April 27, 2016
A day in the life of a Ben & Jerry's employee can be a tough one. From hanging out with our office dogs to getting covered in Chocolate Therapy, we work hard and we have a lot of fun while we're at it. A lot of people ask us what it's like working around ice cream all day. The truth is, it's a little weird, a little wild, and a lot of delicious:
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The Pint Sprint
Even though we get three pints a day as a sweet work perk, it’s always a mad rush to the freezers when a new flavor comes in. And camping out overnight to be first in line is, well, frowned upon.
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Standing Guard is a Must
We do whatever we can to protect pints of our favorite flavors throughout the day. Disguise them. Write our names on them. Put them in an identifiable bag. Just don’t leave them on your desk all day, that never ends well.
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One Scoop or Two?
Everybody wants to put ice cream in their morning coffee. Beats 2% or half-and-half any day!
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Your Friends Know You’ve Got the Goods
Whenever your friends invite you to parties, they know that you’ll be bringing ice cream. Let the others bring chips and dip, you’ve always got the sweet treats covered.
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The Pop-In Always Means Poppin’ a Pint
And when friends come to your house, they always know they can count on you for an ice cream pick-me-up.
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You Have Some Strong Feelings
You come to have a strong opinion about every flavor (because you’ve tried them all—every. single. one.).
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Where’s the New Stuff?
Waiting for a new flavor to come in can be a struggle. Employee not-so-favorites tend to linger a while in our freezers.
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Always Part of a Well-Balanced Meal
You learn that ice cream is a great accompaniment to any lunch. Or, if you forget your lunch, ice cream is an awesome substitute.
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Ice Cream Eaters Wanted
Sometimes it’s literally your job to eat ice cream. For photo shoots, taste tests, and flavor development, sometimes your 9:00am meeting is with a pint of Phish Food.
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We Use a Lot of Pint Charts
We use ice cream as an analogy for everything—like explaining how big money compromises elections, or how climate change is impacting our food systems.
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Desk Cleanup is A Necessity
Ice cream gets on everything—your desk, your files, your face. It’s inevitable. We always keep a roll of paper towels nearby.
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Ice Cream Has an Irresistible Siren Song
Sometimes it can be distracting. When you need a little pick-me-up in the afternoon, a bowl of your favorite flavor always sounds pretty appealing!
All in all, we’re not complaining. Every day is weird and wonderful, just like our euphoric ice cream flavors.