When Ben Cohen & Jerry Greenfield met in gym class in 1963,
they realised that they hated running, but loved food!
A fun-loving reputation
They also agreed that it was no fun being in business just to earn
a living they wanted to enjoy themselves too. So they turned to
ice cream making. Their recipe was a sophisticated concoction: a
blend of fresh Vermont milk, cream and generous portions of, well,
whatever ingredients took their fancy on any given day.
With flavour names like Phish Food and Karamel Sutra, Ben &
Jerrys has built a reputation over the years as a fun-loving
company with a unique and creative approach to business.
How it all started
* In 1977 Ben and Jerry enrolled in a $5 correspondence course in
ice cream making and the following year they started their Ben
& Jerrys business in a renovated gas station.
* By 1982 the duo had moved the shop to new premises and by 1986,
Ben & Jerrys opened their new plant in Waterbury, Vermont. By
the end of 1988, there were more than 80 Ben & Jerrys ice
cream scoop shops in 18 American states.
* In 1994, Ben & Jerrys began distribution of ice cream in the
UK, and soon afterwards Europe.
* The company was acquired by Unilever in 2000 offering lovers of
Ben & Jerrys even more choice in more places! This
collaboration also led to the launch of projects such as an
agriculture program in Hellendorn, Holland aimed at developing
criteria for sustainable dairy farming practices.
Did you know?
# In 1983, Ben & Jerrys made the worlds largest ice cream
sundae weighing in at 27 102 pounds.
# Ben & Jerrys celebrates Free Cone Day each year, to mark
the anniversary of the first scoop shop opening in 1978. Free
scoops of ice cream are dished up at scoop shops and other outlets
around the country with all donations going to local
charities.
# After asking Brits to suggest names for a particularly British
flavour, Ben & Jerrys introduced Cool Britannia variant in
1996.
