Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream is now made with fairly traded chocolate, and to celebrate, Ben & Jerry’s Old Town Scoop Shop will be dishing out free samples of chocolate ice cream at Ten Thousand Villages from 1-3 pm on Saturday, September 4, World Chocolate Day.
“Ben & Jerry’s has been committed to social and environmental justice since the company’s founding in 1978,” said Old Town Scoop Shop manager Steve Brown. “Using fairly traded chocolate is just the next step in the continuing evolution of our founders’ goal to make the best possible ice cream in the nicest possible way.”
Shoppers at Ten Thousand Villages will also be treated to a Fair Trade chocolate fondue all afternoon. “It goes without saying that fairly traded chocolate — that is, chocolate made without slave labor and on small family farms – is going to taste better than chocolate grown on conventional plantations with huge amounts of pesticides and horrendous conditions for the workers,” said Ten Thousand Villages manager Kate McMahon. “But melted in a fondue, drizzled over fruit or pretzels – well, let’s just say ‘heaven!’”
To further celebrate fair trade chocolate, visitors to Ben & Jerry’s or Ten Thousand Villages on September 4 will also receive coupons good for either a free scoop of chocolate ice cream from Ben & Jerry’s or a free chocolate bar (any flavor) from Ten Thousand Villages.
“Besides being a fun, end-of-summer event, this is also a way for both Ben & Jerry’s and Ten Thousand Villages to say ‘thank you’ to our loyal customers who stick by us, and patronize our stores during blizzards and thunderstorms and trying economic times,” said Brown. McMahon agreed, “We love you! Have some ice cream!”