is blue bell ice cream halal

Dairy farmers in the region would bring their excess cream to the Brenham Creamery Company where it would be turned into butter. Even if you mix all three together, it still tastes good. They interfere with each other so much that both pistachio lovers and almond lovers will be dismayed. Second, there are no shortages of cherries in the mix. It's one of the best-selling ice cream brands in the country, and it's t. On August 17, 2015, Blue Bell announced a five-phase plan to return to store shelves:[43]. [14] After the incident, multiple copycats were committed, and some were jailed. If you doubt their claim, it will take only one mouthful for you to realize that they are probably telling the truth. All production and packaging takes place within Blue Bell facilities, which are able to produce over 100 pints per minute. If you want healthy ice cream, pick one of the fantastic low-calorie ice creams. The pivot was a good choice, as it's hard to imagine Blue Bell's butter becoming as big of a cult favorite as Blue Bell's ice cream has. Four good reasons to indulge in cryptocurrency! While the combined flavors are still yummy, you'll soon realize that you should have either gone with the vanilla or the chocolate. Today, ice cream lovers can find Blue Bell on the shelves in 23 states. Withdrawals, & It was founded in 1907 in Brenham, Texas. A DUI is not going to stop you from employment. At first glance, you may think this flavor is similar to Strawberries & Homemade Vanilla. Ed Kruse - MyBestYears.com INTERVIEW SPOTLIGHT, "Blue Bell names new president, new chairman", "Annual Report on Blue Bell Creameries's Revenue, Growth, SWOT Analysis & Competitor Intelligence - IncFact", "How a billionaire brought back Blue Bell ice cream", "Blue Bell expanding to Vegas due to popular demand", "Blue Bell ice cream expanding to North Las Vegas area with distribution centre", "Ice cream licker could face 20 years - CNN Video", "Copycat Blue Bell ice cream licker arrested in Louisiana", "The leading 10 ice cream brands of the United States in 2014, based on sales (in million U.S. dollars)", "Blue Bell Creameries Inc - Movers & Shakers - company profile", "Blue Bell CEO encourages students to meet future challenges head-on", "Orbiting station gets solar panels, and then dessert", "Blue Bell Ice Cream- Still a Half Gallon", "Blue Bell Recalls All Products After Listeria Outbreak", "Multistate Outbreak of Listeriosis Linked to Blue Bell Creameries Products (Final Update)", Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Blue Bell recalls all its ice cream products over Listeria concerns", "Blue Bell to dispose of 8 million gallons of ice cream after recall", "Outbreak of Listeriosis Linked to Blue Bell Creameries Ice Cream Products", "Ice-Cream Recall Sends Chill Through Food Industry", "Blue Bell: We haven't laid off anyone in 100 years and we won't do it now", "1,450 Blue Bell workers losing jobs after listeria problems", "Blue Bell will begin limited distribution Aug. 31", "Broken Arrow facility begins production", "Blue Bell ice cream returning to stores in Richmond and elsewhere in Virginia beginning this week", "Dept. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. In an abundance of caution, the company is recalling a full day of production of this flavor from this manufacturing facility. Blue Bell Creameries is an American food company that manufactures ice cream. There's lemony Jo's Lemon Pie, campfire-perfect S'mores at the Silos, sweet and creamy Wacotown Vanilla, rich chocolate Magnolia Press Chocolate Cake, and caramel-packed Chip's Salted Caramel Truffle. There's also natural vanilla bean, which has black flecks of vanilla bean in the finished product. [39] 1,450 (or 37 percent) of the company's employees would be laid off, while another 1,400 employees were furloughed until cleanup/repair operations concluded, and the remaining 1,050 involved in essential operations and cleanup/repair operations had wage reductions imposed on them.[40]. The almonds are roasted and chopped, which admittedly add a satisfying amount of taste and texture to this ice cream. Blue Bell birthday cake ice cream is pretty much the best thing ever and is a cult favorite of the brand. Is Blue Bell Ice Cream Safe 2020? On March 6, 2017, Blue Bell reopened the three distribution centers located in Tucson (1) and Phoenix (2) to complete distribution across the state of Arizona. A rich, creamy vanilla ice cream that has the special taste of egg custard. "It is normal for commercial resupply missions to deliver a small amount of fresh food to the astronauts, generally fruits or vegetables, with ice cream only occasionally making the trip," NASA spokesman Daniel Huot said (via The Dallas Morning News). The failed Dill Pickle 'n Cream is joined by other flavors that simply couldn't take off. For much of its early history, the company manufactured both ice cream and butter locally. The resulting ice cream is a jamboree of flavor from the first scoop to the last. It's not, however, literally