For this road trip episode, Discover Austin headed east to Brenham, Texas. Here I visited the Blue Bell Creameries with Johanna Fatheree, a native of Brenham and Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Advantage.

Discover Austin explores the culture of Central Texas. We visit landmarks, events, restaurants, history, and much more.

Craig Smyser, Fiv Realty
512-650-7300
Craig@RealEstateInAustin.com

Greetings! I’m Craig Smyser. I’m at Blue Bell Creameries in Brenham Texas for this road trip episode of Discover Austin.

Blue Bell has long been a part of life in Texas. When we decided to come out to the Little Creamery, I knew we had to call Johanna Fatheree, who has been in Brenham her entire life, in fact she's seventh generation. I know her because she's the Broker / Owner of RE/MAX Advantage but I also knew she'd be a great tour guide out here at the Blue Bell Creameries. So, Johanna tell us a bit about what we're going to see.

So many great things to see here at Blue Bell. Today we're going to see the Visitor Center, the Ice Cream Parlor, the Country Store, and the Observation Deck.

Over 200,000 people visit the Little Creamery each year and the visitor’s center is the first stop. It provides a nice overview of Blue Bell and the ice cream that they sell. They opened in 1907 as the Brenham Creamery Company and sold butter. Ice cream was added in 1911. In 1930, the name changed to Blue Bell (which is a native Texas flower but not to be confused with another popular Texas flower, the Blue Bonnet which was featured in episode 8). By 1958, butter production was eliminated to focus only on ice cream.

One of the highlights is the Observation Deck. While we’re not permitted to show you the view from deck, I can tell you that you it overlooks one of the production areas in which the ice cream is put into the containers. While many ice cream companies reduced the size of their containers years ago, Blue Bell held firm and is still sold in half-gallon containers. The Observation Deck offers a neat glimpse into the making and packaging of ice cream and you definitely should take a look for yourself.

Perhaps my favorite part is the Ice Cream Parlor. Blue Bell offers over 50 flavors of ice cream, though only about 20 are available year-round while the remaining are rotated quarterly. Many of the flavors are available right here, including some that are only available to ice cream parlors and cannot be purchased in stores. And for only $1 a scoop, you can enjoy as much ice cream as you’d like. If you are wondering, the top three flavors of Blue Bell ice cream are Homemade Vanilla, Dutch Chocolate, and Cookies & Cream, in that order.

When you’ve had your fill of ice cream, or perhaps when you are just taking a short break from eating ice cream, be sure to visit the Old Country Store. There’s plenty of Blue Bell inspired gifts and goodies to take home with you.

Over the years the company grew slowly and didn’t expand into larger Texas cities until the 1960s. Now they are in about 20 states and are the number 3 ice cream brand in the country even though the top brands are sold in all 50 states. Blue Bell is so popular in Texas and Louisiana that more than half the ice cream sold in those states features a girl and her cow on the label.

When you visit, be sure to spend a bit of time in Brenham itself. It’s got a quaint downtown with shops and restaurants and exudes that great small-town Texas feel. Located about 90 miles east of Austin, the drive is nice and offers a fun excursion for the day.

Blue Bell ice cream is always incredibly delicious, but it tastes even better when you enjoy it right here at the Little Creameries in Brenham. I'm Craig Smyser, and I'm Johanna Fatheree with RE/MAX Advantage. Thanks for joining us for this road trip episode of Discover Austin.

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