Ice cream makers compete for Ben & Jerry’s taste buds

August 13, 2021  |  By Cheryl Casey

On set in Waterbury at “Ben & Jerry’s: Clash of the Cones.” Left to right: Host Molly Yeh; judge and Ben & Jerry's flavor guru Chris Rivard; judge Ali Tila, a pastry chef, cookbook author, and spouse and business partner of fellow judge Jet Tila (middle) a celebrity chef and restaurateur); far right is one of the show's contestants. Photo byAnders Krusberg/Food Network

The tasting room at the end of the Ben & Jerry’s factory tour has gotten real – as in, a new television reality series. 

In late May, local residents watched in curiosity as a TV film crew blocked off Rotarian Way and the street parking along Park Row. Spokespeople for the production declined to comment at the time, and very little information was disclosed to the public. All anyone knew was that the show had something to do with ice cream tasting and Ben & Jerry’s.

A call for local residents to take part in order to be part of the taste-testing came with non-disclosure agreements.

Finally, the cone of silence has melted.

In a press release, Discovery announced a new, four-episode series called “Ben & Jerry’s: Clash of the Cones,” which will premiere on its streaming service, discovery+, and Food Network on Monday, August 16. 

The series takes six ice cream makers and devises weekly challenges, inspired by celebrity guests, to stretch the contestants’ flavor creativity to its tastiest. 

“After concocting their creations, the competitors hit the streets to have the public vote their favorite flavor, with the winner earning immunity from elimination. Judges Jet and Ali Tila and Ben & Jerry's Flavor Guru Chris Rivard determine which competitor was the least successful, sending that ice cream maker home and that flavor to the infamous Ben & Jerry’s Flavor Graveyard,” said the press release. 

Hosted by cookbook author Molly Yeh, the series calls on movie star Kevin Bacon, hip-hop artist Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, pastry check Duff Goldman, and baker Buddy Valastro to bring the inspiration to the specially-constructed ice cream lab at the Ben & Jerry’s factory grounds. Other backdrops include the Waterbury Train Station and Rusty Parker Park.

Waterbury Center residents Margaret and David Luce were among the public taste testers. They remarked on how interesting they found the process of filming a reality television show. 

“We’re always up for something new. We were there for more than three hours, mostly waiting around,” Margaret Luce said, adding, “It wasn’t a bad experience.”

David Luce agreed calling it a fun time, “but a bit lengthy because of the constantly shifting demands of the crew.” 

A TV crew working with Discovery and the Food Network recruited locals and set up for filming in downtown Waterbury for two days in late May. The show begins to air Monday. Photo by Gordon Miller.

Amy Scharf of Waterbury also found the behind-the-scenes experience with a TV show interesting. “The people were very kind and the ice cream makers were wonderful to talk to and hear their stories,” she said in an email.

Local residents recruited for the project had roles as taste testers. They were asked to sample the six flavors inspired by Kevin Bacon. “Some of them were a little odd,” Margaret Luce admitted. But as is typical of Ben & Jerry’s, she said, “They were loaded with stuff.”

Scharf said she’s eager to see the finished product. “I will be curious to see how it all blends together on the actual show,” she said. “There were many ‘do-overs’ where we were asked to walk by again, vote on our favorite again, or be handed another ice cream.”

Votes were cast using spoons, with each spoon’s color corresponding to a flavor sample. “You put the color spoon in a box to vote for your favorite flavor,” Margaret Luce explained. 

Ben & Jerry’s Flavor Graveyard figures prominently in the series, and not just as the final melting place of the eliminated concoctions. According to Discovery, the special 90-minute premiere episode challenges the competitors “to start their journey at the end, when they must resurrect flavors” from the graveyard to use in the icy innovation that will freeze their spot in episode two. 

The dairy destinies of the final three competitors will be decided by none other than ice cream icons Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield themselves. They will choose who receives the “grand prize of $20,000  – the exact amount Ben and Jerry hoped to make in their first year of business,” announced Discovery.

Some of those who took part in the project say they hope that Waterbury comes out as a winner regardless of the ice cream top prize. “I love seeing our town get in the spotlight either here in VT or nationally,” Scharf said. 

Preparing to watch the series, she said she’s sent the viewing details to friends and family. “I hope to see the kids that were there. They had a great time,” Scharf acknowledged, crediting them with being “so patient, as this took a few hours to complete.”

To catch the latest ideas in frozen chunks and swirls, grab a pint and tune in to Food Network or discovery+ streaming on Monday at 9 p.m. EST. If nothing else, it will be fun to try and spot familiar faces in the crowd.