25 years and out for The Ice Cream Reporter

For years the single authoritative voice for news about the ice cream business has been the 8 page Ice Cream Reporter, written and edited by Howard Waxman.  The new issue has a short story about Italian coffee giant Illy’s entering the gelato business, and a long story about The Ice Cream Reporter ceasing publication.  The story lists some of the trends that have been important in the ice cream field including the continued influence of Ben and Jerry’s as a model for ambitious artisanal food startups.  “They (Ben and Jerry) also prompted untold numbers of MBA theses.  I know because through the late 1980s and early 1990s I was interviewed over and over again by graduate students trying to unlock the secret of the boys from Vermont.  I couldn’t tell them much other that it is as important to be lucky as it is to be good.  And it is also important to love what you do.  I think that over the years one of the most important things I’ve observed in the ice cream industry is that it is filled with people who love what they do.  There is something to be said for being involved in an industry that makes people happy.”