Dreyer's
Encyclopedia
Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Holdings, Inc., a subsidiary
of Nestlé
, is a United States
-based producer of ice cream
and frozen yogurt
had originated in 1928 as Edy's Grand Ice Cream, a Northern California
business under a partnership of Joseph Edy and William Dreyer. In 1947 the partnership dissolved. In 1953, William Dreyer, Jr. took over and changed the name from Edy's Grand Ice Cream to Dreyer's Grand. In 1981, the company expanded and re-adopted the name Edy's Grand Ice Cream when marketing its product east of the Rocky Mountains
, so as to not be confused with another company named Breyers
. Hence they market under the Dreyer's name in the Western United States
and Texas
, and under the Edy's name in the Eastern
and Midwestern United States
.
The two brand names honor the company's founders: Joseph Edy, a confectioner, and William Dreyer, an ice cream maker. Joseph Edy was born in Missouri
and raised in Montana
. In the 1920s, he and his wife Grace decided to join his brother in California. In 1925, Joseph Edy opened the doors to Edy's Character Candies Shop in Oakland, California
. Edy's high-quality candy quickly became recognized as among the best in the East Bay area, and Edy was soon operating six shops. Also in the 1920s, William Dreyer had an ice cream manufacturing venture in the California dairy country community in Visalia
. In 1926 he was recruited to run a large new plant in Oakland for National Ice Cream. In Oakland he met Joe Edy.
In 1928, Edy and Dreyer decided to join forces to manufacture high-quality ice cream. They secured a small factory and launched Edy's Grand Ice Cream (the "Grand" reflected their street address on Grand Avenue
in Oakland). They focused on creative innovations to fuel their small venture. For example, the two men used Joseph Edy’s knowledge and expertise in candy-making to create the original Rocky Road ice cream, from a combination of flavors which Edy had previously invented. The chocolate, marshmallow and nut flavor was named Rocky Road as a means of describing the ice cream’s texture as well as the troubled economic times of the Great Depression. Edy and Dreyer are also credited with originating the Toasted Almond and Candy Mint flavors. At the time ice cream had limited flavors such as vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, but Rocky Road, introduced in 1929, was one of the first combination of flavors. Because only large marshmallows were manufactured at the time, he used his wife’s sewing scissors to cut marshmallows into bite-sized pieces to make the first batch of Rocky Road. Another flavor called Cookies and Cream, the fifth top-selling U.S. flavor for the last 20 years, was invented by Edy’s employee John Harrison and was the fastest-growing flavor in the history of ice cream.
(2 quart
s) container (1.89 L) was down sized to 1.75 quarts (1.65 L) container. In May 2008, the 1.75 quart container was further downsized to 1.5 quarts (1.42 L). Other ice cream manufacturers followed the downsizing move. As of 2008, most of Dreyer's ice cream has been reformulated with cheaper whey
or skim milk among the two chief ingredients rather than cream and milk, though both are still present in smaller quantities. These particular flavors are labeled as "frozen dairy dessert" rather than ice cream
.
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
of Nestlé
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
, is a United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-based producer of ice cream
Ice cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
and frozen yogurt
Frozen yogurt
Frozen yogurt is a frozen dessert containing yogurt or other dairy products. It is slightly more tart than ice cream, as well as lower in fat...
had originated in 1928 as Edy's Grand Ice Cream, a Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
business under a partnership of Joseph Edy and William Dreyer. In 1947 the partnership dissolved. In 1953, William Dreyer, Jr. took over and changed the name from Edy's Grand Ice Cream to Dreyer's Grand. In 1981, the company expanded and re-adopted the name Edy's Grand Ice Cream when marketing its product east of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
, so as to not be confused with another company named Breyers
Breyers
Breyers is a brand of frozen dessert and ice cream owned by Unilever . They have a large plant in the town of Framingham, Massachusetts, outside Boston....
. Hence they market under the Dreyer's name in the Western United States
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and under the Edy's name in the Eastern
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...
and Midwestern United States
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
.
The two brand names honor the company's founders: Joseph Edy, a confectioner, and William Dreyer, an ice cream maker. Joseph Edy was born in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
and raised in Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. In the 1920s, he and his wife Grace decided to join his brother in California. In 1925, Joseph Edy opened the doors to Edy's Character Candies Shop in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
. Edy's high-quality candy quickly became recognized as among the best in the East Bay area, and Edy was soon operating six shops. Also in the 1920s, William Dreyer had an ice cream manufacturing venture in the California dairy country community in Visalia
Visalia, California
Visalia is a Central California city situated in the heart of California’s agricultural San Joaquin Valley, approximately southeast of San Francisco and north of Los Angeles...
. In 1926 he was recruited to run a large new plant in Oakland for National Ice Cream. In Oakland he met Joe Edy.