hand-cranked ice cream, as it would take a whole lot of hands doing a whole lot of cranking to make as much homemade vanilla as the company sells. Halal ice cream is ice cream that conforms to specific standards promoted by Islamic dietary laws. Please check actual product label as information may change. Although your taste buds will be able to tell that there are multiple flavors at play, the only flavor you will be able to pinpoint with any assuredness will be almond. Belle made it online in 2018 with a blog, and the first post announced that she'd "been around Blue Bell for a very long time." Others recommend taking only basic common sense precautions avoiding non-halal products, and not worrying about gray areas of the dietary laws. This recall is being conducted in cooperation with the FDA. When chocolate is what you desire, pick up a carton of this Blue Bell ice cream and by the time you see the bottom of the container, you'll be completely and overwhelmingly satisfied. That'd be a huge upgrade but apparently, Blue Bell wanted to keep pretending that this is cake-flavored and not just a roundabout way of selling almond-flavored ice cream. From there, this flavor features chunks of dark chocolate, along with bits of chewy caramel, walnuts, almonds, and pecans. All affected stores are directly delivered to and serviced by Blue Bell Creameries and have been instructed to remove the product from their shelves. Most often asked questions related to bitcoin. There's also no sugar added country vanilla, which is an "old fashioned, down-home vanilla that reflects the rich, creamy flavor of the country.". If you want vanilla ice cream with a tiny bit of fruitiness mixed in, go ahead and buy this Blue Bell flavor. However, while it may look similar, there are some important differences. 2, A Handbook of Halal and Haram Products Vol. [6], The company has its roots in the Brenham Creamery Company, which opened in 1907 to purchase excess cream from local dairy farmers and sell butter to people in Brenham, Texas, a town situated approximately 70 miles (110km) northwest of Houston. The first was the low-calorie Slenderette. It's everything you love about ice cream mixed with the forbidden wonder of raw cookie dough that you've been told over and over again not to eat. The general term "halal," or "law," refers to a wide set of rules for Muslims that includes somewhat strict dietary requirements. Homemade Vanilla - Blue Bell Creameries The Original Homemade Vanilla Our most popular ice cream and with good reason. Blue Bell Ice cream all flavours are not Halal. Predictably, it was a major flop. If you pick this flavor, you should know that it mostly tastes like vanilla. If you want to keep things chilly, go for an iced coffee or a cold brew. How much commission does a State Farm agent make? For Blue Bell, that includes an attempt at Dill Pickle 'n Cream, according to Houston History Magazine. When shopping for Blue Bell ice cream, the one flavor you most need to avoid is Light Homemade Vanilla. In 2015, Blue Bell issued a series of recalls (see below for more on this) that eventually shut down production and led to all of its products being recalled on April 20, culminating in job cuts and furloughs (as well as the reduction of its 23-state sales territory) resulting from the shutdown the following May. It's just that simple. ); and. But this flavor grew in popularity so quickly that Blue Bell decided to keep it around. The vanilla flavoring is too strong and the aftertaste is too sweet. South Dakota State University claims that dairy plant manager Shirley Seas and students Joe Leedom and Joe Van Treek were the first to invent what they called Oreo ice cream in 1979. Given these allegations, the Delaware Supreme Court found that the complaint supported a reasonable inference that Blue Bell did not have board-level controls over one of the "most central. There's no middle ground for you to safely land in when it comes to this dessert. And, we top it off with the special skills and knowledge we have developed. State Farm is cheap because the companys stellar reputation for customer service and claims support earns them more customers than any other provider. It could create a 10-US-gallon (38L) batch of ice cream every 20 minutes. And "diner coffee" might be a bit too accurate here. Instead, Wing utilizes drones to carry packages through the air, right to customers' doorsteps. To add to the fun, pieces of sweet strawberries add small yet pronounced explosions of flavor to each scoop. Last but certainly not least, a generous number of pecans that have been coated with praline are tossed in. While that's not necessarily a bad thing, you'll definitely be disappointed if you thought you were in store for something that tastes like raw cookie dough. When it comes to cakes and ice cream colliding in the dessert universe, you usually see ice cream mixed with red velvet cake or birthday cake, for instance. Some experts have urged the average halal shopper to use the guide of kosher