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The History of Bassetts ice cream is unique. They have been around for a long long time. They are America’s oldest ice cream brand. On today’s show, we talk with Alex Bassett Strange. Alex is the sixth generation to get involved with the ice cream business.
A Brief History of Bassetts Ice Cream
Bassetts ice cream began in 1861 by Lewis Dubois Bassett. In the early days he churned his ice cream by mule power. In 1892 Bassetts moved into the basement of Reading Terminal Market. Today they are one of the oldest businesses in the Market. Through the years they have had many ups and downs. From tasting sweet success to being on the edge of financial ruin, today they are still moving forward stronger than ever.
How Bassetts Has Changed Through The Years
Alex was clear, Bassetts isn’t always interested in chasing the latest fads and trends in ice cream. If they develop a new flavor then they have to find a flavor that they can drop. Their case of ice cream in Reading Terminal Market can only hold so many flavors. That being said, they have a large variety of flavors that is sure to keep everyone happy.
Interesting Flavors??
Have you ever had a craving for green tomato ice cream? What about borscht flavored ice cream? Believe it or not these are some of the flavors Bassetts has had over time. Green tomato flavored ice cream was one of the first flavors that Lewis Bassett developed.
In 1959, Lewis Lafayette Bassett Jr. produced 50 tubs of borscht flavor ice cream for the Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev. Of the two flavors, I’d be more interested in trying borscht flavor.
How You Can Find Bassetts Ice Cream Today
Alex mentioned in our interview that you can find Bassetts ice cream in a number of grocery stores in the northeastern United States. They have a map online that they update frequently. Now you can always see if you are near a store that sells Bassetts. You can check the map here.
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