Local vs. national ice cream brands: Which do you choose? Any favorites?

[Gifted Gourmet]

article from CNN Money

Quote

the nation is awash in little guys churning out some of the best frozen treats in the land.  And Americans are eating it up. We annually consume about 6 gallons of ice cream per person -- roughly 19,200 calories, for those who are counting.  Like microbrewers and small-scale chocolate makers, entrepreneurs are drawn to ice cream as a labor of love. Unlike many other product categories, consumers have time and again shown themselves willing to try new or unfamiliar ice cream brands, just because they taste great. In this business, startup dreams can sometimes come true.

Do you choose to support your regional and/or local ice cream makers?

Or do you always choose a national brand out of habit?

Here in Atlanta, we have Mayfield Dairies which makes an excellent choice .. How about you?

[godito]

I no longer live around Hyde PArk, NY, but when I did I favored Holy Cow Ice Cream. Local and delicious!

[SuzySushi]

There's another local ice cream company in Hawaii (actually, there are several of them) that I like more than Lappert's: Dave's Ice Cream. More exotic flavors, like green tea ice cream and lychee sorbet.

Bubbies is an ice cream shop that's locally famous for its outrageously named treats and its "mochi ice cream" (bonbons wrapped in mochi dough). Then there's Roselani Ice Cream from Maui... And a couple of local sorbet producers... And "shave ice," but that's a whole different ball game.

[Brad Ballinger]

The article mentions Wisconsin-based Sibby's, which one can get at some of the co-ops in the Twin Cities. What makes it and the others linked in the article attractive (I've also had Blue Bell when in Texas), is that they are priced competitively to compete with larger brands on both quality and value. There are many other local products where the price is usually quite a bit higher (albeit the quality is, too). I can think of Sonny's and Izzy's from the Twin Cities as two examples of higher priced products that can be purchased in the grocery stores here.

[kellycolorado]

In the SF Bay Area, I really like Straus organic vanilla ice cream. It's wonderful with sliced strawberries.

[ingridsf]

Hands-down for me, Mitchell's in SF. Ensconce me in their sweet mature coconut.

[fischwlu]

The article also mentions UDF (United Dairy Farmers). They have very good ice cream, malts, sherbert freezes... I can keep going. It wasn't until I left Ohio for college that I realized how rare it is to find a gas station/convenience store that is also an ice cream store/soda fountain! If you are in driving through Ohio and must stop for gas, I must recommend that you stop for a scoop or two at UDF. Of course, if you are doing more then just passing through, get Graeter's instead... they're the best!

[ghostrider]

Unlike many other product categories, consumers have time and again shown themselves....

I choose to support media outlets whose writers know how to construct sentences.

[pamjsa]

Bluebell is our local Texas favorite, making all kinds of regional goodies like Tres Leches, Dos Amigos (Mexican chocolate and Mexican vanilla--mmmmmmm), and a recent addition, Cantelope and Cream.

[takomabaker]

York Castle in Silver Spring, MD.

Litchi, soursop, ginger, banana, Guinness, papaya, guava, mango, coconut.... it's all SO good.

article from CNN Money

the nation is awash in little guys churning out some of the best frozen treats in the land.  And Americans are eating it up. We annually consume about 6 gallons of ice cream per person -- roughly 19,200 calories, for those who are counting.  Like microbrewers and small-scale chocolate makers, entrepreneurs are drawn to ice cream as a labor of love. Unlike many other product categories, consumers have time and again shown themselves willing to try new or unfamiliar ice cream brands, just because they taste great. In this business, startup dreams can sometimes come true.

Do you choose to support your regional and/or local ice cream makers?

Or do you always choose a national brand out of habit?

Here in Atlanta, we have Mayfield Dairies which makes an excellent choice .. How about you?

←

[Holly Moore]

Surprisingly missing from the CNN list, but now included here, America's oldest ice cream company, Bassett's Ice Cream Comany, regional to Philadelphia and a few, fortunate outlying providences.

