The seventy-year-old dairy company, McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams, has debuted its first-ever vegan ice cream tubs.
The Santa Barbara-based company made the plant-positive accountment by sharing the news in an Instagram post. McConnell’s captioned “DAIRY-FREE for all! It’s here. Starting with a limited release of 2 flavors (Eureka Lemon & Marionberries and Dark Chocolate Chip) in all of our scoop shops NOW. More flavors to come and pretty blue pints online and in grocery this spring!”
“Delicious flavors, peerless ingredients, and the smooth and consistent texture McC’s fans expect, in a revolutionary and innovative, dairy-free offering. The industry’s first frozen dessert made from our own proprietary blend of pea protein! #dairyfree #plantbased #mcconnells”.
Just one day before McConnell’s shared this news, the company posted a foreshadowing snap, saying “[w]e love cows. ☀️???? But we know some folks don’t do dairy, and who are we to deny them?” In true Internet style, fans were quick to pick up this on this and began eagerly waiting for the official reveal.
According to Specialty Food, the company knew these dairy-free ice creams needed to be suitable for the growing plant-based market, yet meet the high standards of quality the brand’s dairy-counterpart products hold. Therefore, these new releases, just in time for spring, have been a year in the making.
“There’s nothing interesting or innovative about coconut cream, almond or cashew milk, or soy-based “ice creams”, McConnell’s co-owner and CEO, Michael Palmer told Specialty Food. “These are the same products that’ve been out there for years, and the results are rarely worth it.”
Palmer adds it has been difficult to remove the coconut or roasted nut taste from ice cream products made with a coconut cream or nut base. He says competitors tend to over-flavor their products or combine the ice cream with additives that give the products a chalky or inconsistent texture.
“People who crave great ice cream want to taste great ice cream, whether it’s dairy-based or not. The last thing we want to have to do is apologize for giving customers a lesser experience. They shouldn’t have to settle,” adds Palmer.
Image Credit: McConnells Fine Ice Cream
This post was last modified on December 15, 2020 6:38 am