The simple answer to that question is — Hattie Foster-Thomas.

But there’s more to the story and it’s backed by a whole lot of history!

HattieGirl Ice Cream and Foods is named for Hattie Foster-Thomas, the mother of company founder James Render. The name HattieGirl was given to our Hattie by her Grandmother Lula, a former slave, from Rural Alabama. It was Lula who raised Hattie after the loss of Hattie’s mother.

At Lula’s side, Hattie learned to bake and churn fresh ice cream. Hattie’s Daddy, Albert, was always happy to taste test their efforts. Together Lula and Hattie would take their sweet treats out into the fields near their home in Midway, Alabama and sell them to the farm hands as they came in from the field. Lula would tell her granddaughter “HattieGirl, I think you be a hit with all these folks. Remember, quality counts.” Little Hattie loved the way her Grandma Lula said “HattieGirl” and so the name stuck.

Hattie passed down her passion for making high-quality, delicious desserts to her son, James, who carries on the family tradition under Hattie’s watchful eye.

So, HattieGirl is more than a name, more than a tribute to an amazing mother, it is also a commitment to quality, a nod to Southern roots, and a continuation of a really, sweet tradition!