[FabulousFoodBabe]

Graeter's, Cincinnati (and now Columbus, Dayton and I think Indianapolis). Worth every dime it takes to fly it to New York for a visit. Lookie Here

[indybear]

Alas, no Graeter's in Indianapolis! I stock up when I'm in Columbus - the stores actually sell coolers and dry ice for desperate ice cream lovers like me.

[Tess]

Oberweis, which made the list, is OK. It is super-rich, which I think works well for some flavors and less well for others. For ice cream that rich, I prefer Haagen-Dasz.

[Toliver]

Here in Bakersfield, there are two local ice cream joints.

One is a former Leatherby's Ice Cream. When that chain went kaput they became Rosemary's Family Creamery and kept serving their huge great sundaes. The ice cream is made on site in a windowed area at the back of the store. They make their own chocolate and caramel sauces, too (you can buy jars of the sauces at the register).

The other is Dewar's (pronounced Duh-WARZ) where they make not only their own ice cream but are more well known for their candy...chocolates and taffy chews.

They just hit the big time thanks to Disney:

"Hollywood's Coolest New Hot Spot: Disney's Soda Fountain and Studio Store"

Dewar's Ice Cream and Candy Shop of Bakersfield, California will supply fresh ice cream each week, and will transport it in refrigerated trucks. This homemade ice cream is created in small batches of ten gallons each with no preservatives and all natural ingredients. The top-secret recipes remain virtually unchanged from the ones that James Harvey Dewar created nearly 100 years ago.

edited to add that the Dewar's Peanut Butter Chews are incredibly fresh tasting and very peanut butter-y. Eat them in combination with the Chocolate Almond Caramel Chews and it's like tasting a peanut butter chocolate brownie.

Edited August 5, 2005 by Toliver (log)

[torakris]

I never realized UDF was a regional brand...

As I child I used to walk down to the UDF factory/milk bottling place/store and get an ice cream cone or shake and sit at the counter and watch the milk being bottled behind the big glass window.

[Susan in FL]

To go buy a hand-dipped ice cream cone, I support the local. However, when I want a half gallon of my favorite store-bought ice cream, no. It's Breyer's for me. Today I subjected myself to Food Lion for some good sales, including half gallons of Breyer's for $1.99 each. Limit was four, but budget said only two. It took me forever to decide. Varieties were abundant. I went for an old favorite, Butter Almond and a new one, Brownie Mud Pie (chocolate with a caramel swirl, brownie pieces, and chocolate covered almonds). As soon as we get cleaned up from dinner, one or both of those is my reward.

[FabulousFoodBabe]

Alas, no Graeter's in Indianapolis!  I stock up when I'm in Columbus - the stores actually sell coolers and dry ice for desperate ice cream lovers like me.

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Never fear, Indybear. The guys who have the rights to Columbus and Dayton, also have the rights to Indianapolis. It'll happen -- I honestly thought they were there now.

Time to order a few pints of black raspbery chip, I think.

[Metal Spice]

The article also mentions UDF (United Dairy Farmers). They have very good ice cream, malts, sherbert freezes... I can keep going. It wasn't until I left Ohio for college that I realized how rare it is to find a gas station/convenience store that is also an ice cream store/soda fountain! If you are in driving through Ohio and must stop for gas, I must recommend that you stop for a scoop or two at UDF. Of course, if you are doing more then just passing through, get Graeter's instead... they're the best!

←

Yes UDF is awesome. I worked at UDF in college & never got sick of ice cream. And to anyone who doesn't live in Ohio, the concept of an ice cream fountain with a gas station is totally lost.

And Graeters! How can you not like coming across a CHUNK of chocolate in your chocolate chip ice cream?

[daniellewiley]

Our new favorite is Handel's.

I can not get enough of the chocolate raspberry truffle. In fact, it's starting to annoy Dylan (my 3.5 year old), b/c I get it every time.

She tries a new flavor each time we visit. Adventurous little tyke!

