Ben & Jerry's ice cream

Brand origin and founding

Ben & Jerry’s began as a single scoop shop in Burlington, Vermont, founded by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in May 1978; the company grew into a packaged‑ice‑cream business known for chunky mix‑ins and socially driven branding. (en.wikipedia.org)

Ownership history

Ben & Jerry’s was sold to Unilever in 2000 and operated as an independent subsidiary under Unilever for many years. In 2025 Unilever separated its ice‑cream division into a standalone, publicly listed company called The Magnum Ice Cream Company N.V.; Ben & Jerry’s became part of that newly independent ice‑cream group. (en.wikipedia.org)

Manufacturing and geographic footprint

Ben & Jerry’s products are produced in multiple countries. The original and long‑standing U.S. manufacturing hub is the Waterbury, Vermont factory (the historic production site and public factory experience). For Europe, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream sold across many European countries is produced at the Hellendoorn (Netherlands) factory; additional production and packaging occur in other regional plants to serve local markets. Overall the brand’s supply network is global and regionally localized. (benjerry.com)

Current structure and notes on governance

Although Ben & Jerry’s is part of the larger Magnum Ice Cream Company group, the brand historically retained governance arrangements intended to protect its social‑mission voice (including an independent board structure). Since the 2020s there have been public governance and strategic disputes between the brand’s independent directors/co‑founders and the parent group as the new ownership and corporate structure have evolved. (corporate.magnumicecream.com)

Summary

In short: Ben & Jerry’s is an American‑origin ice‑cream brand (founded in Vermont in 1978) manufactured in multiple countries (notably in the U.S. and in the Netherlands for Europe) and, as of the 2025 demerger, held within The Magnum Ice Cream Company N.V., a Netherlands‑headquartered ice‑cream group spun out from Unilever. (en.wikipedia.org)