Haven’t all of us dreamed of a job where we could eat ice cream all day? And if it was Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, all the better! John Shaffer is one of the lucky – he is a “flavor guru” at the famous Vermont ice cream maker, and he recently shared some inside secrets to his fantastic job!
After numerous phone calls, and lots of persistence, two years after John Shaffer initially applied for a product development position in “Bizarre & D” (research and development) Shaffer finally landed a job as “flavor guru.” Today, he’s the proud inventor of Cinnamon Bun, Vermonty Python, Black and Tan, and Uncanny Cashew. Shaffer chilled out from a busy day at his South Burlington office to give us a scoop of life as an ice cream taster:
Are you like a wine taster, spitting instead of swallowing?
Spitting out ice cream is too sacrilegious for us. We only need a spoonful, maybe two, to evaluate a flavor. Mind you, that’s a big spoonful, because Ben & Jerry flavors are so full of “stuff” that you need to be sure you get all of chunks and swirls.
Isn’t that sort of fattening, eating ice cream all day for a living?
We try to self-police: If anyone in our group seems to be so enamored with a flavor that they can’t put it down, we tell them to “stop grazing.” You have to pace yourself. Ice cream is a wonderful treat, but in moderation.
Do you get to bring home free ice cream?
It’s one of the perks – every employee can take home three pints of ice cream a day. I have an entire freezer of ice cream at home.
Some of your flavors like Concession Obsessionare are in the flavor graveyard. What do you look for when developing a new flavor?
We ask: Is there an aftertaste? Is it too sweet or not sweet enough? Is it a cold-eating experience or is it icy?
How long does it take to develop an ice cream?
We start out 14 months ahead when launching a flavor. We bring in ideas from different resources, including from our marketing and sales department, and the 12,000 ideas a month submitted on the Internet. We do consumer testing, get further input, mock up packaging, go to the plant with new ingredients, and figure out what chains and stores will be carrying what products.
What’s your favorite flavor?
Coconut Almond Fudge Chip, and also, Willie Nelson’s Peach Cobbler.