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Ben & Jerry's facts for kids
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Factory in Waterbury, Vermont
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Trade name
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Ben & Jerry's |
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Food processing |
| Founded | May 5, 1978 in Burlington, Vermont, U.S. |
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United States
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Number of locations
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558 (2019) |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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Dave Stever (CEO) |
| Products | Ice cream |
| Parent | Unilever |
Ben & Jerry's is a famous American company. It makes delicious ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sorbet. The company started in 1978 in Burlington, Vermont. It grew from a small ice cream shop into a well-known brand around the world. In 2000, a big company called Unilever bought Ben & Jerry's. But Ben & Jerry's still runs mostly on its own. Its main office is in South Burlington, Vermont. The factory where they make the ice cream is in Waterbury, Vermont.
Ben & Jerry's is famous for its unique flavors. Many flavors have yummy chunks of food and desserts mixed in. Some flavors are even named after famous people. These include musicians, comedians, and public figures. The company and its founders, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, are also known for caring about important social issues. They try to make their products in a way that helps people and the planet.
Contents
The Story of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream
How It All Started
The company was started by two childhood friends, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. They grew up together in Merrick, New York. In 1977, Ben and Jerry took a course on how to make ice cream. Ben Cohen has a condition called anosmia. This means he cannot smell. So, he focused on how food felt in his mouth. This is why Ben & Jerry's ice cream often has big chunks mixed in!
On May 5, 1978, Ben and Jerry opened their first ice cream shop. It was in an old gas station in Burlington, Vermont. They invested about $12,000 to start their dream. In 1979, they celebrated their first anniversary. They gave away free ice cream cones! This "Free Cone Day" became a yearly tradition. It still happens at Ben & Jerry's shops today.
In 1980, Ben and Jerry started packing their ice cream into pints. They rented space in an old factory. The first Ben & Jerry's franchise opened in 1981. It was in Shelburne, Vermont. In 1983, they made the "world's largest ice cream sundae" in St. Albans, Vermont. It weighed over 27,000 pounds! That same year, the cows on their ice cream cartons got a new look.
Growing the Business
Ben & Jerry's ice cream in a freezer at a Domino's store.
In 1985, Ben & Jerry's started a special fund. It was called the Ben & Jerry's Foundation. This fund helps community projects. The company gives 7.5% of its yearly profits to this foundation. In 1986, they launched the "Cowmobile." It was a special vehicle that looked like a cow. Ben and Jerry drove it across the country. They gave out free scoops of ice cream! The Cowmobile later caught fire, but no one was hurt.
In 1987, Ben & Jerry's created a new flavor. It was called "Cherry Garcia." This flavor honored the famous guitarist Jerry Garcia. It became one of their most popular flavors.
The Ben & Jerry's factory in Waterbury, Vermont, opened in 1985. It started giving public tours in 1986. This factory makes over 350,000 pints of ice cream every day! It is the only Ben & Jerry's factory you can visit.
In 1988, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield won an award. They were named "U.S. Small Business Persons of the Year." President Ronald Reagan gave them the award. That same year, they started using brownies from Greyston Bakery. This led to their popular Chocolate Fudge Brownie flavor.
In 1989, Ben & Jerry's announced something important. They would not use a special hormone called rBGH in their products. This hormone is sometimes given to cows. Ben & Jerry's wanted to use more natural ingredients. They believed this was safer for people and the environment.
In 1992, Ben & Jerry's worked with the Children's Defense Fund. This group helps children. They wanted to make sure kids' needs were a top priority. Over 70,000 postcards were sent to Congress. These cards talked about issues important to children.
Joining Unilever
In April 2000, Ben & Jerry's was sold. A large global food company called Unilever bought it. Unilever agreed to continue Ben & Jerry's focus on social and economic missions. After the sale, Ben and Jerry stayed involved with the company. They helped guide its values.
Ben & Jerry's has factories in different places. These include Vermont in the U.S. and Hellendoorn in the Netherlands.
