Ben & Jerry's

What Ben & Jerry's does

Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc. is a Vermont-based premium ice cream manufacturer founded in 1978 by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in Burlington, and now headquartered in South Burlington. The company produces a broad portfolio of frozen desserts — ice cream pints (its flagship grocery product), non-dairy oat-milk pints, certified gluten-free flavors, Cores pints with center fillings, Topped pints, sundaes, mini cups, ice cream bars, 28oz Scoop-apalooza party tubs, Cookie Dough Chunks, and Doggie Desserts — alongside experiential services including Scoop Shop retail, ice cream catering, custom cakes, factory tours, and the Flavor Fanatics loyalty program. Manufacturing is concentrated at the Waterbury, Vermont facility, which executes a 13-step production process (milk sourcing via St. Albans Cooperative Creamery, blending in 1000-gallon stainless steel tanks, pasteurization, homogenization, flavor mixing, freezing with Chunk Feeder and Variegator processing, Contherm, automatic filling, spiral hardening, and bundling) producing over 350,000 pints per day. Product differentiation centers on generous chunks and swirls layered onto Fairtrade-certified ingredients.

The company distributes across 27+ countries through three primary channels: grocery and convenience retail (in-store and delivery), 100+ company-owned and franchised Scoop Shop storefronts, and digital channels including own-site e-commerce, instant delivery partnerships (Gopuff), and Scoop Shop takeout/delivery. Pricing is unit-based, with retail pints priced at $4.99-$6.49 MSRP for Limited Batch flavors and factory tours starting at $1-$6. Customer segmentation spans general premium ice cream consumers, gluten-free buyers, dairy-free/vegan consumers, LGBTQ+ consumers, and ESG/values-driven purchasers, with progressive social activism (racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, climate, refugee rights) embedded into brand identity and reinforced through B Corp, Fairtrade, GFCO, Vegan Action, and FSC certifications.

Ben & Jerry's is privately held and has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Magnum Ice Cream Company since December 2025, when Unilever spun off its $9.21 billion ice cream division as a standalone entity independently listed on Euronext and NYSE. The original 2000 acquisition by Unilever ($326 million) preserved an independent board structure to safeguard the brand's social mission; this structure has been substantially dismantled in 2026, with the independent board reduced from eight to two members, co-founder Jerry Greenfield resigning in September 2025, and co-founder Ben Cohen publicly advocating for the brand to be sold to socially-minded investors. The company is led by CEO Jochanan Senf, a 22-year Unilever veteran who assumed the role in July 2025.

Name

Ben & Jerry's

Legal name

Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc.

Website

https://benjerry.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Ben & Jerry's is a Vermont-based premium ice cream manufacturer founded in 1978, producing pints, non-dairy, gluten-free, bars, and novelty formats at its Waterbury facility. It serves global consumers across 27+ countries through grocery retail, 100+ Scoop Shops, and digital delivery channels under Magnum Ice Cream Company ownership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Ice Cream

NAICS

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520)

SIC

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Ice Cream & Refrigerated Desserts (CRADACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ice Cream & Gelato Shops (THAFAGAA)

Keywords

• Premium ice cream
• Frozen desserts
• Non-dairy pints
• Ice cream catering
• Scoop shop retail

Headquarters

HQ city

South Burlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ben & Jerry's manufactures and sells premium ice cream and frozen desserts, anchored by its signature pints sold in grocery retail (flagship ice cream pints, non-dairy oat milk pints, gluten-free certified flavors, ice cream bars, mini cups, sundaes, and doggie desserts). The company also operates more than 100 company-owned and franchised Scoop Shops worldwide that serve scoops, sundaes, shakes, ice cream cakes, and catering, and runs a paid factory tour experience at its Waterbury, Vermont production facility.