designations, where foods that qualify as kosher are also likely to qualify as halal. While Strawberries & Homemade Vanilla is too reliant on vanilla, that's not an issue with Strawberry. Even listeria wasn't enough to stop Blue Bell fanaticism for some people. Blue Bell continues to target health-conscious consumers today with homemade vanilla light, which is like the brand's most popular flavor, just with less fat and calories. This creation captures the taste of a Southern grandma's homemade. We use only the most delicious and highest quality ingredients. [11] Blue Bell often tends to expand to markets during March each year, expanding to Colorado on March 14, 2011, followed by the Richmond and Hampton Roads areas of Virginia in 2013, and Las Vegas in 2014. They need to worry a good deal . Blue Bell was quickly growing throughout the 2010s when it was faced with the biggest scandal in company history in 2015. [36] At its main production facility in Brenham, one of its production machines (which produced most of the recalled products) was so contaminated that Blue Bell announced it would permanently stop using the machine, and condensation was also reported in parts of the Brenham facility. We're not sure about you, but we here at Mashed often dream of ice cream raining down from the sky. Ultimate Neapolitan is very similar to the aforementioned The Great Divide. Don't fall for it. "[36] On July 14, 2015, Sid Bass, a prominent Texas investor, became a partner and investor with the company; Blue Bell secured a $125 million loan to continue operations. While the test market was in the Denver metropolitan area, there was speculation that the rest of the state would soon see Blue Bell on store shelves. Usually in the range of $100k to $250K for the agent who owns the agency. Dairy farmers primarily in Texas contribute milk and cream to Blue Bell. When you first learn that Homemade Vanilla is the most popular flavor of Blue Bell ice cream, you may be shocked. Even less bizarre ice cream flavors like a peanut butter ice cream and one flavored with macadamia couldn't cut it, Houston History Magazine notes. Failure is just one part of innovation, though, and Blue Bell has a long list of successful regional and seasonal flavors, like the Florida-inspired key lime pie ice cream. Firstly, instead of tasting like cookie dough, it tastes like pieces of fully baked chocolate chip cookies have been added to the ice cream. You won't want to relinquish your spoon until every last drop is gone. Occasionally, the pieces of cones are so hard that they're difficult to chew. Blue Bell has regularly been among the top five selling ice cream brands in the United States, despite distributing to less than half the country. Plan a trip to see how we make ice cream at our production facilities located in Brenham, Texas and Sylacauga, Alabama. As far as I know, it doesn't contain alcohol. A month later, phases 3 and 4 began. The first instance happened to a half-gallon of tin roof at a Walmart in Lufkin, Texas, according to CNN. In February of that year, a listeria outbreak was traced back to the Brenham, Texas factory by state health officials. It's like regular cookies and cream ice cream with some extra goodies added in to put an even bigger grin on your face. Unfortunately, that's not actually what happens. *Limitations on our packaging materials and dry ice may limit the number of orders we can accept daily. Take one lick and the old-timey goodness of this dessert will instantly grab your attention and won't let go. [53], "Department of Justice investigating Blue Bell Listeria outbreak", List of dairy product companies in the United States. This ice cream is strawberry-flavored to its core and there's nothing vanilla about it. At Blue Bell, we enjoy making and eating ice cream and frozen snacks. The company wants to know your last 10 years Of employment. In any other scenario, however, you should pick another ice cream with a more fruit-forward flavor. As the name suggests, the secret to Blue Bell's Homemade Vanilla is that it legitimately tastes like it was crafted by your grandparents with a hand-cranked ice cream machine. The public lost trust in the product and Blue Bell had to shut down its factories, but the problems didn't end there. What are the ingredients in Blue Bell ice cream? Eat it plain, top it with chocolate fudge, or add your favorite fruits. The latest time, however, the person was caught and ordered to pay more than $2,500 in fines and serve 30 days in jail, according to a March 2020 CNN story. That said, this won't go down as the best version of Rocky Road that you will ever eat. something@somedomain.com. It's truly what chocolatey dreams are made out of. As we quickly found out, Blue Bell ice cream defines Brenham. *Please bring your credit card information with you. Somehow, we think they managed just fine. Evidently, the mashup was meant to be. For example, I had no idea that natural vanilla flavoring is considered haram because it is made with vanilla extract and the extracting agent is alcohol. It was the third-largest ice cream manufacturer with 6.4 percent of the ice cream market in 2014 after Nestl and Unilever, according to the New York Times. In March of 2022, the ice cream maker announced it would begin selling a line of five new flavors at the marketplace (via Southern Living). Best Homeowners Insurance Companies of 2021. [29] Eventually, this flavor would be distributed to Blue Bell's entire sales territory. In theory, these two things could work. [44], On January 28, 2016, the company resumed distribution to large portions of the Southeastern US.