For decades, Turkey Hill All Natural Ice Cream was a beloved treat for frozen dessert lovers. Its dedication to simple, premium ingredients like milk, cream, and natural flavors earned it a loyal following. But recently, eagle-eyed shoppers noticed the absence of this iconic ice cream from store shelves. What happened to Turkey Hill’s all natural ice cream line? Let’s investigate this mysterious discontinuation.
A Cherished Brand, Gone Too Soon
Introduced in the 1980s, Turkey Hill All Natural Ice Cream quickly became popular for its old-fashioned quality and taste. Shoppers appreciated its short list of recognizable ingredients like milk sugar and vanilla bean. The Turkey Hill brand was also known for innovation – they were one of the first to release popular flavors like chocolate peanut butter.
For years Turkey Hill All Natural Ice Cream seemed a supermarket staple. But in 2020 its disappearance left fans distraught and dismayed. On social media, many shared nostalgic memories of enjoying this ice cream since childhood. Its discontinuation seemed abrupt and unexpected.
Examining Potential Causes
While Turkey Hill has not provided an official explanation, their parent company’s acquisition in 2019 appears connected to this ice cream’s demise. Industry analysts speculate that the new management likely aimed to cut costs and streamline offerings. Continuing the all natural line may have squeezed profit margins.
Shifting consumer preferences could have also influenced the decision. As artisanal, small-batch ice creams rose in popularity, an all natural mass market brand may have seemed too plain in comparison. Health trends emphasizing low sugar and dairy-free options could have further diminished its appeal.
Unfortunately loyal ice cream aficionados were collateral damage in these corporate moves. Turkey Hill has yet to acknowledge the loss felt by many customers.
The State of Turkey Hill Today
Since the disappearance of the all natural line, Turkey Hill has focused on expanding its brand through new formulations, trendy flavors and market penetration.
They’ve added options like light ice cream, no sugar added, seasonal flavors, non-dairy and alcohol-infused. While reviews are mixed, Turkey Hill is clearly aiming for a more modern, innovative image. Time will tell whether these new products can replace the treasured all natural ice cream.
Could This Iconic Line Make a Comeback?
Is there hope of Turkey Hill reviving its all natural ice cream one day? Never say never.
Consumer complaints have been fierce, signaling an eager market if it returned. Even a limited edition run could tap into nostalgic interest.
A comeback seems most likely if consumer demand persists, and manufacturing costs become more favorable. For now, Brand Manager responses to inquiries have been vague – neither confirming nor denying the possibility.
Finding Your Next Favorite All Natural Ice Cream
While efforts continue urging Turkey Hill to restore this classic ice cream, fans still have alternatives to satisfy the craving. Here are some all natural recommendations:
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Alden’s Organic: Their Oregon Strawberry flavor is exquisite and made with real fruit.
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Julie’s Organic: Try their unique Lavender Honey for a floral taste.
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Häagen-Dazs Five: Just 5 basic ingredients including milk, cream, cane sugar, eggs and vanilla bean.
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Breyers Natural Vanilla: A basic yet authentic recipe ideal for purists.
Experiment with new brands while reminiscing about the sublime purity of Turkey Hill’s original all natural ice cream. Should it ever return, devoted fans will line up carts and freezers to welcome back an irreplaceable classic.
This may be the most vanilla lawsuit in history.
BROOKLYN, NY — Two dessert lovers are taking Turkey Hill Dairy to task over its vanilla ice cream in a lawsuit that claims the flavor just isnt vanilla enough. Its not that Turkey Hills vanilla-branded ice creams arent any less tasty than strawberry, caramel or coffee, plaintiffs argue.
The big problem with Turkeys vanilla, according to the lawsuit: Its not really vanilla.
Not that vanilla, anyway, which prompted a class-action lawsuit filed by Russell Kane in Brooklyn Supreme Court. The suit, filed Wednesday, seeks $5 million in damages from Turkey Hill, the Pennsylvania-based ice cream company whose product is sold nationwide, over claims of false advertisement.
