Growing up tastefully: Brigham's Ice Cream celebrates 90th anniversary

Dairy Foods, March, 2004

New Englanders scream for it--premium Brigham's ice cream, that is. This year, the Arlington, Mass., company celebrates its 90th birthday, reflecting on a rich, flavorful legacy of producing and marketing high quality dessert products to loyal consumers for nearly a century. Generation after generation, New Englanders continue to pass along the great-tasting tradition of Brigham's ice cream.

The Brigham's story began in 1914 in the brothers Symmes' Post Office Square basement facility where Boston's finest candy and ice cream was produced under the Durand Company name. Ten years later across town in Newton Highlands, Edward L. Brigham began a successful ice cream business. Brigham became a neighborhood hero, making ice cream and candies from closely-guarded recipes in the back room of his store. He served his five-and-ten cent cones and twenty-cent sundaes in such generous portions that people flocked to the store from miles around, requiring extra police officers to handle weekend crowds. With an eye on expansion, the Durand Company and Brigham's made the decision to merge, maintaining the Brigham's name, along with the commitment to making the best tasting ice cream around.

Soon, more than 25 Brigham's restaurants and ice cream parlors opened throughout the region. Responding to growing consumer demands in the early 1980s, Brigham's introduced quarts of its preferred premium ice cream in supermarkets. Today the brand enjoys distribution in every major supermarket in New England.

In 1993, as a growing market for non-fat ice cream and yogurt emerged, Brigham's purchased Elan Frozen Yogurt. Since then, Elan has experienced significant growth in sales for several consecutive years, despite an overall industry decline. In one year alone, 2000-2001, production of Elan gallons increased more than 26%, while frozen yogurt sales dropped nearly 4% across the segment.

The company says Brigham's Vanilla ice cream is the number one selling ice cream and frozen food item in the Boston market, and has been for more than a decade.

The company's research and development team continues to pursue growth opportunities with exciting new product launches, such as its Big Dig[R] Ice Cream flavor, Raspberry Lime Rickey Sherbet, and seasonal special flavors. In 2003, Brigham's introduced its first novelty ice cream bar.

In 2004, Brigham's celebrates 90 years of producing and marketing high quality dessert products to loyal New England consumers. Made with only the finest vanilla extract, Vermont cream and milk, Pacific Northwest strawberries, and top-quality whole nuts and mix-ins, it's not hard to see why Brigham's remains one of New England's top selling ice cream brands.