In 1928, Edy and Dreyer decided to join forces to manufacture high-quality ice cream. They secured a small factory and launched Edy's Grand Ice Cream (the "Grand" reflected their street address on Grand Avenue
Grand Lake, Oakland, California
Grand Lake, or the Grand Lake District, is a neighborhood of Oakland, California. The neighborhood is located near the northeast corner of Lake Merritt, where Grand and Lakeshore Avenues pass under Interstate 580. It borders Adams Point to the west, Trestle Glen to the east, and Piedmont to the...
in Oakland). They focused on creative innovations to fuel their small venture. For example, the two men used Joseph Edy’s knowledge and expertise in candy-making to create the original Rocky Road ice cream, from a combination of flavors which Edy had previously invented. The chocolate, marshmallow and nut flavor was named Rocky Road as a means of describing the ice cream’s texture as well as the troubled economic times of the Great Depression. Edy and Dreyer are also credited with originating the Toasted Almond and Candy Mint flavors. At the time ice cream had limited flavors such as vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, but Rocky Road, introduced in 1929, was one of the first combination of flavors. Because only large marshmallows were manufactured at the time, he used his wife’s sewing scissors to cut marshmallows into bite-sized pieces to make the first batch of Rocky Road. Another flavor called Cookies and Cream, the fifth top-selling U.S. flavor for the last 20 years, was invented by Edy’s employee John Harrison and was the fastest-growing flavor in the history of ice cream.
- 1906 William Dreyer made his first frozen dessert to celebrate his ship's arrival in America from GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. - 1981 Dreyer's went public and its shares were traded on NASDAQNASDAQThe NASDAQ Stock Market, also known as the NASDAQ, is an American stock exchange. "NASDAQ" originally stood for "National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations". It is the second-largest stock exchange by market capitalization in the world, after the New York Stock Exchange. As of...
under the ticker symbol DRYR. Around this same time, current Dreyer's President Ken Cook went into the vanillaVanillaVanilla is a flavoring derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla, primarily from the Mexican species, Flat-leaved Vanilla . The word vanilla derives from the Spanish word "", little pod...
business. Since that time Dreyer's ice cream has been made with Cook's Vanilla which is produced by Cook Flavoring Company. - 2002 In June NestléNestléNestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
acquired 67% of Dreyer's. In January 2006 it took full ownership of the company, thus becoming the world's biggest ice cream maker, with a 17.5% market share. Dreyer's has also acquired its own ice cream brands, including the Snelgrove's Ice CreamSnelgrove's Ice CreamSnelgrove Ice Cream began as a family-owned company in Salt Lake City founded in 1929 by Charles Rich Snelgrove , and later managed by his eldest son C. Laird Snelgrove. The operation remained family owned until about 1990...
brand in Utah. - 2004 Dreyer's began using a new churning processes called low-temperature extrusion. Unlike traditional churning methods, the ice cream does not need to be frozen once it is done churning. Since this freezing stage produces large ice crystals, which gives the ice cream a grainy texture, manufacturers would add milk fat to counterbalance the grainy texture. As this extra freezing process isn't necessary with low-temperature extrusion, the "slow churned" line of ice cream is labeled as containing two-thirds the calories and half the fat of "regular" ice cream. Dreyer's has also extended this process to other brands besides its two flagship brands, such as Häagen-DazsHäagen-DazsHäagen-Dazs is a brand of ice cream, established by Jewish-Polish immigrants Reuben and Rose Mattus in the Bronx, New York, in 1961. Starting with only three flavors: vanilla, chocolate, and coffee, the company opened its first retail store in Brooklyn, New York, on November 15, 1976...
, which it produces under a license from General MillsGeneral MillsGeneral Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
. - 2006 Dreyer's Whiskey BottomWhiskey Bottom RoadWhiskey Bottom Road is a historic road north of Laurel, Maryland that traverses Anne Arundel and Howard Counties.-Route description:Whiskey Bottom Road runs through North Laurel, Maryland starting at Maryland Route 198 in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. The road continues westward across U.S...
Ice Cream plant in LaurelLaurel, MarylandLaurel is a city in northern Prince George's County, Anne Arundel County, and Howard County, Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. Incorporated in 1870, the city maintains a historic district including its Main Street...
, MarylandMarylandMaryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, is expanded to give Dreyer's the two largest ice cream plants in the United States.
Cost-cutting changes
In 2002, Nestlé insisted on a smaller container to increase profits and so the standard US half gallonGallon
The gallon is a measure of volume. Historically it has had many different definitions, but there are three definitions in current use: the imperial gallon which is used in the United Kingdom and semi-officially within Canada, the United States liquid gallon and the lesser used United States dry...
(2 quart
Quart
The quart is a unit of volume equal to a quarter of a gallon, two pints, or four cups. Since gallons of various sizes have historically been in use, quarts of various sizes have also existed; see gallon for further discussion. Three of these kinds of quarts remain in current use, all approximately...
s) container (1.89 L) was down sized to 1.75 quarts (1.65 L) container. In May 2008, the 1.75 quart container was further downsized to 1.5 quarts (1.42 L). Other ice cream manufacturers followed the downsizing move. As of 2008, most of Dreyer's ice cream has been reformulated with cheaper whey
Whey
Whey or Milk Serum is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a by-product of the manufacture of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is manufactured during the making of rennet types of hard cheese like cheddar or Swiss cheese...
or skim milk among the two chief ingredients rather than cream and milk, though both are still present in smaller quantities. These particular flavors are labeled as "frozen dairy dessert" rather than ice cream
Ice cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
.