[45]. If you're brave enough to dig in, your worst fears will come to fruition. We first sent Blue Bell to space in 1995, and it has been on several missions since [then], including the 2006 Space Shuttle Atlantis and in 2012 on SpaceX.". Blue Bell discoveredthe issue when it was notified by a consumer of the presence of a piece of a plastic tool in a half gallon of Butter Crunch Ice Cream. Halal ice cream is ice cream that conforms to specific standards promoted by Islamic dietary laws. So we're picky about what goes into them. Next, you have the people who are so grossed out by the thought of pistachio ice cream that they wisely stay away. And as is bound to happen when posting something like the #IceCreamChallenge on social media, the person was once again caught. The board of directors hired E.F. Kruse, a 23-year-old former schoolteacher, to take over the company on April 1, 1919. But instead of being an effective distraction, that extra amount of sweetness makes everything about this flavor even more off-putting. If you look hard enough, you'll find chunks of strawberries here and there. But after you put this ice cream to your lips, all your confusion will vanish. ". It won't take long for you to be convinced that you've found one of your favorite flavors of Blue Bell ice cream. [47][48] The investigation, by the DOJ's Consumer Protection Branch, is reportedly led by trial attorney Patrick Hearn, who successfully prosecuted executives of the Peanut Corporation of America in 2015. At his suggestion, the company was renamed Blue Bell Creameries in 1930 after the Texas Bluebell, a wildflower native to Texas, and which like ice cream thrives during the summer. Ice cream should not be anywhere near the top of the list when it comes to people searching for health foods, but that doesn't mean there aren't ice creams that are slightly less unhealthy than others. In December 2015, CBS Evening News reported that the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) had launched a federal criminal investigation into Blue Bell Creameries, to determine "what exactly Blue Bell executives knew about the contaminations and unsanitary conditions, when they knew, and what they did in response". So, what are these delectable flavors? FDA does not endorse either the product or the company. Why is this ice cream so unbelievably tasty? As far as the producers who work for them make very little on commission (they are however compensated with regular wages but if their production is lower than quota, he or she will most likely not have a job). Blue Bell tried to cement its name in Cookies 'n Cream history by filing for a trademark for the flavor in 1981. [32], Despite a series of subsequent recalls, and the temporary shutdown of its Broken Arrow plant, "an enhanced sampling program" launched by Blue Bell produced "several positive tests for Listeria in different places and plants", including three further cases in Texas. This flavor would be a handful of spots higher in the ranking if it had actual pieces of roasted almonds in it. The application claims Blue Bell's first use was in December of 1978, but by 1984, the "trademark application was refused, dismissed, or invalidated by the Office.". The company investigation revealed the broken tool was inadvertently incorporated into the production process in a small amount of product. This tool helps you do just that. The only logistical problem with the plan was that the freezers would need to be filled with science samples within a few weeks, meaning the astronauts had to eat all the ice cream within that time. Blue Bell Ice Cream is voluntarily recalling a select lot of half gallon Butter Crunch Ice Cream produced on a specific line on August 26, 2019 in its Sylacauga, AL plant because of the. It's a claim under a fair amount of dispute. HERSHEY'S Chocolate Syrup, Gluten Free, Fat Free, 24 oz Bottle. In 1930, the company changed its name to Blue Bell Creameries after 19 years of going by Brenham Creamery Company. In Texas and other parts of the Southeastern United States, it's not summer without Blue Bell ice cream. Blue Bell might only be sold in 23 states, but its reach extends much further all the way to outer space, in fact. Blue Bell is bringing back its Tin Roof flavor, a vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce and chocolate-coated peanuts. To camouflage the lack of creaminess, Blue Bell has attempted to distract your taste buds by adding extra