Ice Cream That Makes Your Tastebuds (and Heart) Happy

A glimpse into how one Brooklyn-born ice cream shop sparked a nationwide frenzy.

It was back in 2007, when two acquaintances-turned-close-friends came together with the idea of opening an ice cream store in their home borough of Brooklyn. But not just any ice cream shop—Jennie Dundas and Alexis Gallivan had bigger plans in mind. In addition to churning some of the very best organic frozen treats, their mission was to offer a product that made taste buds happy and hearts feel good.

The first way they went about this was by using dairy that is certified organic and sourced from pasture-raised cows—no hormones, antibiotics, harmful pesticides, or artificial additives. They believed in creating a product that wasn’t just better tasting, but also better for you. While you won’t find crazy, out-of-the-box flavors like you might at some other city-spawned creameries, you will find mastered classics, such as the standard chocolate and vanilla, as well as cookies & cream, sea salt caramel, midnight mint cookie, and more. These “elemental” flavors, as they call them, are made from carefully selected, natural ingredients.

They opened up their flagship store on Atlantic Avenue in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, and, just seven months later, their second store, in Prospect Heights. Pretty impressive for two first-time business owners! Next up, they focused on building a company that cares for the world around it through its sourcing, business practices, and community involvement.

This has since expanded to international efforts. In 2010, Blue Marble partnered with women in Butare, Rwanda to build Inzozi Nziza, which in Kenyan means sweet dreams. Since opening, the store has trained and employed dozens of women, supported local farmers and producers, and provided the Butare community with a place to relax and indulge in a refreshing, frozen treat. Today the shop is independently thriving and was even chronicled in a critically-acclaimed documentary film called Sweet Dreams.

When we started expanding our variety of ice cream brands to feature more local and artisanal varieties, it was a no-brainer to reach out to Blue Marble—but we had to put them to the test first! We sampled the company’s classics in a blind taste test with several other local ice cream vendors and chose the most delicious ones. Each employee filled out a form detailing their reactions to the tastings. “When we heard it was a blind taste test, we were thrilled because our ice cream had always won accolades for taste and texture, regardless of our unique and compelling brand story,” Vincent Biscaye, VP of Business Development & Sales at Blue Marble, told us. “We were delighted when our score came back so high.”

In the words of one of the buyers, “You ruined the taste test for me. I made the mistake of trying your vanilla first and it was all downhill from there!” We’ve been so proud of our unique partnership with Blue Marble in the years since, and it’s been exciting to see how much our customers love it.

Click to shop Blue Marble Ice Cream here.

PLUS: