The Perry’s ice cream story began back in 1918 when H. Morton Perry purchased the Akron milk route in Western New York, which he named Perry’s Dairy. In 1932, Morton began using his mother’s family recipe to make ice cream and thus, Perry’s Ice Cream was born.
Almost 90 years later, the regional company still thrives as the number one ice cream brand in Western New York – producing and distributing a wide variety of products, including premium ice cream, light ice cream, no sugar added and fat free ice cream, sherbet, frozen yogurt, novelties and frozen custard.
All Perry’s products are manufactured onsite in the 90,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility – located just 25 miles from Buffalo – that produces over 11 million gallons of ice cream annually. Perry’s is synonymous with quality; the company’s reputation is recognized across the industry for its high standards.
“My great-grandfather set the standard for Perry’s when he founded the company,” said Brian Perry, executive vice president and vice-chairman. “I feel very fortunate to be part of our fourth-generation company and I take great pride in continuing his dedication to quality and innovation today.”
Perry’s established its relationship with the OU in 1984.“We wanted to become a kosher manufacturer to expand our territory and meet our customers’ needs,” said Perry. “Customer commitment is our top priority, which is why we chose to partner with the most recognized kosher organization – the Orthodox Union.”
Perry’s has an outstanding relationship with OU’s rabbinical field representative, Rabbi Moshe Heimowitz, and rabbinic coordinator, Rabbi Michael Coleman. “The rabbis’ industry knowledge and our mutual trust have helped us establish a very strong partnership,” said Robin Waite, senior food technologist.
Over 90 percent of Perry’s products are OU certified. “The OU symbol represents another layer of safety for our products,” said Waite. “It’s a vital part of our production process that we take very seriously to ensure we maintain a kosher facility.
“Each time we begin pasteurization, we start with a kosherization process,” said Waite. “We use the highest temperatures possible during this process, while also maintaining our safety standards.”
Perry’s uses modern equipment to produce ice cream the old-fashioned way. The company uses a slow-cooking process to make its ice cream one batch at a time. Perry’s produces over 75 mouthwatering premium ice cream flavors that delight the palates of children and adults of all ages. Some of the most popular flavors among consumers include standbys like Vanilla, Chocolate and Neapolitan, as well as more daring flavors like Panda Paws, Peanut Butter Cup and Piece of Cake.
Calorie-counting consumers can indulge in Perry’s line of light ice cream, including Light Crème Brulee, Peanut Butter Cup, Mint Chocolate Chip and Panda Paws.
The latest flavor to hit the Perry’s lineup, Buffalo Sabres Top Shelf Sundae, has scored big with hockey fans. A portion of the proceeds from the sales of Top Shelf Sundae benefit the Buffalo Sabres foundation, a non-profit foundation that is committed to enhancing the quality of life across the Western New York region.
While Perry’s strategizes on a more global scope, the company maintains its regional roots in Western New York. Perry’s supports local dairy farmers and hundreds of New York State businesses to do its part in contributing to the economic growth of the region. Perry’s also gives back to the community by proudly supporting numerous organizations throughout the year.
As Perry’s continues to grow and evolve, one thing remains constant – its commitment to old-fashioned values and its internal “Believe, Foresee, Achieve” philosophy. “We have a versatile, talented team that represents our family name very well,” said Perry. “We all continue to give 110%,we put customers first and we strive to raise the bar every day. It’s exciting to watch people as they enjoy eating our ice cream. Seeing the red Perry’s logo on our products assures consumers that a great experience is inside. Life is a bowl of Perry’s!”