Gifford’s Receives Ice Cream and Workplace Quality Awards

Skowhegan, Maine—Gifford’s Ice Cream, central Maine’s family-owned and -operated ice cream company, earned a perfect score and the title of “World’s Best Chocolate Ice Cream” in the World Dairy Expo 2009 contest.

Submissions are reviewed by dairy science professionals in a blind taste test based on flavor, body and texture, melting quality, color and appearance. The perfect score is extremely rare at the annual event, with Gifford’s as the only winner rating 100 percent. Held in Madison, Wis., the World Dairy Expo attracts more than 65,000 attendees from 80 countries.

Also in September, Gifford’s was name to the 2009 “Best Places to Work” list for The Griffin Report of Food Marketing, a regional trade publication. Companies were judged on factors including quality of leadership, a conscious effort to communicate with employees, and flexible work hours. Gifford’s employees said it is “a company that still treats its team members as members of the family” and one that “respects individuality and encourages it.”

Both awards are second-time wins for Gifford’s, having won the World’s Best in 2007 and named to the Best Places list last year, and are complementary and at the core of the company’s mission, said Lindsay Gifford, vice president of sales and marketing. “We select the finest ingredients available, and we are extremely proud of the quality of our product, but we just couldn’t make our award-winning ice cream without the commitment of our first-rate team. Our employees are critical to our success, and we’re honored by their dedication to Gifford’s.”