[Rebecca263]

I really enjoy ice cream, all kinds, except Haagen Dazs style or that Stone Cold Creamery stuff, the premiums brands are actually TOO butterfatty for my tongue! I like Breyers, but my childhood indulgence was Howard Johnson's Strawberry or actually, Publix brand Strawberry! I never realized how difficult it is to make a great strawberry ice cream untilI attempted it myself! I really do prefer the plebian stuff, it's just icey, milky and yummy, but these days I swear, I get sick from the taste of most corn syrup containing foods, and I have to avoid so many ice creams that I used to love!

If you're in SOUTH BEACH you MUST visit THE FRIEZE. They're on Michigan and 16th. Amazing, is all I can say.

[fischwlu]

The article also mentions UDF (United Dairy Farmers). They have very good ice cream, malts, sherbert freezes... I can keep going. It wasn't until I left Ohio for college that I realized how rare it is to find a gas station/convenience store that is also an ice cream store/soda fountain! If you are in driving through Ohio and must stop for gas, I must recommend that you stop for a scoop or two at UDF. Of course, if you are doing more then just passing through, get Graeter's instead... they're the best!

←

Yes UDF is awesome. I worked at UDF in college & never got sick of ice cream. And to anyone who doesn't live in Ohio, the concept of an ice cream fountain with a gas station is totally lost.

And Graeters! How can you not like coming across a CHUNK of chocolate in your chocolate chip ice cream?

←

I know! I crave the black raspberry chip (CHUNK) constantly. And I have been away too long, what is this Buckeye Blitz I see on their website? Aparently the secret to the chunkiness is that they pour the chocolate into the ice cream as it is churning so it freezes and breaks up but in uneven, huge pieces. I remember when I was younger walking home from school and going by a Graeters. My little brother and I would scrape together whatever change we had to buy a lemonade with raspberry sorbet (he was allergic to dairy). Even today I have this crazy idea that a lemonade is supposed to have a scoop of some kind of sorbet in it! That's it, I think a need to make some room in my freezer and order a few dozen pints!

[chemprof]

Bluebell is our local Texas favorite, making all kinds of regional goodies like Tres Leches, Dos Amigos (Mexican chocolate and Mexican vanilla--mmmmmmm), and a recent addition, Cantelope and Cream.

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"Blue Bell, the best ice cream in the coun-tree!" (do they still sing that!?)

I loved Blue Bell banana pudding ice cream in graduate school in College Station. (so close to the "little creamery in Brenham"). The new flavas sound excellent, and I wish we could get it in NC!

Anne

[Brad Ballinger]

I'm sorry, but I don't think Graeter's is in the same league as the ice creams mentioned in the linked article. Graeter's is in a different league altogether. This isn't a knock on the product (it's hands down the best I've ever had, and I, too, love the black raspberry chip), but Graeter's primary distribution is not through supermarkets, smaller grocers or co-ops. There may be some product placement there, but it's not the main sales method.

The ice creams mentioned in the article rely much more on grocery store sales. They are priced competitively with nationally-distributed brands.

[fischwlu]

I'm sorry, but I don't think Graeter's is in the same league as the ice creams mentioned in the linked article.  Graeter's is in a different league altogether.  This isn't a knock on the product (it's hands down the best I've ever had, and I, too, love the black raspberry chip), but Graeter's primary distribution is not through supermarkets, smaller grocers or co-ops.  There may be some product placement there, but it's not the main sales method.

The ice creams mentioned in the article rely much more on grocery store sales.  They are priced competitively with nationally-distributed brands.

←

I was not aware that UDF sold their ice cream anywhere other then UDF stores... do they sell them at grocery stores? I know that I have found Graeters at grocery stores in Columbus... I can't say the same for UDF ice cream which is mention in the article. Maybe they do though, I haven't fully explored all stores in the tri-state area!

(edit: I see here that UDF is sold in grocery stores... see I learn something new every day!)

Edited August 10, 2005 by fischwlu (log)