Blue Bell

Greetings all,
I retired from Blue Bell after 19 years-It was a great experiance
I may be a little bias, but it is the BEST ice cream in the country.
Real good place to work.
rmalone

Welcome to Roadfood!

Prepare yourself for disagreement on this issue, for Roadfooders are a passionate lot.

In my professional capacity, I've gotten to know Paul Kruse and his team, and they run a first-class operation. You should be proud to have been a part of it.

And I never pass up a chance to mooch some BBHV from my friends down in Brenham ... ;)

I live in Boynton Beach Florida.  Do you know where I can find Blue Bell Ice Cream in the Boynton Beach/West Palm Beach Florida area?

I am going to FL next week, and I'll look for some BB French Vanilla.

I have been to Brenham, and the cows seemed happy :) ... great ice cream and BBQ the same day.

BB is the only ice cream I'd buy ... too bad I've never lived where it is sold.

I've lived in Texas for almost 40 years and, I still can't see what the fuss is all about regarding Blue Bell ice cream. It's OK. But, no cigar!

Punta Gorda is on the west coast like 3-4 hours away but thanks for letting me know. I'm on the east coast about an hour or so north of miami. i grew up on bb in tyler texas. i know its in port st lucie which is like an hr or so north of me but i just hope it gets closer to me then that lol. i'll even take the lake worth or boca raton area. thanks for all the help.

Blue Bell carried a flavor here that just knocked my socks off. Three milk cake with little bits of tre leches cake in it. They discotinued it here but I could eat the whole thing in one sitting. can't find it anymore so it must be a regional thing.

georgiadogs


Blue Bell carried a flavor here that just knocked my socks off. Three milk cake with little bits of tre leches cake in it. They discotinued it here but I could eat the whole thing in one sitting. can't find it anymore so it must be a regional thing.

From what I can see on their web site, Blue Bell has monthly rotational flavors, so the three-milk may return.

Hasn't in four years, I check every time I pass the ice cream section. The rep says that they still carry it out in the southwest. Maybe I can ship it in. Or if anyone is coming this way....

I'm going for Mocha Madness tomorrow.

"Rich coffee ice cream containing roasted pecan halves and chocolate chips, surrounded by a smooth caramel sauce"

Now thier Vanilla Bean is the only vanilla that I will go out of my way for !!!

Welcome to Roadfood!

As a former Austinite, I'm with Twinwillow on this, but there's no question Blue Bell has what I'd call a huge cult following. 

I'd probably bestow the national title to Amy's Ice Cream or Graeter's.  For supermarket ice cream, I'd lean toward Haagen Dazs.  And there may be a brand I haven't yet tried that would blow me away.  

MellowRoast, You and I think the same. As a matter of fact, I once called Amy's about a Dallas franchise and they said, "we don't franchise".  And, I love Hagen-Daz as well. Never had Graeter's but, I'd love to try it. I've heard so much about it.
Now don't get me wrong about Blue Bell. I do like it but, I just don't think it's the, "best in the country"

Amy's is something else!  I'm surprised they don't franchise.

My wife picked up some Mocha Madness at Publix in Jacksonville, FL yesterday. That is some good stuff! It reminds me of a Mocha Almond Fudge concrete I had at Sheridan's in Overland Park, KS.

One of the reps from BB just left here, Gregg D--super nice guy!... I manage an Ice Cream Cafe in Merritt Island...
Too bad--he is about 3 months too late.. My boss just switched ice cream companies, and I think Blue Bell would have been a much better product.
And the pricing is extremey competive for the 3 gallon sizes that we buy here.
Oh well......
And the rep was so so nice also.......I was very sympathetic as I would much rather have BB in here, even though Working Cow has some nice and tasty flavors...

The folks that work at Blue Bell eat all they can... and sell the rest! :~)
Joe

Blue Bell is average at best. Both their chocolate and vanilla are flavorless.

Blue Bell's SF ice cream has the consistency of snow - not creamy at all and icy. It only comes in vanilla, chocolate. vanilla/chocolate & butter pecan.
Why bother, Blue Bell?

It's a real disappointment compared to their regular ice cream.

It's just a guess but, I think the folks that proclaim Blue Bell as the "best ice cream in the country" just haven't tried a lot of other brands of ice cream. Especially, some of which are mentioned above.
And, as I said above, I like Blue Bell. But, IMHO, I just don't think it's "the best".

THE BEST ICE CREAM ON THE PLANET is made and sold at the Creamery on the Campus of Penn State University!! Try the JOEPA Pistachio!!
 People from Blue Bell, Ben & Jerry's, Haagn Das, and many others send their people there to take courses on how to make ice cream!
P.S. It's how they get 5 Star Recruits to go there. One trip to the Creamery and they're hooked!

Foodbme


THE BEST ICE CREAM ON THE PLANET is made and sold at the Creamery on the Campus of Penn State University!! Try the JOEPA Pistachio!!
 People from Blue Bell, Ben & Jerry's, Haagn Das, and many others send their people there to take courses on how to make ice cream!
P.S. It's how they get 5 Star Recruits to go there. One trip to the Creamery and they're hooked!

I've heard this before. Actually, I've always wanted to take their 2 week short course because, in my next life I'm coming back as an ice cream shop owner. I love to make people smile. And, everyone has a smile on their face eating ice cream. No matter what brand it may be.

Twinwillow

Foodbme


THE BEST ICE CREAM ON THE PLANET is made and sold at the Creamery on the Campus of Penn State University!! Try the JOEPA Pistachio!!
 People from Blue Bell, Ben & Jerry's, Haagn Das, and many others send their people there to take courses on how to make ice cream!
P.S. It's how they get 5 Star Recruits to go there. One trip to the Creamery and they're hooked!

