We think time must certainly speed up during the holidays, and it’s always a bit of a struggle to get back on schedule in January.  The new snow always ... Continue reading →]]> It’s hard to believe 2011 is in the books.

We think time must certainly speed up during the holidays, and it’s always a bit of a struggle to get back on schedule in January.  The new snow always helps, though, as it covers everything in a blanket of white and creates a blank slate for things to come in the year ahead.

So what does that mean for us at Gifford’s?

We’re busy making ice cream (if you’re reading this, you probably love eating ice cream all year long, too!), making plans for opening our stands in March (it will be here soon!) and reading the customer comments that help us stay on our game.

And because we’re in Maine, we find time to bundle up and play outside in the snow.  After a long, cold day, we relax and warm up by the fire with a steaming mug of hot chocolate, made better by adding a big scoop of our Old Fashioned Vanilla to it.

Enjoy your winter!

Because we’ll be starting next season off with the debut of a new T-shirt design, we decided to clean out the ... Continue reading →]]> So much running around to do – wouldn’t it be easier to just pick up the phone?!

Because we’ll be starting next season off with the debut of a new T-shirt design, we decided to clean out the closet – and YOU can reap the benefit! We have a very limited supply of our “Road Sign” (in beige or black) and “Best on Earth” (chocolate brown) T-shirts on sale, below cost, for only $6.00 each (plus shipping if applicable).

Dial our Skowhegan office at 800-950-2604 ext. 43 (Mastercard, Visa, and Discover cards accepted) and check some names off that list!

There is travel to consider, holiday meals to plan and shop for, parties to attend, and gifts to buy.

Why put up with this craziness?  Because of ... Continue reading →]]> Time seems to move more rapidly at the end of the year.

There is travel to consider, holiday meals to plan and shop for, parties to attend, and gifts to buy.

Why put up with this craziness?  Because of friends and family who are part of our lives.  They’re the ones we welcome into our homes from faraway places, the ones we wrestle with a turkey for, and the ones who bring smiles to our faces when we think we’ve found just the right gift.

It’s all worth it.

At Gifford’s, we’re thankful for our colleagues at work, our families, our suppliers and you, our customers.  To you we say thanks, we hope you have a great Thanksgiving, and that time slows down just a little in the days ahead.

Chocolate Moose Tracks ice cream “Creamy chocolate ice cream rippled with melt-on-your-tongue Moose Tracks® fudge and sprinkled with mini peanut butter cups” for all of the fans who mentioned this ... Continue reading →]]> It’s change-up time in the  Special Batch line…

Chocolate Moose Tracks ice cream “Creamy chocolate ice cream rippled with melt-on-your-tongue Moose Tracks^® fudge and sprinkled with mini peanut butter cups” for all of the fans who mentioned this flavor on Facebook.

Mountainberry Cheesecake frozen yogurt “The rich flavor of Cheesecake in a smooth low-fat yogurt swirled with blackberries and nuggets of real cheesecake” – all of that in a creamy, tasty, low-fat treat!

On the shelves at participating retailers in the next few weeks.

“I just discovered you in (my local) grocery store… AND in the real half-gallon size. I was so angered by other brands removing 25%  of the ice cream from their 1/2-gallon size and ... Continue reading →]]> Happiness in a TRUE half-gallon…

“I just discovered you in (my local) grocery store… AND in the real half-gallon size. I was so angered by other brands removing 25%  of the ice cream from their 1/2-gallon size and selling it for the same price that I just did not buy ice cream… (then I found your product) I just couldn’t believe my eyes at the “treasure” I had just found. One would think that I had won the Megabucks…”

-Elaine of South Berwick, ME

Over the years, we’ve received a number of memorable questions, notes and suggestions.  One recent story about the lengths a customer went to so she could enjoy our French Vanilla made us smile, and it’s ... Continue reading →]]> Go the Distance!

Over the years, we’ve received a number of memorable questions, notes and suggestions.  One recent story about the lengths a customer went to so she could enjoy our French Vanilla made us smile, and it’s worth sharing here.

