary excitement really begins. This is the scone stage. Right now, she’s making blueberry scones by hand, which come with homemade lemon curd and cream.
Making clotted cream is a meticulous process that takes three days.
On the Monday or Tuesday of the English Tea weekend, begin cooking the cream.
“It’s a process of cooking for 12 hours, then cooling and refrigerating for eight hours and then scooping out all the cream on top,” Spikes explained. “It’s a process of letting it cool to room temperature and then refrigerating overnight and then you can pull it apart. Scoop it out.”
He says its consistency is similar to butter.
Sweetport ice cream shop owner Nicole Spikes has started serving afternoon tea at the shop on select Saturdays. Guests can choose…
The third tier includes mini desserts.
“I usually make mini Pavlovas and fill them with lemon curd, whipped cream and decorate with strawberries. I also make a macaroon,” she said. “I usually make chocolate because it has to be something chocolatey.”
There is no tea without tea. Spikes’ tea selection ranges from traditional English Breakfast and Earl Grey to Black Bourbon flavors for men attending tea parties.
“I was surprised at how many men came for tea, and they didn’t seem to be under any pressure,” she says, laughing.
The dress code is left to the participants. She’s seen families in shorts and T-shirts and groups in hats and gloves. Kids are welcome if they can sit still long enough, she said.
A guest spreads lemon curd on a blueberry scone during afternoon tea service at Sweetport ice cream shop in Shreveport, Louisiana, on Saturday, June 22, 2024.
Spikes has hosted about a dozen English teas to date, and they’ve all sold out. He took a bit of a break this summer and is now ready to get back into his teas and find a way to not let his perfectionist side get the better of him.
“I want to make sure everything goes smoothly. I haven’t quite figured out that perfect balance yet. I feel like I’m either annoying the customers or not being around enough,” Spikes said. “One customer said, ‘I want a flag on the table like Pancho’s.’ There’s no flag on the table when I’m having tea, so I walk very slowly.”
Spikes says he allocates an hour and a half for the experience. Some customers finish in 30 minutes and some stay for two hours. He has no problem with either.
Guests chat with each other during an afternoon tea service at Sweetport ice cream shop in Shreveport, Louisiana, on Saturday, June 22, 2024.
The next English Teas will be on August 17 and 24. Dates will be announced soon on Sweetport’s Facebook page.
Recently, a family who had attended formal English Teas in England and New York told him that their tea was very similar to other, much more expensive and ornate teas they had attended. For Spikes, an admitted perfectionist, that was enough. For now.