Product overview

Ben & Jerry's is an ice cream company offering a diverse portfolio of frozen dessert products. The core offerings include Ice Cream Pints (the flagship product sold in grocery stores), Non-Dairy Pints (certified vegan oat milk-based alternatives), Certified Gluten-Free Flavors, and specialty formats including Ice Cream Bars, Mini Cups, Scoop-apalooza (28oz party tubs), Cores (pints with center filling), Topped (pints with toppings), and Sundaes. The company operates physical Scoop Shop locations offering exclusive in-shop flavors, catering services, ice cream cakes, takeout, and delivery. Supporting products include Cookie Dough Chunks (standalone snacking), Doggie Desserts (pet treats), and the Flavor Fanatics loyalty program. The company also operates a factory tour experience in Waterbury, Vermont.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ice Cream Pints Flagship product line: premium ice cream sold in pint-sized packages through grocery retail worldwide, available in 50+ core and Limited Batch flavors featuring the brand's signature chunks and swirls.
• Non-Dairy Pints Certified vegan dairy-free frozen dessert pints made with oat milk, certified by Vegan Action with the V-Label, delivering the same chunks and swirls experience as the dairy range.
• Certified Gluten-Free Flavors Iconic Ben & Jerry's flavors certified gluten-free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) at 10 ppm or less, safe for celiac and gluten-sensitive consumers.
• Cookie Dough Chunks Standalone snackable bags of edible cookie dough pieces intended for straight snacking or as a baking and dessert topping.
• Cores Ice Cream Pints Ice cream pints built around a thick center filling of cookie dough, caramel, brownie batter, or cookie butter, surrounded by ice cream and chunks.
• Doggie Desserts Frozen treats formulated and packaged specifically for dogs, extending the Ben & Jerry's chunk-and-swirl concept to canine companions.
• Ice Cream Bars Handheld novelty bars featuring Ben & Jerry's chunks and swirls dipped in chocolatey coating with crunchy cookie pieces, available in five flavors.
• Mini Cups Small-portion 120ml ice cream cups designed for controlled serving sizes and single-serve indulgence.
• Scoop-apalooza Larger 28oz party-sized ice cream tubs designed for sharing, carrying the standard chunk-and-swirl content in a higher-volume format.
• Scoop Shop Flavors Exclusive flavors available only at physical Scoop Shop locations, including unique chunk-and-swirl combinations not offered in grocery retail pints.
• Sundaes At-home indulgence pints topped with whipped cream and additional chunks and swirls, inspired by classic sundaes with a Ben & Jerry's twist; lineup expanded to seven flavors in early 2026.
• Topped Ice cream pints finished with a rich chocolatey topping and additional chunks for an indulgent, dessert-style experience.
• Honey Graham Latte (Limited Batch) Limited Batch seasonal pint flavor: Coffee Caramel Ice Cream with Honey Graham Cracker Swirls and Crunchy Cinnamon Swirls, released in the 2026 Limited Batch calendar.
• Ice Cream Catering Mobile ice cream catering service operated by local Scoop Shop teams using ice cream carts and trucks for corporate events, employee appreciation, weddings, graduations, and office celebrations.
• Ice Cream Cakes Custom and ready-to-go ice cream cakes available through Scoop Shops for birthdays, graduations, office parties, and other milestone celebrations.
• Scoop Shop Takeout Takeout and curbside pickup service from local Scoop Shops for customers who want Ben & Jerry's at home without entering the store.
• Scoop Shop Delivery Direct delivery from local Scoop Shops to customer addresses, fulfilling on-demand orders for scoops, pints, and novelties.
• Factory Tours Guided 30-minute factory tour at the Waterbury, Vermont production facility, including production floor viewing and ice cream tasting, priced at $6 adults, $5 seniors 65+, and $1 children 2–12 (plus service fee).

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams: Premium artisanal ice cream brand known for inventive flavors and direct-to-consumer scoop shop retail. Comparable to Ben & Jerry's on premium positioning, unique flavor innovation, and values-led brand building.
• Graeter's: Premium US ice cream brand specializing in French pot-process ice cream with mix-ins. Comparable to Ben & Jerry's on premium positioning, mix-in heavy pint format, and regional scoop shop retail.
• Cold Stone Creamery: US ice cream franchise chain specializing in mix-in ice cream (similar to Ben & Jerry's chunks-and-swirl concept). Comparable on mix-in customization, scoop shop retail, and franchise distribution.
• Blue Bunny: Ice cream brand owned by Wells Enterprises with broad pint, novelty (bars, sandwiches), and family-pack formats. Comparable on grocery distribution scale, novelty ice cream formats (matching Ben & Jerry's bars and pints), and pricing across mainstream and premium tiers.
• Breyers: Mass-market ice cream brand recently divested from Unilever and now owned by Andros/Bonne Maman. Comparable on pint format and grocery distribution, competing in a more value-oriented tier of the same shelf set.
• Tillamook Ice Cream: Premium dairy-forward ice cream brand from the Tillamook County Creamery Association. Directly comparable on premium pint positioning, dairy ingredient sourcing narrative, and grocery distribution scale.
• Talenti: Premium gelato and ice cream brand owned by Wells Enterprises (formerly Unilever). Directly comparable on premium pint positioning, dietary-inclusive offerings (gelato/sorbet), and grocery distribution channels.
• Baskin-Robbins: Global ice cream chain (under Inspire Brands) with 31 flavors tradition and extensive franchise scoop shop network. Comparable to Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shop model, flavor breadth, and franchise/retail footprint.
• Häagen-Dazs: Premium globally-distributed ice cream brand owned by Nestlé. Most directly comparable to Ben & Jerry's in terms of premium positioning, pint format, global grocery distribution, and scoop shop presence, competing head-to-head in the same shelf set.

Broad incumbents

• Magnum (brand): The namesake ice cream bar brand of Ben & Jerry's parent company The Magnum Ice Cream Company. Comparable as a sibling premium ice cream brand under Magnum with overlapping retail distribution and global positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/benandjerrys

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ben & Jerry's