BK Blog Post
Five Things You Didn't Know About Ben & Jerry's
Posted by
Jeevan Sivasubramaniam,
Managing Director, Editorial,
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
Brad Edmondson' new book, Ice Cream Social , traces the rise, fall, and re-rise of the iconic ice-cream company that is Ben &Jerry's. Of course, everyone knows about the company's mission and commitment to social causes, but here are a five things that only true insiders know about the company:
1. Ice Cream Wasn't Their First Choice
Ben & Jerry's founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield's original idea was one where they would deliver fresh bagels, cream cheese, lox, and the New York Times to people's doors. But upon learning how much the equipment would cost, they scrapped the idea.
2. These Guys Weren't Exactly Experts, Either.
Their incredible range of creative flavors suggests that the founders were experts in the field of ice cream-making. They actually knew nothing about making the confection at all and learned everything from a $5 correspondence course.
3. Worse Yet, Ben Has No Sense of Smell
He can also barely taste due to his anosmia, a condition in which a person has a dysfunctional olfactory system. In order to compensate for this condition, Ben has said would add larger and larger chunks of various add-ins in order to satisfy his need for texture. This would eventually go on to play a major role in the formation of Ben & Jerry's signature ice cream style that incorporates larger chunks.
4. It Hasn't Been All Peace and Love All the Time
They also faced backlash over their SNL-inspired "Schweddy Balls" flavor. The flavor "Black and Tan," named after the drink, also came under fire due to the fact that it also could refer to a paramilitary force of former British WWI vets known for their attacks on civilians during the Irish War of Independence. In recent events, a scoop shop near Harvard faced serious racist backlash when it debuted a special-edition flavor dubbed "Lin-sanity," which consisted of vanilla ice cream with lychee honey and fortune cookie pieces.
5. The Job Has Its Perks
The lowest wage a Ben & Jerry's employee can make is just under $16 dollars an hour, which is just about double the federal wage, according to the Huffington Post . There was once a rule in place that no company employee, include top executives, could make more than five times than what the lowest paid employee could make. That rule is, however, no longer in place. But all employees do get to take home three pints of ice cream every day.
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