About Us

TL;DR

Combining her love of hot summer days, her passion for frozen treats, and her appreciation of classic cars, Carly Dudley launched her vegan food truck, El Creamino in May 2019.

Carly Dudley | El Creamino | Calgary Ice Pops

West side to the east side

After moving out to Toronto and eventually settling in Belleville, Ontario, Carly discovered the incredible farm producers of Prince Edward County and Hastings County. This prevalence of high quality produce and Ontario's beautiful, hot summers created the perfect storm for starting Carly's back-pocket idea: to start a seasonal food business out of the back of a classic El Camino car-truck. After going for coffee with innovative and inspirational business owners and event organizers in the area, Carly scored a spot at one of the region's biggest festivals. To minimize costs at the start, El Creamino started with just a table, a cooler, and a passionate businesswoman.

El Creamino | Calgary Ice Pops | Calgary Vegan Food Truck

Pimp my ride

Soon after, the business launched onto the local southeastern Ontario festival food scene and was fully booked for the entire season. Locals, young and old, enjoyed seasonal flavours crafted around the fresh fruits and vegetables from local Ontario producers, such as Raspberry Basil, Peach Cobbler, and Strawberry Watermelon.

After searching high and low over the fall for an appropriate vehicle, the opportunity to purchase a beautiful 1970 Chevrolet El Camino presented itself and the business soon found its ride. Carly's dad, Randy lovingly restored the car over the winter and in June 2020, the car was ready to roll.

Bringing it home

With work commitments bringing the family back to her home of Cochrane, Alberta, Carly, her husband, Tom, and their two children relaunched El Creamino in summer 2020 to a new scene of Alberta foodies.

With most of the large festivals cancelled due to covid, the business has carved out a loyal following on the farmers market scene slinging unique, regional flavours like Saskatoon Berry Lemonade and Rhubarb Elderflower on the ever-changing seasonal menu.