Caring for the Planet
In 2005, Ben & Jerry's showed their care for the environment. They protested a plan to drill for oil in a special wildlife area. They made a giant "Baked Alaska" dessert. It weighed 900 pounds! They placed it in front of the U.S. Capitol Building. This was to show their opposition to oil drilling.
In 2009, Ben & Jerry's played an April Fool's Day joke. They created a fake company called "CyClone Dairy." This company pretended to sell milk from cloned cows. Ben & Jerry's did this to raise awareness. They wanted people to know about products from cloned animals. They also wanted a system to track these products.
In 2013, Ben & Jerry's promised to make their products GMO-free. GMOs are genetically modified organisms. They supported laws that would require labeling for GMO ingredients.
Woman in cow costume promoting Free Cone Day outside a Ben & Jerry's shop in Stockholm, Sweden.
Free Cone Day Returns
Every year, Ben & Jerry's gives away over one million free cones. This event is called "Free Cone Day." It helps charities raise money. Sometimes, local famous people join in the fun. Volunteers are often there to help people register to vote. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Free Cone Day was paused for a few years. But it returned in 2023!
Helping Farms Reduce Emissions
In May 2022, Ben & Jerry's started a project called 'Mootopia'. They worked with 15 farms. The goal was to cut down on farm emissions. They want to use farming methods that are better for the environment. This helps reduce the carbon footprint of their ice cream.
"Progress Comes in Many Flavors"
In July 2024, Ben & Jerry's launched a new ad campaign. It was called "Progress Comes in Many Flavors." The ads encouraged people to take action on social issues. For example, they supported setting up libraries for banned books. This campaign got a lot of attention.
Future Plans
In March 2024, Unilever announced a big change. They plan to sell off their ice cream brands. This includes Ben & Jerry's. This change is expected to happen by the end of 2025.
Popular Flavors and Treats
For a long time, "Cherry Garcia" was the most popular Ben & Jerry's flavor. But in 2013, "Cookie Dough" became the favorite. As of 2020, the company's website says "Half Baked" is the most popular. "Cherry Garcia" is second, and "Chocolate Fudge Brownie" is third.
The "Vermonster" is a giant ice cream sundae. You can get it at Ben & Jerry's "scoop shops." It has 20 scoops of ice cream! It also has four bananas, hot fudge, cookies, brownies, walnuts, and whipped cream. It's a huge treat! There's even a "Vermonster Challenge." Teams try to finish one to win free ice cream for a year.
"Chubby Hubby" is a flavor with vanilla malt ice cream. It has fudge, peanut butter, and pretzel pieces. In 2009, Ben & Jerry's renamed "Chubby Hubby" to "Hubby Hubby." This celebrated the legalization of same-sex marriage in Vermont. The carton showed two men getting married under a rainbow.
In 2012, Ben & Jerry's changed another flavor name in the UK. "Oh! My! Apple Pie!" became "Apple-y Ever After." This supported equal marriage rights for same-sex couples. The tubs showed a gay couple on a wedding cake.
"Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough" was also renamed "I Dough, I Dough" in 2015. This celebrated a U.S. Supreme Court ruling. The ruling supported same-sex marriage. Money from these sales went to a group that helps LGBT rights.
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield have appeared on TV shows. They introduced new flavors. For example, they created "Stephen Colbert's AmeriCone Dream" with comedian Stephen Colbert. They also made "Late Night Snack" and "The Tonight Dough" with Jimmy Fallon. Proceeds from "The Tonight Dough" help children with serious illnesses.
In 2015, Ben & Jerry's made a special flavor in Israel. It was called "charoset" for the Passover holiday.
Ben & Jerry's also offers vegan options. These are made without dairy. They have flavors like "Chunky Monkey" and "Chocolate Fudge Brownie" in vegan versions. They also have new vegan-only flavors. These include "Coffee Caramel Fudge" and "Peanut Butter & Cookies." They keep adding more non-dairy choices.
In 2018, Ben & Jerry's launched "Pecan Resist." This limited-edition flavor had a political message. The company gave money to groups that support women's rights, immigrant rights, climate justice, and racial justice.
Images for kids
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Ben & Jerry's ice-cream shop in Singapore.