Peace, Love & Ice Cream: What is Ben & Jerry’s?
Milk, cream, and sugar: these three simple ingredients form the basis of ice cream, a refreshing summertime treat enjoyed around the world. Ben & Jerry’s, an American ice cream company, has a pretty sweet history.
The beginnings of “Vermont’s finest” ice cream
Ben & Jerry’s was founded in 1978 in Burlington, Vermont by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, two friends with modest savings and a big dream. The two operated their ice cream shop out of an old gas station, but word spread fast, and their business began to boom. Read below for some highlights in Ben & Jerry’s 42-year-old history:
In 1979, to celebrate their one-year anniversary, Ben and Jerry held a Free Cone Day, where customers could come into the shop to receive a free ice cream cone. This tradition still exists to this day!
In 1983, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream was used to build a sundae that weighed 27,102lbs, or 12,293kg. It was the world’s largest ice-cream sundae!
In order to grow its brand, Ben & Jerry’s announced the Cowmobile in 1986. This modified mobile home drove around the U.S., giving out free scoops of ice cream, until it unfortunately burned down.
In 1987, Cherry Garcia, one of Ben & Jerry’s most iconic flavors, was born, named after Grateful Dead guitarist, Jerry Garcia.
Ben & Jerry’s expanded to the U.K. in 1994.
In 2000, Ben & Jerry’s was acquired by Unilever, a huge consumer goods company, for $326 million. However, Ben & Jerry’s retained their strong company values and focus on social activism.
Ben & Jerry’s has been vocal in a number of activist causes. It has participated in protests against oil drilling in the Arctic, animal cloning, and economic inequality (Occupy Wall Street).
Why is Ben & Jerry’s a socially responsible company?
In addition to whipping up delicious ice cream, Ben & Jerry’s is a prime example of a company that practices social responsibility. According to the UN Industrial Development Organization, corporate social responsibility is “a management concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns into their business operations and interactions with their stakeholders.” In other words, these companies prioritize social and environmental issues as well as meeting their bottom lines. Ben & Jerry’s is also a certified B Corporation, which means it has met high quality standards for social responsibility.
Giving back to communities and being environmentally conscious remains a longstanding value of Ben & Jerry’s. For example, the company sources local products, such as milk, eggs, and baked goods. It also takes steps to decrease its carbon footprint by using “green” freezers (freezers that are more energy efficient) and cutting down on single-use plastics.
The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, created in 1985, distributes grants to grass-roots organizations in Vermont and around the U.S. One example of a grantee is the Vermont Farm to School Network, which seeks to connect Vermont students with local farms and educate them about health and sustainable agriculture. Another is the AGUA Coalition, whose goal is to provide safe, clean, and affordable drinking water in California’s San Joaquin Valley.
Flavors galore
Ben & Jerry’s is most known for its creative flavors. Ben & Jerry’s even has flavor gurus, which are people that create, sample, and perfect each batch of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.
In 2019, the top three flavors were Half Baked, Cherry Garcia, and The Tonight Dough. Half baked contains chocolate and vanilla ice cream with pieces of chocolate chip cookie dough and fudge brownies. Cherry Garcia is made with cherry ice cream and cherry and fudge flakes. And The Tonight Dough is caramel and chocolate ice cream with chocolate cookie swirls and pieces of chocolate chip cookie dough and peanut butter cookie dough.
Are you hungry, yet?
If you go to any grocery store in America, Ben & Jerry’s is typically sold in pints (a pint equals 2 US cups or around 450 grams). Although they can be pricey, (around four to five dollars each), they’re well worth it! The packaging is very colorful and has a photo of each ice cream flavor and its ingredients. Remember that all Ben & Jerry’s products are fair trade and locally sourced, so you can feel good about what you’re eating. If you’re curious about how Ben & Jerry’s produces its ice cream, you can take a tour of its original factory in Vermont.
Don’t or can’t eat dairy products? Don’t worry--Recently, the company began producing vegan non-dairy options, too! Some flavors are Mint Chocolate Cookie and “Milk & Cookies (both made with sunflower butter!) Ben & Jerry’s favorites can also be made with almond milk.
While there are plenty of Ben & Jerry’s flavors to choose from, there is a “Flavor Graveyard,” which are flavors that the company no longer manufactures. Some flavors in the graveyard with wacky names include:
Wavy Gravy: caramel and cashew Brazil nut ice cream with chocolate hazelnut fudge swirl and roasted almonds
Holy Cannoli: creamy ricotta and pistachio ice cream with chocolate covered cannolis and roasted pistachios
Turtle Soup: vanilla ice cream with fudge-covered caramel cashews and caramel swirl
Peanut Butter and Jelly: peanut butter ice cream with peanut butter bits and strawberry jelly swirl
Fossil Fuel: sweet cream ice cream with chocolate cookie pieces, fudge dinosaurs, and a fudge swirl
Tennessee Mud: coffee ice cream with amaretto, Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey, and roasted almonds
The more, the merrier (and tastier!)
Two heads are better than one, right? Ben & Jerry’s has collaborated with a number of different companies and people to develop special flavors. Right now, Ben & Jerry’s has rolled out Netflix Original Flavors. One of them is called Netflix & Chilll’d, which is made with peanut butter ice cream with sweet and salty pretzel swirls and fudge brownies.
When the film Anchorman 2 was released in 2013, Ben & Jerry’s created a Scotchy Scotch Scotch, butterscotch ice cream with a butterscotch swirl. For acclaimed television host Stephen Colbert, Ben & Jerry’s produced Americone Dream, vanilla ice cream with fudge-covered pieces of waffle cone and bits of caramel. Another collaboration with an American television host, Jimmy Fallon’s Late Night Snack combines vanilla ice cream, salted caramel, and chocolate covered potato chips!
Vocabulary list:
Operate (v.): to do business
Boom (v.): to grow quickly
Modified (adj): to alter, change
Mobile home (n.): a home on wheels
Iconic (adj.): famous, popular
Acquire (v.): purchase
Retain (v): keep, maintain
Whipping up (v.): create, produce
Corporate (n.): company
Integrate (v.): to combine
Stakeholders (n.): various people involved in a business (owners, stockholders, etc.)
Bottom line (n.): the final profit a company makes
Longstanding (adj.): old
Source (v.): uses, buys
Roll out (v.): develop, announce
Acclaimed (adj.): famous
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A Texas native, Bianca Navia is currently in her senior year at Arizona State University pursuing a dual major in Political Science and Global Studies. She is most passionate about international affairs, diplomacy, foreign languages, traveling, and teaching. A fun fact about her? She’s the oldest of four sisters in a big Cuban-Italian-American family!