So what should we cover? I think in general these kinds of posts cover the random highlights of the last ten years. I'm not a huge fan of these posts because they tend to have a lot of filler, but let's see what my take can deliver.
The negative side of me wants to say that mainstream ice cream is dying a slow death. Name me one mainstream brand that hasn't significantly lowered quality in the last ten years. Edy's was already on the slide, but add in Breyers, Blue Bunny and Friendlys to the mix of brands I rarely eat anymore. Their fun sounding flavor is useless to me if it cant deliver a true ice cream experience (aka nice and cold but also not gummy). I do still stock the freezer with Blue Bunny's cherry flavor and Turkey Hill's cookie dough flavor for my wife, but neither are as good as they were ten years ago.
I know I'm a broken record on this, but the closest I can get to old school mainstream ice cream is Turkey Hill's all natural line up. Earlier this year TH said 2020 would have new all natural flavors and I hope they stick to that because while I do still enjoy it, it can be a bit boring. (their 2020 limited edition calendar is all frozen dairy dessert)
Fun can still be had in the mainstream category. Perry's density & texture did fall a few years ago, but they still have a lot of fun with flavors (they don't skip on flavor and mix-ins like Tillamook does). I've also had some luck with Target's Market Pantry brand. It's not old school, but it can be fun. (anyone want to chime in on how Blue Bell, Homemade or Pierre's is holding up?)
Now don't go thinking that this phenomenon only happens to main stream ice cream. Our beloved Graeter's ice cream? Yeah, they don't pack the density and calories they used to. Yes, it's still good, but it's not that mind blowing type density and flavor that it was. Ben & Jerry's doesn't pack the same calories either, but because they started high, it's not as noticeable that they came down a bit. I still enjoy Talenti but you can tell that they've trimmed costs by trimming flavors and mix-ins.
No one is immune to cost cutting, not even treats. Drumstick is still fun, but it's not 2009 fun. Magnum shrunk their bars from 3.38 fl oz to 3.04 a few years back. I don't even bother with Klondike anymore. Too many treats use frozen dairy dessert nowadays. Sure, there are good treats to be had out there, but a lot of them aren't cheap. I just wish there was a happy middle ground (especially since sometimes those super expensive treats are freezerburned because no one else wants to pay the high price).
Ok, the negative side is pretty negative. The positive side is that in some ways, we have a lot more choices now. The downside is that the greater selection often comes at the cost of there not being room for your favorites. There used to be a 3 to 2 to 1 ratio of Ben & Jerry's to Haagen-Dazs to Talenti, but recently the ratio has come down to 1 to 1 to 1 as more stores make room for the latest freezer aisle trends. We've had debates about this before (often with people mad at me for saying their "favorite" light alternate is doomed) but the truth is that their will always be some kind of alternative ice cream, they tend to just not last that long.
I feel like I don't hear much from the old school "healthy" players anymore either. Healthy choice ice cream is gone, and weight watchers seems pretty quiet (though they did update their packaging). Skinny cow is also around but I feel like I see them a lot less. Companies are looking for that next big thing, somewhere to get a foot in for "big growth" but the healthy alternative is really just the most volatile part of the freezer aisle. I certainly wouldn't invest my money there.[I know it sometimes seems like I'm just guessing at this stuff, but remember that Nestle recently shifted their ice cream business from their main company over to a joint venture. Nestle has lost over 4% of the US market share this past decade and is more interested in segments that are growing.... wait, Dead Foods filed for bankruptcy? Their stock is now down to 5 cents a share after hitting five dollars at the beginning of the year?. Wow. Just wow. What will that mean for Friendly's, Dean's, Steve's and Mayfield ice cream?]
Anyway, back to the positivity of more choice. When 2010 started, I reviewed Talenti's #3 flavor, double dark chocolate. Now we have seen #58 flavors from them. Actually, you could say we got the gift of gelato in the 2010s. Talenti had the most growth, but we also saw the rise of tasty Gelato Fiasco. Ciao Bella gelato had an interesting run this decade - here's hoping High Road can get them more profitable. Most recently I have found Dolcezza gelato (my geeky side loves their pint design).
What else is positive? Everyone likes having more high end stuff available right? The high roads, the Jeni's, and all of the other expensive pints that are now more readily available? I'm still too cheap to send out for things like Ample Hills or McConnell's, but it's cool to know that they are out there somewhere.
Should I wrap this up? Probably. I feel like I have more complaining to do but I'm going to take a break for now. Let's start the conversation in the comments section. Do you eat more or less ice cream than you did a decade ago? Does the last decade of change make you happy or sad or both? Want to make a prediction for the next decade?
Have a happy and safe new year's everyone!
