Roger, Randall and John Gifford receive an award for Old Fashioned Vanilla from the National Ice Cream Retailers Association in 1984.

Mainers aren’t known for tooting their own horns, and we’re about as humble as anyone around here, but when you make the World’s Best anything, it’s pretty hard to keep a lid on it. (And believe us, once the lid is off and the spoons are out, the ice cream doesn’t last long.)

Right from the get-go, experts have been recognizing Gifford’s with accolades and awards. Being named World’s Best Chocolate Ice Cream or World’s Best Vanilla Ice Cream is nice and all, but perhaps the sweetest award we’ve received recently is the 2010 People’s Choice 1^st Place at the New Jersey Ice Cream Festival for Gifford’s Chocolate Lovers Chocolate. After all, we slow churn it for regular folks, not industry experts.

The World Dairy Expo is considered the industry’s most important dairy competition

World Dairy Expo

2011 Grand Champion (Grade A & Ice Cream)

2011 World’s Best Chocolate

2011 World’s Best French Vanilla

2010 Grand Champion (Grade A & Ice Cream)

2010 World’s Best Chocolate

2009 World’s Best Chocolate

2008 World’s Best Orange Sherbet

2007 World’s Best Chocolate

2005 World’s Best Vanilla

National Ice Cream Retailers Association

1st Place Strawberry

1st Place Old Fashioned Vanilla

1st Place Chocolate

Best New Flavor Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip frozen yogurt

NJ Ice Cream Festival

2011 2nd Prize in the People’s Choice – Chocolate Lovers Chocolate

2011 3rd Prize – Old Fashioned Vanilla

2010 People’s Choice Award – Chocolate Lovers Chocolate

2010 First Prize – Old Fashioned Vanilla

2009 First Prize – Old Fashioned Vanilla

2008 3rd Prize in the People’s Choice for Maine Lobster Tracks

2008 First Prize – Old Fashioned Vanilla

Institute for Family-Owned Businesses

2008 Gannett Family Business of the Year