Be Free founder Chris Fettes completed Penn State's Ice Cream Short Course, listed on the brand about page with Berkey Creamery, before opening the Virginia Beach cafe in 2022.
Where the short course fits in his path
Chris is a former Navy SEAL. After he left service in 2016, he took the Ice Cream Short Course at Penn State and opened Be Free in Virginia Beach in 2022. The about page lists that course with Berkey Creamery among his founder credentials, and describes the brand beginning in a garage before growing through the cafe.
The course itself
Penn State's Department of Food Science still offers the Ice Cream Short Course as one of its workshops. It's a real, ongoing program, separate from any one year's session dates.
From that training to the cafe and pints
Be Free presents the short course as founder training, then points to recipes developed in the Virginia Beach cafe. The pint line is the packaged result of that cafe work: seven flavors you can pick up at the shop today. Grocery placement is still in development.
For more of the origin story, see The Story Behind Be Free. To visit the cafe where those flavors are still scooped in public, go to 2336 Elson Green Ave #107, Virginia Beach.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did the Be Free founder train at Penn State?
Yes. The about page lists Penn State's Ice Cream Short Course, Berkey Creamery, among founder credentials.
Is the Ice Cream Short Course a real Penn State program?
Yes. Penn State's Department of Food Science publishes the Ice Cream Short Course on its workshops site.
