At Mayfield Dairy Farms ``Flavor Masters'' Lead the Charge to Develop Next Generation of Cookies & Cream Ice Cream

Business Wire, April 18, 2005

ATHENS, Tenn. -- Ice Cream Veteran Gives Glimpse of the Sometimes Painstaking Process of Product Development

Can you tell the difference between Vanilla, Homemade Vanilla, French Vanilla, and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream? Scott Watson can. And in a country where, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, people consume over 20 quarts of ice cream per person per year, that's a valuable talent. Grabbing a scoop of the $20.5 billion annual sales(a) requires constant innovation and flavor tuning. Athens, Tennessee-based Mayfield Dairy Farms' ten member Flavor Committee, lead by Watson, has the enviable task of developing flavors and bringing a new generation of Cookies & Cream, one of five new flavors this year, to grocers freezers. Here's how.

Experience Creates the Flavor

It can take up to a year for a flavor to go from concept to cone. During the three-month flavor development process, the Flavor Committee - a dedicated group of people from across the company, including: Watson and representatives from sales, marketing, quality control, production, and accounting - will taste and score many different ideas. "Though there is an official committee, we also like to grab folks off the production floor to participate and be a part of the process," said Watson. "It's important to get a variety of perspectives and tastebuds as our team works through the development of new flavors."

Unlike many companies today that outsource their consumer relations, Mayfield still has its own internal consumer affairs department (1-800-MAYFIELD). While the phone calls are sometimes to discuss a recipe or product availability, many times consumers provide insight into food trends by suggesting flavors they hunger for. It's the immediate ability to track consumer input while taking the pulse of the larger marketplace that helps Watson and the committee identify trends.

A Team's Keen Sense Develops the Perfect Recipe

Watson, who's own palate is particularly sensitive to chocolate and vanilla, and the Flavor Committee worked to find the best chocolate cookie for this new flavor. After they tested different brands and types of cookies for inclusion, the dark, rich chocolatey flavor of the Keebler brand sandwich cookie was selected because it played best against the creamy mousse ice cream. Originally formulated with a vanilla ice cream, the profile and consistency was right - but the flavor was not. The committee knew that white chocolate mousse ice cream would be the perfect foil for this cookie. Once the ideal components were identified, they were incorporated to create what would become the new Cookies & Cream ice cream.

The Standard Bearer

In introducing Cookies & Cream, after retiring their Cookies & Vanilla, the Flavor Committee knew it had to develop an uncommon take on a favorite flavor. "Our standards have always been incredibly high. That's why Mayfield is one of America's most popular ice creams. It was the team's special challenge to help recreate a classic flavor like Cookies & Cream that beat even our expectations," Watson, an 18 year veteran of the dairy industry, enthused. "Over the years, we've introduced many blockbuster flavors like Moose Tracks and our Snow Cream(R) Frozen Dessert. Now it was time to finesse a favorite and take it to the next level."

Throughout the year, Mayfield hosts consumer focus groups for a variety of reasons. One thing they are gathered to do is to help taste new products. In those groups, Cookies & Cream ice cream was a resounding hit. "I was thrilled that in blind taste tests our Cookies & Cream was the hands down winner time and again," said Mayfield President Scottie Mayfield.

The Right Name

It can be costly to develop a flavor. But if a flavor isn't christened with the right name it can be a tough sell. "We've learned to pay special attention to naming flavors," explains Mayfield. That's why the focus groups are asked to evaluate not only the taste of new products - but to also suggest what the name should be in order to entice them to buy. The names are reviewed by the Flavor Committee and each new flavor is bestowed with the perfect one.

The End Result

Each year, Mayfield brings two to four different flavors to market such as last year's blockbuster Snow Cream(R) Frozen Dessert. This year, Mayfield will introduce five new flavors, including Cookies & Cream. "We start with creamier white chocolate mousse ice cream and add rich, dark chocolate Keebler sandwich cookie pieces to make what we believe is the best Cookies & Cream there is," Mayfield says. "It's possible that this flavor will work its way into one a top seller," he added. According to initial sales figures the new flavor is already closing in on the top ten.

The end result of the Flavor Committee's hard work, Cookies & Cream Ice Cream, will be available in pints and 56 ounce cartons in the grocer's freezer beginning this month. "You know, I love my job," beams Watson. "We sample ice cream off the line in the lab each day at 3 p.m. for taste, texture and overall quality. It's one of the best parts of the job."