Breyers Is Runner-Up To This Go-To Ice Cream Brand In A New Survey

Now that summer is officially here, the one item sure to be on just about many people's shopping list is ice cream. This perennially cool antidote to hot summer weather remains unchallenged as the seasonal dessert and snack treat of choice. In fact, according to the Dairy Reporter, not only are global revenues for ice cream still on the rise, by 2024 they're expected to exceed $20 billion dollars. Thus, there's really no debate about ice cream's status as a classic summer satisfier. Where there is still some debate, however, is which brand of ice cream are people most likely to reach for on their next trip to the supermarket?

So that's the question we asked our Tasting Table readers, surveying 626 of them to find out their favorite ice cream brands as of summer 2022. The results, as expected, were hotly contested, with each of the five brand options on our poll receiving at least 14% of the vote. Iowa-based Blue Bunny finished in fifth place after being named the favorite of just 14.38% of respondents (90 votes). Another "Blue," Blue Bell, narrowly avoided cellar dweller standing, finishing in fourth place with 15.18% (95 votes).

Which brand won? Given the results, the real winner almost has to be Unilever, since as the Washington Post notes, the London-based multinational company that now owns both Ben & Jerry's and Breyers; the top two brands in our poll. The former bested the latter, according to our respondents, as Ben & Jerry's garnered 27% (169 votes) versus just 22.84% (143 votes) for our runner-up, Breyers. Häagen-Dazs finished in the middle position, in third place, as the favorite of 20.61% of those surveyed (129 votes). This was something of a surprise, as among the brands we polled, Häagen-Dazs trailed only Ben & Jerry's in sales in 2021, per Statista. 

The people have spoken, however. Ben & Jerry's is the preferred ice cream brand, a supremacy surely aided by the company's penchant for adding bold new flavors. Just this month Ben & Jerry's announced nine new offerings. The verdict is still out regarding the coolest new ice cream flavors for this summer, but given some of the creative options that have already been unveiled, it's quite clear who the winners are: All of us!