sugar. Although there is no added sugar, there are five grams of sugar alcohol. It's not a bad flavor, mind you, but it's a real disappointment compared to the alternative. That's nothing to complain about and the cookies and cream aspect makes this a much better option than Blue Bell's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough flavor, but just know that you should keep your expectations in check. While you may be able to find flavors of Blue Bell ice cream that aren't on the list, we've made sure to include all of the most popular flavors in this ranking. The cherry flavor is so strong that you may want to eat this dessert slowly so that your senses don't become overloaded. Overall, this area comprises only 20% of the United States. [21] Within five months of its entry into Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the company had garnered 35% of the ice cream market. It's easy to get confused, which is unfortunate because there's a monumental difference between the two. BREHNAM, Texas (KWTX) - Texas-based creamery Blue Bell on Thursday announced classic flavor Tin Roof is now back in stores for a limited time. Since this ice cream is made with real coffee beans, it's unquestionably a cool way to get your daily caffeine fix. Blue Bell's Southern Blackberry Cobbler has a plentiful amount of blackberry sauce. Phase 3: Southwest Texas (San Antonio) and central Oklahoma including Oklahoma City. More Recalls, Market Brenham, TX Sylacauga, AL Over 100 Years "It seems to be an astronaut favorite. I bet you can make some very delicious ice cream at home with high quality, halal ingredients. This issue has not been widely resolved, and continues to get attention from those who are looking for clear designations on halal products. However, before you celebrate, you should know that Cookies 'n Cream Cone is still a work in progress. I've always considered alcohol as something that intoxicates and I've never heard of anyone getting intoxicated from ice cream. In 1992, Blue Bell built a new manufacturing facility in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. For every hit new flavor like Cookies 'n Cream, there's bound to be a few spoiled tries. As of 2015, the company operated three manufacturing facilities, with the largest facility in Brenham, and auxiliary facilities in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and Sylacauga, Alabama. While Blue Bell struck gold with Moo-llennium Crunch, not all their trials have been successful. From its claims that it invented one of the most popular ice cream flavors in the country, to how its limited distribution helped return a missing person to her home, the brand has a history nearly as rich as its flavors. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site. The use of additional animal products can also interfere with the designation of an ice cream product as halal. [34][35], At the same time, the company shut down production and commenced cleanup and repair operations at its manufacturing facilities. They are not to be confused with bluebonnets, which grow wild in the dry parts of Texas and have blue flowers with white tips. Beyond the cookie crumbles, you'll discover swirls of fudge along with pieces of chocolate ice cream cones that have been blessed with an additional layer of dark chocolate. The general term halal, or law, refers to a wide set of rules for Muslims that includes somewhat strict dietary requirements. "Texas A&M has certainly influenced the way in which we do business at Blue Bell, so what better way to show appreciation from our family and our company than to support this project," Howard Kruse said. There are a number of brands that blow Blue Bell's diet ice creams out of the water. If what you're craving is a more blended mix of chocolate and vanilla ice cream, then just head to Wendy's and order a chocolate Frosty. Blue Bell is Texas through and through, so it's only natural that the brand is named after a ubiquitous Texas wildflower. One of the oldest names in the market, Blue Bell Creameries, has been making ice cream for a really long time. Those markets, including Charlotte, Kansas City, Louisville, and Phoenix, were added based on the fact that Blue Bell will effectively service those areas. As is apparent if you've read this far, Blue Bell has a plethora of outstanding flavors. It was founded in 1907 in Brenham, Texas. It's likely due to Blue Bell's vast experience when it comes to making this flavor. Today, Blue Bell has moved back up in the ranks. After many years of selling ice cream only in Brenham, the company began selling its ice cream in the Houston area, eventually expanding throughout most of Texas including the DallasFort Worth metroplex and the state capital of Austin. Blue Bell, for its part, addressed the news with a statement that read "Please don't consume Blue Bell products. Kruse was also charged with seven felony counts of covering up the listeria outbreak by telling employees to clear out potentially contaminated ice cream without telling retailers