The History of Breyers Ice Cream

In 1866, William A. Breyer of Philadelphia hand-cranked his first gallon of ice cream. For years, he sold his ice cream to his neighbors. Then in 1882, he opened his first ice cream shop, which was soon followed by four more. He continued to make his own recipe by hand and delivered his ice cream across Philadelphia using a horse-drawn wagon. In 1896, Breyer’s family opened a wholesale manufacturing plant; his son incorporated the business shortly after. By 1918, the Breyers Ice Cream Company was producing over 1 million gallons of ice cream each year, which was then shipped all over the northeastern United States. Over the years, the business continued to grow and ownership changed hands several times. In 2015, Breyers created an ingredients pledge in homage to founder William A. Breyer’s original commitment to using only high-quality ingredients in his hand-cranked ice cream. Today, Breyers remains one of America’s most popular freezer aisle ice cream brands and has many devoted fans.