Ice Cream: It’s Not Just For Summer Anymore

Membership Spotlight


Business Council of Alabama member Blue Bell Creameries is featured in an al.com story about the creameries in Sylacauga where the secrets are told, like what is the favorite flavor of Blue Bell?

Alabama finds Black Walnut and Butter Pecan as popular, but those are not the favorite.

Many flavors are made at the former Flav-O-Rich facility, which Blue Bell in Brenham, Texas, bought 18 years ago. About 15 million gallons are shipped out of the creamery each year, from 3-ounce cups to the huge 3-gallon drums.

Blue Bell makes 60 million gallons at all its facilities, year-round. Homemade Vanilla accounts for about 60 percent of sales, with Dutch Chocolate and Cookies and Cream rounding out the top three, al.com reported.

“Traditionally, ice cream season was in the summer, and it would slow down in the winter,” said Kevin Wood, general manager of the Sylacauga creameries. “But it’s not like it used to be. People eat ice cream all the time.”

Blue Bell employs about 300 people in Sylacauga and the lucky ones get to eat ice cream just as it goes into cartons.

“My favorite is Homemade Vanilla out of the 3-ounce cups as they’re being filled,” Woods said. “The best ice cream we make is anything that’s fresh off the line.”