Model, influencer, and supporter of the #freethenipple movement, Brooklyn Peltz-Beckham, has run afoul several prominent animal rights activists this week with the launch of his boutique ice-cream start-up SUCKYZ.

Peltz-Beckham began posting cooking videos to Instagram over the pandemic and it wasn’t long before the footballer’s son had secured several lucrative brand sponsorships, endorsing products from major food suppliers such as the Dome, Chosen Foods and Superdry, which is in fact an upscale clothing retailer and has nothing to do with food. Last year, he launched his own line of hot sauce, Cloud23. Before that he partnered with the Japanese to set up WeSake, a line of what Peltz Beckham describes “basically Whiteclaws but with Sake instead of whatever it is they put in Whiteclaws, tequila or vodka or something. Enjoy 8 of them for just $58.”

Ice cream was a natural progression, he claims: “I’ve always loved ice cream. You know how it goes. Ice cream, yous cream, we all cream. Ice cream. Yeah.” 

He didn’t want what would eventually become SUCKYZ by BPB to be like just any other hip new ice-cream start up on the market, however. Finding that central hook was “really difficult,” says the star. 

“It was really difficult. I mean, with WESAKE, available at over 600 locations throughout the US - 6 in Florida - and of course online at wesake.co, the hook, naturally, was obvious. WESAKE, the best way to enjoy SAKE, I mean, it’s right there in the name. Sake. The “We” I think is because you drink it with other people, WESAKE. I sake, you sake, we all sake. Sake,” he laughs, “ WESAKE.”

“It was over Christmas I had the idea, actually,” says the star from the product launch party for SUCKYZ. “Watching Nigella. Always love a bit of Nigella at Christmas, stunning.” He then takes a long, contemplative breath. “And then of course, baby Jesus.”

“He just came into my head while we were watching, I can’t tell you why. And then I thought about what his Christmas meal might have looked like. What he’d have had for pudding. Now, obviously, they didn’t have ice cream back in Victorian times, but yeah.” 

It would be two years between Peltz-Beckham’s initial epiphany and the launch of SUCKYZ: a line of popsicle treats with a milk base - a breastmilk base. It comes in three flavours (Thrilla Vanilla, Chocolate Soiree and Strawberry Surrender), all available exclusively at Whole Foods as part of Peltz-Beckham’s ongoing partnership with the US giant. The launch of the product line coincided with a new video on the star’s instagram page, intended to send “nipples” throughout the community. 

Alongside the popsicles, SUCKYZ is also selling, for a limited time only, more traditional tubs of its ice cream stock, also made with breast milk. 

At $59.99 a jar, the price, for some, is too steep. “Absolutely deplorable,” writes Tiktok user @BeckyMom_UTAH, “Completely unreasonable. Another example of the rich making food for the rich.” Certainly not a new criticism for Peltz-Beckham, who has come under fire for this before in his home cooking videos. “How am I supposed to justify using a whole bottle of premium avocado oil to fry up 2 pieces of chicken. I have kids to feed!” says IG user i_cum_4_yoda, “Looks trash anyway.”

Some fans have taken it upon themselves to try replicating the recipe at home, but have run into issues there, too. “How is an AVERAGE JOE supposed to get his hands on that much breast milk?” says Sacramento Physical Education teacher Pedro Mamon. “You’d need like, 5 wives. I don’t even have 1 wife!” The ingredients list half a litre of milk per tub. 

“When you have a child, the honest reality for most working Americans is that luxuries like ice cream can quickly go off the table,” says Tara Vasquez, a mother of 2 in Flint, Michigan and one of SUCKYZ certified breastmilk donors, “Seeing Brooklyn’s recipe opened my eyes to the possibility of this - not only can I earn a little extra cash, I’ve also learned how to make a delicious new treat for the kids in the neighborhood. It’s really reassuring knowing someone like Brooklyn is looking out for us like this.”

The vegan community is also split on the recipe. Amid recent and disturbing reports of illegal breast milk farms cropping up over the country, concerns have been raised by animal rights groups that the milk used is not fair trade. “Whose titties are these gallons coming from?” asks Vandana Shiva, an environmental activist and expert in food sovereignty, often referred to as the “Gandhi of Grain.”

The hashtag #vegansagainstbreastmilk has surged since the recipe dropped online, garnering over 300,000 unique queries on Instagram. “No living creature should enjoy the milk of another, not even babies”, says Trinity “Sap” Terananimo of the organization “Stop Everything”. 

Tyler Curtis, a lifestyle and meditation coach from Ohio and owner of the instagram page emerald_courier_XII disagrees: “It’s really commendable, what Brooklyn has done - changing the narrative on milking and taking ownership of that. Allowing us to provide in the same way our bovine cousins have for so long. Every human breast milked is a victory for the cows.” 

SUKYZ by Brooklyn Peltz Beckham are available exclusively at WholeFoods.