Come Tour the Ben and Jerry's Factory With Me
By the middle of a Dartmouth term, I'm usually itching to get off campus to explore the surrounding areas. Many students get off campus with the Dartmouth Coach, a bus that stops right in front of Baker-Berry Library and drops students off in Boston and New York. Another popular option is to rent a Zipcar on campus to visit neighboring areas in New England. Some popular towns that Dartmouth students like to explore include Lebanon, NH; Quechee, VT; and Woodstock, VT. For the past year, I had been hoping to make it to Waterbury Village, VT, to tour the Ben and Jerry's factory. During a relatively slow week at Dartmouth, I asked my friend Joanna '26 if she wanted to join me, and we were off!
After classes wrapped up at 3:30 pm on Wednesday, Joanna and I picked up our car near the Dartmouth Alumni Gym. The drive was about an hour long, but I enjoyed taking the time to decompress from school. Time flew by quickly between listening to music, enjoying the spring scenery, and recapping our week. I love having the flexibility to plan impromptu trips in college!
We immediately knew we had reached our final destination as we pulled up to an iconic blue building with towering milk, sugar, and cream containers. As we walked up the factory ramp, Joanna and I were greeted by laughing children licking ice cream cones, cow-patterned trash cans, and a Ben and Jerry's ice cream truck. While we waited for our tour to begin, we checked out the main lobby and explored the gift shop. I ended up picking up two maple syrup bottles as small gifts for my professors.
The tour started promptly at 5 pm with our lovely tour guide, Steven, who led us into a theater room to watch a 5-minute promotional video about Ben and Jerry's beginnings and the values that guide their mission. Then, the group headed to the factory's upper floor to look at the machinery.
Steven walked us through the nine stages of production that the ice cream goes through. The ice cream wasn't in production the day we visited, but Steven mentioned that most of the magic happens inside the machines, so we weren't missing out on much. In the final stage of the tour, Steven guided us to the Flavor Lab to check out the new flavors in development. I helped myself to a generous sample of their latest Mango ice cream flavor as Steven answered some last-minute questions.
Before Joanna and I hit the road, we had to check out some outside attractions. We took a peek at the Quality Assurance lab, where testers sample the quality of the ice cream. During our tour, Steven mentioned that testers eat about a pint of ice cream daily, so one of the job perks is a free gym membership!
As we wandered outside the factory, Joanna and I checked out a small playground where some kids were playing after the tour and the "Flavor Graveyard," where discontinued Ben and Jerry's ice cream flavors were put to rest. Some of the flavors on the tombs included "Sugar Plum" and "Devil's Food Chocolate." I definitely recommend checking out the factory tour during your next visit to Dartmouth!