“The representations of the Products are misleading because they misrepresent the exclusive flavor source, the amount of vanilla, the percentage of vanilla compared to the overall flavor component,” reads the complaint.
Turkey Hill did not immediately respond to Patchs request for comment.
The lawsuit consists of more than 25 pages of an impassioned breakdown of the history of vanilla ice cream and specific examples where Turkey Hill commits “food fraud,” a non-official term that refers to the companys alleged deception toward customers over the amount of vanilla included in its products.
The rhetoric within the lawsuit is the type of passion youd more expect of chocolate lovers.
Here are some of the tasty morsels the lawsuit includes about vanilla ice cream:
- “Ice cream is a year round treat enjoyed by 96% of Americans.”
- “The reason for vanillas staying power is not only because it is creamy and delicious, but also because of its ability to enhance so many other desserts and treats.”
- “By some estimates, approximately two-thirds of all ice cream eaten is either vanilla or vanilla with something stirred into it, like chocolate chips.”
And our personal favorite:
- “Thomas Jefferson thought his first American recipe for vanilla ice cream was so valuable that he entrusted the Free Masons to conceal it within clues and puzzles.”
There are eight types of relevant Turkey Hill ice cream products included in the lawsuit: All Natural Ice Cream, Premium Ice Cream, Light Ice Cream, No Sugar Added Ice Cream, Ice Cream Sandwiches, Sunday Cones and Individual Selections.
Turkey Hill was founded more than 85 years ago in the Pennsylvania Dutch Country. The company however, didnt start making ice cream until 1980, quickly becoming a popular product locally before taking off on a national scale during the following decades, according to the company.
In one subsection, the lawsuit claims Turkey Hill uses purposefully misleading front labels to mask missing ingredients, and then adds other non-vanilla flavors to the back label, where customers are less likely to look.
“It is the equivalent of the magician who turns his pockets and top hat inside out so as to convey to the audience, nothing to see here.”
The lawsuit also draws an emphasis to Turkey Hills use of the term”Natural Flavors.” Claiming that the companys use of the two words does not refer to standardized vanilla-vanillin ingredients, and that “Vanilla, Natural Flavors” refers to vanilla with other natural flavors in it.
In conclusion, the plaintiffs Kane and Jane Doe claim that the proportion of actual vanilla in vanilla Turkey Hill products has a “material bearing” on the price consumers are willing to pay for the products, and the companys misleading and deceptive representations of the amount of vanilla in the eight different products allow them to charge more for it.
“I stand behind the allegations of the complaint,” Spencer Sheehan, the plaintiffs attorney, told Patch.Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox.
Is Turkey Hill All Natural Ice Cream healthy?
FAQ
Is Kroger discontinuing Turkey Hill ice cream?
Who bought out Turkey Hill ice cream?
Does Turkey Hill make ice cream?
Turkey Hill makes a full line of frozen dairy treats. They include Premium Ice Cream, All Natural Ice Cream, Light Ice Cream, Fat Free No Sugar Added Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt, Sherbet, Ice Cream Sandwiches, and Sundae Cones. Overall we make about 80-90 different flavors and products every year.
When did Turkey Hill ice cream become a dairy?
It was transformed into a dairy in 1947 when Frey’s sons bought out the business. Turkey Hill began manufacturing ice cream in 1980. The ice cream industry’s chief raw material is fresh milk, a commodity consumed by the population and reaching its market in refrigerated tanker trucks everywhere.
Who owns Turkey Hill ice cream?
The company has been continuously owned by the Wells family since 1913. Turkey Hill was originally a farm owned by Armour Frey in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It was transformed into a dairy in 1947 when Frey’s sons bought out the business. Turkey Hill began manufacturing ice cream in 1980.
Is Turkey Hill ice cream sustainable?
Turkey Hill is the fourth largest premium ice cream brand and one of the leading refrigerated iced tea brands in the nation. In 2019, the Turkey Hill facility, in Conestoga PA, made the switch to 100 percent renewable energy, drawing clean, sustainable power from nearby hydroelectric dams and two wind turbines.