I've heard this before. Actually, I've always wanted to take their 2 week short course because, in my next life I'm coming back as an ice cream shop owner. I love to make people smile. And, everyone has a smile on their face eating ice cream. No matter what brand it may be.

 
The PSU Creamery was on the The Travel Channel the other night. I think it was an "Ice Cream Paradise' segment. watch for it again.  The Creamery has been in operation since 1865! One year after the Civil War!
http://www.creamery.psu.edu/


 

Foodbme

Twinwillow

Foodbme


THE BEST ICE CREAM ON THE PLANET is made and sold at the Creamery on the Campus of Penn State University!! Try the JOEPA Pistachio!!
 People from Blue Bell, Ben & Jerry's, Haagn Das, and many others send their people there to take courses on how to make ice cream!
P.S. It's how they get 5 Star Recruits to go there. One trip to the Creamery and they're hooked!

I've heard this before. Actually, I've always wanted to take their 2 week short course because, in my next life I'm coming back as an ice cream shop owner. I love to make people smile. And, everyone has a smile on their face eating ice cream. No matter what brand it may be.

 
The PSU Creamery was on the The Travel Channel the other night. I think it was an "Ice Cream Paradise' segment. watch for it again.  The Creamery has been in operation since 1865! One year after the Civil War!
http://www.creamery.psu.edu/


 

I watched that show. Actually, it was an old rerun. I got the idea of doing their short course a few years ago when I first saw that show.

Huge pet peeve of mine.  Stealth price increases by downsizing product size, as if we're idiots.  Now Haagen-Dazs tries it.
"Beginning late January 2009, all Häagen-Dazs branded 16 fl. oz. cartons will change to 14 fl. oz. In March 2009, all Häagen-Dazs branded 32 fl. oz. cartons will change to 28 fl. oz."

MellowRoast


Huge pet peeve of mine.  Stealth price increases by downsizing product size, as if we're idiots.  Now Haagen-Dazs tries it.
"Beginning late January 2009, all Häagen-Dazs branded 16 fl. oz. cartons will change to 14 fl. oz. In March 2009, all Häagen-Dazs branded 32 fl. oz. cartons will change to 28 fl. oz."

Blue Bell is STILL a Gallon container!!

It's probably a half gallon, but I avoid ice creams made with high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, and unpronouncable ingredients.  (However, I sometimes make an exception at DQ.) 

Blue Bell should be applauded, however, for having confidence in their product and standing by it.  Other manufacturers could learn a lesson or two from them.

I recently purchased my first halfgallon of Blue Bell vanilla and my family really likes it. I did not find it as strong a vanilla as I'm used to, but it's just fine for everyday. If I want a strong vanilla I make my own.
Of course, having had the ice cream at Penn State, I can definitely say the Blue Bell would never win a contest between the two. PSU ice cream rocks...

JOPA Pistachio?  Are you freaking kidding me! 
 
What's with Penn State ice cream?  They have a dairy farm on campus?

Baah Ben


JOPA Pistachio?  Are you freaking kidding me! 
 
What's with Penn State ice cream?  They have a dairy farm on campus?

Penn State was originally established as an agricultural school and still has one of the most recognized programs in the world. They still have working dairy's and farms there. The Creamery gets its milk from the dairy farms.
History

In 1865, the Creamery was established in the "College Barns" located behind present-day Old Main. The College Barns housed the Creamery, a blacksmith shop, and a hayloft.
Built in 1889 with part of a $7,000 state appropriation, the first stand alone Creamery was a one-story building containing a cold-storage room, cream-ripening room, workroom, and office space. It was a result of Henry Armsby's efforts to upgrade the college's instruction and research in dairying, and was the focal point for numerous bulletins that had immediate value to dairy farmers. Dairy short courses offered there beginning in 1889 were so popular that the University herds could not keep up with the demand for milk, and local farmers would line up in the mornings to make deliveries. The now-famous Ice Cream Short Course offered each year began with ice cream-making instruction in these courses.
 

Thanks Food.....

Baah Ben


Thanks Food.....

 
MORE TRIVIA:
By the 1980s the Creamery had gone through about 3 million pounds of milk a year from two herds--the University's and one other local dairy. In 2004 it produced the following for the University dining halls alone: 160,000 gallons of lowfat 2 percent milk, 60,000 gallons of lowfat chocolate milk, 80,000 gallons of skim milk, and 10,000 gallons of whole milk. Still more milk in varying amounts was sold in the Creamery salesroom. The Creamery also produced 25,000 pounds of sour cream, 28,000 pounds of ricotta cheese, 150,000 pounds of cream cheese, 62,000 pounds of cheddar cheese, 60,000 pounds of yogurt, and 225,000 gallons of its famous ice cream and sherbet. These dairy products are sold in the salesroom and used in the dining halls.


 

Blue Bell is average at best. Both their chocolate and vanilla are flavorless.

 
DB1105...
 
With all due respect....you, my friend, must be...out...of...your...mind! 
 
My favorite ice cream flavor is plain vanilla. Nothing can compare to vanilla for me.
 
And Blue Bells vanilla ice cream is as rich, flavorful, and spectacular as any vanilla ice cream I have ever tasted. It is absolutly awesome.
 
(And I dont live in Texas and have never visited there)
 
When I saw this new brand..."Blue Bell" in the store here a year or so ago for the 1st time, I saw that it was right next to the Country Charm, Old Fashioned, and Blue Bunny brands. Those brands are all very good, and I figured it would be about the same as those.
 
Boy was I in for a surprise. Blue Bell vanilla rocked my world in a BIG way. Just BURSTING with rich vanilla flavor. Its every bit as good as Breyers, Haegen Daz and Edy's vanilla.
 
THANK YOU for coming to Kentucky, Blue Bell!
 
DP