“I used to have to buy 6 at a time or the store would be sold out by the time I got out of work. It was a private joke here at work of who would get there first before it was all gone. I think you should make 2 gallon tubs of the sinful creation.  A quart is just an evening’s delight.”

- Diana

We live for feedback like that.  We’ll keep making the best ice cream we can make, and hope you’ll keep enjoying it.  (Just don’t break any traffic laws getting to the store!)

Toasted Coconut, ”Rich coconut ice cream liberally blended with chocolate toasted coconut flakes”, is a new flavor at scoop shops ... Continue reading →]]> Although we offer some really great flavors all year long, we also like to mix it up sometimes…

Toasted Coconut, ”Rich coconut ice cream liberally blended with chocolate toasted coconut flakes”, is a new flavor at scoop shops this year and has been a favorite topic among our Facebook fans.

Strawberry frozen yogurt, ”An abundance of Northwest strawberries pack this sweet, creamy, low-fat yogurt with the flavor of summer”, offers a simple and tasty choice for our low-fat devotees.

Gifford’s Special Batch retail quarts – new flavors or old favorites – pick some up today!

While that means saying goodbye to summer, it also means saying hello to a new season and everything great about fall in Maine.

Like our Pumpkin ice cream.  We ... Continue reading →]]> Like it or not, fall is right around the corner.

While that means saying goodbye to summer, it also means saying hello to a new season and everything great about fall in Maine.

Like our Pumpkin ice cream.  We make it with real pumpkin, not a concoction of mystery stuff that’s good enough for some folks.

That’s also the case with other flavors you’ll find in our stands and at your favorite grocery store.  We could use less expensive ingredients, add some colors and fancy packaging, and cut a few corners.

But our Grape-Nuts with Vanilla – a crunchy, creamy favorite in central Maine – is made with real Post Grape-Nuts.  We use almonds, pecans and pistachios and don’t mix in other nuts that cost less.  Our fruit ice creams use whole Maine Wild Blueberries and premium strawberries from Washington state.  Real Maine maple syrup gives our Maple Walnut unbeatable, authentic flavor.

And we start every batch of every flavor with fresh Maine milk from local family farms.

Making great ice cream is a process that depends on each and every ingredient.  That’s why we use only the best, every time, all the time.

We’re proud of that, and it’s what makes Gifford’s the best ice cream you’ll ever taste, scoop after scoop after scoop.  Eating ice cream with friends and family is fun, too.  ... Continue reading →]]> We eat, sleep and breathe ice cream.

We’re proud of that, and it’s what makes Gifford’s the best ice cream you’ll ever taste, scoop after scoop after scoop.  Eating ice cream with friends and family is fun, too.  We love seeing smiling faces at our five scoop stands, hearing people laugh it’s so hot that a scoop of Old Fashioned Vanilla melts almost faster than they can eat it.  (Almost!)

And we love hearing the solid “tink” of bat on ball when people connect with their best David Ortiz swing in the batting cages at our Waterville stand.  Or seeing the upset-but-really happy look on Dad’s face when he has to make good on his promise to buy scoops for everyone who beat him in a round of mini-golf at our stands in Waterville or Skowhegan.

Can you relate?  Whether you’re a stand regular or a first-time visitor, we appreciate being part of your summer, and promise you’ll always find the best ice cream we can make to go along with your summer fun.

We start with premium Northwest strawberries – eighty pounds for every 100 gallons of ice cream. ... Continue reading →]]> Sometimes the good things in life can’t be rushed. That’s why it takes us two days to make Gifford’s strawberry ice cream.

We start with premium Northwest strawberries – eighty pounds for every 100 gallons of ice cream. Then we lightly dust them with real sugar and allow them to sweeten gently overnight. The next day we strain them, reserve the juice, gently fold them into made-from-scratch ice cream and use the strawberry juice to flavor and color the ice cream.

And that is why every scoop of sweet, creamy Gifford’s premium strawberry ice cream has the taste of fresh strawberries.

Could we make it faster? Probably, but then it wouldn’t be Gifford’s. And you’d taste the difference.