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.[1]
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[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. In 1930, the company became Blue Bell Creameries named after a native Texas wildflower. [1]
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,[1] 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[1] 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).
