Graeter’s Ice Cream, America’s oldest family-owned craft ice cream maker, has teamed up with food ingredients company Perfect Day to introduce Perfect Indulgence, a new line of vegan frozen desserts using Perfect Day’s animal-free dairy protein. Scheduled for online availability starting November 27 and distribution through Graeter’s scoop shops beginning December are six flavors: Black Cherry Chocolate Chip, Cookies & Cream, Oregon Strawberry, Mint Chocolate Chip, Chocolate and Chocolate Chip.
“The taste of Perfect Indulgence is exactly what our customers have come to expect after 150 years of bringing them irresistibly indulgent ice cream,” said Richard Graeter, fourth generation family member, president and chief executive officer of the Cincinnati, Ohio-based company that bears his surname. “We are excited to finally be able to serve authentic Graeter’s indulgence to guests who choose to eat vegan or cannot enjoy our regular ice cream due to a lactose intolerance.”
This marks a major innovation milestone for the ice cream brand, allowing Graeter’s to make a product that is virtually indistinguishable from traditional ice cream by using animal-free protein from microflora rather than cow milk.
“We’re honored to partner with Graeter’s Ice Cream, a venerable brand beloved for its great taste and uncompromising quality,” said Ryan Pandya, co-founder and chief executive officer of Emeryville, California-headquartered Perfect Day. “From the coasts to the Midwest, and across the entire world, everyone’s looking for kinder, greener offerings that deliver on taste appeal. This is just the beginning of what we see as a tremendous opportunity to share delicious, animal-free dairy with people in a mainstream capacity.”
The partnership with Graeter’s to produce Perfect Indulgence is the latest in a series of Perfect Day product collaborations to develop animal-free foods. It comes on the heels of the company’s expanded Series C round from SK Holdings, which increased Perfect Day’s total funding to $400 million.
About Graeter’s
Graeter’s Ice Cream, celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2020, produces craft ice cream using French Pots, a small batch, artisanal method of production dating back over a century. In competition with 13 national brands, Graeter’s was voted the #1 Vanilla Ice Cream by MyRecipes.com in 2019. The company currently has 55 of its own retail stores and ships over 300,000 pints annually for online mail order sales. Its product line can also be found in more than 6,000 grocery outlets in 46 states across the USA.
