Publix Premium ice cream is one of our most beloved private label items. Whether you enjoy it from a bowl, on a cone or with a favorite baked good, kids and adults of all ages just can’t get enough of this classic dessert. While you may know which Publix Premium ice cream flavor claims the top spot in your heart, have you ever wondered how this iconic treat first entered our freezers? Legend has it, you can thank past Publix President, Mr. Joe Blanton, whose love for ice cream and dream of building a dairy at Publix led to the creation of Publix’s first private label ice cream products.
George Jenkins and Joe Blanton turn on the power in the Lakeland Dairy Manufacturing Plant.
Publix first began producing ice cream in 1980 at our Lakeland Dairy Manufacturing Plant. Back then, chocolate and vanilla were among the first flavors to be produced. More ice cream flavors were added to the lineup starting in 1982, and it wasn’t long before our Atlanta dairy manufacturing plant joined the ice cream manufacturing party in 1995. While there have been hundreds of different flavors over the years between the two plants, vanilla continues to be the most popular across the board.
Today, we continue to make our frozen treats at both facilities to keep up with demand; combined, they produce over 140,000 half-gallon containers per day! Between all the different product lines (including Limited Edition, Homemade Style, Light, Light with Artificial Sweeteners, Frozen Yogurt and Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert), we manufacture more than 120 different varieties. That’s a far cry from the initial flavors we began with less than half a century ago. We still continue to develop our own unique flavors that cannot be found anywhere else.
Ice cream flavors have certainly changed over time, but we still make our Publix Premium ice cream the old-fashioned way with milk and cream – no cutting corners. We carefully select the inclusions, choose quality ingredients and make these frozen treats in our own dedicated facilities to ensure the final products meet our high-quality standards. This all comes together to produce the rich, creamy flavors we all love so much.
With so many varieties to choose from, every member of the family can bring home their favorite flavor. Which flavor is at the top of your list?
Why doesn’t Publix promote their dairy products as local products if they are produced in Lakeland and Atlanta?
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