or consumers. Kruse was tasked with righting the company, according to Southern Living, and he figured a new name would help. Blue Bell didn't exactly go into great detail when naming their coffee-flavored ice cream. Blue Bell could have saved a lot of confusion by just naming this flavor Almond, really. More than $1,500 of that money went to Blue Bell Creameries to pay for the ice cream it had to recall in Port Arthur, Texas after the video was posted. How could vanilla reign supreme when this brand has so many scrumptious flavors? Your love affair with this flavor of ice cream will commence instantaneously. From the moment you first smell this ice cream, you'll know you've made a mistake. While it is true that Blue Bell doesn't have the most "healthy" or consumer-friendly ingredient list, as of 2021 they are ranked number three in annual revenue and take a whopping 52% share of the ice cream market in Texas alone. If you've tasted Ben & Jerry's version, you know how much potential cookie dough ice cream has when it has been perfected. Blue Bunny/Ben & Jerry's. Best: Blue Bunny Pistachio Almond ice cream 150 calories, 20% saturated fat, 13 grams of sugar. Ben & Jerry's- Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ben & Jerry's- Cookie Dough Ben & Jerry's- Half Baked Ben & Jerry's- Caramel Chew Chew Bounty Ice-Cream BILLABONG Chocolate It'd be possible to look beyond Blue Bell's nutritional trickery if this flavor was otherwise tasty. [17][18] Drivers of delivery vehicles personally stock store shelves so they can ensure it is handled properly. Blue Bell ice cream is mostly enjoyed in the South, although it is sold in 23 states nationwide. Others mentioned vanilla extract not being allowed. In March 2018, the company began distribution to much of Indiana, midsection of Kentucky and northern New Mexico. Next, swirls of praline sauce are added to the party. The idea was to make the ice cream green and put bits of pickle chips in it. Phase 1 began on August 31, 2015. Houston History Magazine detailed one case in 1991 where that limited distribution played a part in returning a woman lost in the Grand Canyon to her home. By removing the fat, Blue Bell removed most of the creamy goodness that makes all their other ice cream options so memorable. Popular Blue Bell Ice Cream Flavors, Ranked Worst To Best. Rocky Road is a flavor of ice cream that has a history that dates back as much as 100 years. [30] While Blue Bell spokespersons reacted positively to the name change proposal, the post became controversial among some Facebook users who dismissed the original name as inoffensive. The container claims that there are pieces of white cake in the mix, along with cream cheese that's been flavored with amaretto (which is generally made with almond extract). Food Safety News found other reports of people selling black market "pre-listeria" Blue Bell across Texas. Inampudi, Naveen and Debbie Z. Harwell. This firm, founded by dedicated ice cream chefs, focuses on providing its clients with a taste of sophisticated flavors and some never-before-seen combinations that make Bell's ice cream so unique! Phase 2: North central Texas (DallasFort Worth) and northern Oklahoma including Tulsa (near the company's Broken Arrow facility). And yet, one of those things might just be the powerhouse couple of Chip and Joanna Gaines. Though you might think that a mix of pistachio and almond would work well together, in reality, the combination is a flop. In 1911, the creamery began to produce small quantities of ice cream. Twenty of the flavors are offered year-round, while an additional two to three dozen are offered seasonally. Instead, please return the product to the store where you purchased it for a refund.". While some experts believe that types of gelatin sometimes disqualify ice cream products for halal compliance, others feel that the most common gelatin products are still halal as long as they dont come from pigs, since pork is a food widely considered to violate halal standards. It transports all the ice cream via UPS for next-day delivery. "[51] On October 22, 2020, Paul Kruse, Blue Bell's CEO during the outbreak, and formerly, its general counsel,[52] was indicted on seven counts of conspiracy and wire fraud for his part in the alleged cover up. In April 2022, the delivery service Wing, which is a subsidiary of Google's parent company Alphabet Inc., announced it will begin delivering Blue Bell Ice Cream to the homes of customers located in Frisco and Little Elm, Texas. There would be no ice cream without milk. Description. [7], By 1919, the Creamery was in financial trouble and considered closing its doors. Slowly but surely, the popularity of this brand grew. Occasionally, when Blue Bell enters a market the company marks the occasion with the introduction of a regional flavor within that market. Together, though, they were a non-starter. Bluebells (the plant, not the ice cream) bloom bell-shaped flowers from bulbs in the spring just around the same time hot weather brings ice cream cravings.