Blue Bell Creameries
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Blue Bell Creameries is the manufacturer of Blue Bell brand ice cream, made since 1911. Its corporate headquarters are at the "Little Creamery" in Brenham, Texas.
Contents |
[edit] History
The Brenham Creamery Company opened for business in August 1907. Their first product was butter. Small production of ice cream began in 1911, no more than one to two gallons a day. Praise of the ice cream spread by word-of-mouth, and the creamery ramped up production to meet demand. By 1930, the company name had changed to Blue Bell Creameries.
After many years of selling ice cream only in Brenham, the company began selling in Houston, then in Dallas and throughout most of Texas. In 1989, sales began in Oklahoma, and throughout the 1990s, aggressive expansion pushed throughout the South Central and Southern United States. In 1992, Blue Bell built a new manufacturing facility in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and in 1996, purchased an existing ice cream factory in Sylacauga, Alabama. Blue Bell holds impressive sales figures, being the third best-selling ice cream in the United States as of 2004, behind Breyers and Edy's/Dreyer's, despite being sold in only sixteen states.
Blue Bell introduced its flagship flavor, "Homemade Vanilla," in 1969 and was the first to mass-produce "Cookies 'n Cream" in 1980. Their ice cream product line includes over twenty flavors produced year-round and more than twenty others produced seasonally. In addition to ice cream, the company produces frozen yogurt, sherbet, and an array of frozen treats on a stick.
[edit] Culture
Blue Bell is considered somewhat of an institution in Texas, with visits to its Brenham plant being a popular family activity, especially from the nearby Houston area. For a nominal admission price, the customer gets a tour of the factory and ice cream samples at the end of tours.
Blue Bell is mentioned in the song "Ohio (Come Back to Texas)" by Bowling For Soup from their album A Hangover You Don't Deserve (2004).
Rumor has it that the Blue Bell logo (girl with cow in tow) was drawn by an art student named Leta Kaye who became fairly active in Texas politics.
[edit] Flavors
YEAR-ROUND ICE CREAM FLAVORS
1/2 gallons
- Homemade Vanilla
- Natural Vanilla Bean
- French Vanilla
- Dutch Chocolate
- Milk Chocolate
- Cookies 'n Cream
- The Great Divide
- Neapolitan
- Chocolate Chip
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
- Mint Chocolate Chip
- Buttered Pecan
- Moo-llennium Crunch
- Pecan Pralines 'n Cream
- Banana Split
- Strawberry
- Strawberry & Homemade Vanilla
- Cantaloupe n' Cream
Pints
- Homemade Vanilla
- Dutch Chocolate
- The Great Divide
- Cookies 'n Cream
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
- Mint Chocolate Chip
- Buttered Pecan
- Moo-llennium Crunch
- Pecan Pralines 'n Cream
- Banana Split
- Strawberry
- Strawberries & Homemade Vanilla
- Country Cooler - Orange Swirl
ROTATIONAL ICE CREAM FLAVORS
1/2 gallons
- Banana Pudding
- Banana Strawberry
- Blueberry Cheesecake
- Birthday Cake
- Caramel Almond Crunch
- Caramel Turtle Fudge
- Cherry Vanilla
- Chocolate Almond Marshmallow
- Chocolate Covered Cherries
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- Cinnamon
- Coffee
- Dos Amigos
- Fudge Brownie Nut
- Hot Fudge Brownie
- Hot Fudge Sundae
- Key Lime Pie
- Nutty Coconut
- Peaches & Homemade Vanilla
- Peanut Butter Cup
- Peppermint
- Pistachio Almond
- Rocky Road
- Strawberry Cheesecake
- Tin Roof
- Tres Leches con Fresas
- Wedding Cake
- White Chocolate Almond
Pints
- Caramel Turtle Fudge
- Cherry Vanilla
- Chocolate Covered Cherries
- Chocolate Chip
- Dos Amigos
- Hot Fudge Sundae
- Hot Fudge Brownie
- Peaches & Homemade Vanilla
- Country Cooler - Raspberry Swirl
