World’s Best Chocolate Named Grand Champion and Three More Gifford’s Flavors Sweep their Categories
SKOWHEGAN, MAINE — October 2, 2014 — Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream, award-winning ice cream from a small town in Maine, announced today that its World’s Best Chocolate Ice Cream beat out 150 ice cream entries from across the country to be named 2014 Ice Cream Grand Champion by the World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest, the leading dairy and ice cream competition in North America. The win marks the fifth consecutive year that Gifford’s has taken the top prize. Additionally, three Gifford’s flavors – Old-Fashioned Vanilla, French Vanilla and Vanilla Bean, the base for many of the company’s unique flavors – swept first place in their individual categories. The company was honored at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis. on Sept. 30, 2014.
“Many in the industry liken our annual competition to the Academy Awards of Dairy and as a five-time Grand Champion, Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream is our Meryl Streep,” said Bradley Legreid, executive director of the Wisconsin Dairy Products Association. “This is the first time a company has ever won the Grand Champion title five years in a row. It’s impressive and it speaks to the superior quality of Gifford’s Ice Cream.”
The Wisconsin Dairy Products Association sponsors the annual competition, which features eight ice cream categories along with 63 others for cheese and Grade A dairy product classes. Each ice cream entry is judged in a blind taste test, based on flavor, body and texture, melting quality, color and appearance. Judging took place on August 21, 2014; there were a record 1,080 total entries this year across all dairy categories.
“It’s a huge surprise and a tremendous honor that our ice cream has been awarded Grand Champion for a fifth consecutive year,” said Lindsay Gifford-Skilling, fifth generation ice cream maker and general manager of Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream. “Our employees deserve the credit for this honor – they get up each morning, head to the factory and make our ice cream the old fashioned way. This award would not be possible without them.”
Gifford-Skilling continued: “Awards come in small packages, too, like seeing the smiling faces of children and families enjoying our ice cream, or reading a note from a customer about their favorite Gifford’s flavor. We want to share our big award with everyone who loves our ice cream, so to celebrate we’re hosting a fun contest.”
“We’re calling the contest The High Five Ice Cream Sweepstakes.” Five is an important number at Gifford’s, with five Grand Champion wins, five generations of ice cream makers, and five stands across Maine,” noted Gifford-Skilling.”
The High Five contest will begin on October 10 and run for 10 days. Contest prizes will range from free ice cream to concert tickets. To learn more about the contest visit the Gifford’s Facebook page or www.giffordsicecream.com. Check the company’s Facebook page often during the contest period for surprise offerings.
Earlier in the summer, Lindsay Gifford-Skilling announced that her family’s company had hit an all-time record high in sales – with 1.7 million gallons of ice cream sold. “Sales are up 10 percent year-to-date in gallons sold over the prior year,” she said.
About Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream
Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream, world-class ice cream from a small town in Maine, is a fifth-generation, family-owned company that sources its fresh milk and cream exclusively from independent family farms, and uses antique Cherry Burrell freezers and a state-of-the-art freezing system to make the most delicious, creamiest ice cream possible. The company has earned numerous international and national “First Place” and “World’s Best” awards for its premium ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sherbet. Gifford’s sells its ice cream from Maine to Maryland and in select states as far west as Illinois. In Maine, Gifford’s has five famous ice cream stands. For more information visit www.giffordsicecream.com. Follow Gifford’s Ice Cream on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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