COWS Ice Cream

COWS is a Prince Edward Island ice-cream company, and its Cavendish Boardwalk shop is one of the best-known places in the resort area to get a cone. The brand’s original family recipe was first produced in Cavendish in 1983, and the company has since grown into a recognisable name across the island, with a creamery in Charlottetown, where the ice cream is made, and several shops that sell it. The shop at the Cavendish Boardwalk is at 9194 Route 6, in the busy central stretch of the village, and it is a seasonal outlet that operates mainly in the warmer months.

The shop is famous for more than its ice cream. COWS built its identity on cheerful cow-themed humour, with puns on the product names, cartoon cows on the signs and cups, and a wide range of T-shirts, hoodies and souvenirs that carry the same jokes. A visit is therefore as much about the playful atmosphere as about the food, and many visitors leave with a shirt or a cow-print keepsake as well as a cone. The ice cream itself is a rich, creamy style made from island dairy, with a broad range of flavours that includes classics such as vanilla and chocolate as well as more elaborate combinations with swirls, chunks and sauces.

The setting adds to the experience. Cavendish is the centre of tourism on the north shore of Prince Edward Island, and the area is closely tied to Lucy Maud Montgomery, who grew up here and set Anne of Green Gables nearby, in the book published in 1908. Green Gables Heritage Place, a farmhouse linked to the story, stands a short distance away, and Prince Edward Island National Park, with its sand dunes and beaches, runs along the coast. The shop sits among restaurants, amusements and gift stores that cater to summer visitors, so an ice-cream stop fits neatly into a day on the beach or a visit to the Green Gables sites.

The company has two Cavendish outlets, this Boardwalk location and another at Avonlea Village, which is a separate attraction with its own address and hours. Visitors should check which one they intend to use. This shop is separate from the COWS Creamery in Charlottetown, which has its own address and program. Hours at the Boardwalk are seasonal and can change, so it is wise to confirm before a special trip, particularly outside the main summer period.

There is no admission fee, and customers pay for food and merchandise individually. The shop suits families, couples and groups of friends, and it is most popular on warm summer evenings, when queues can form. Allow half an hour, longer if you want to browse the souvenirs, and bring cash or a card.