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 If you take a drive down US Highway 290 West of Houston you soon reach the gentle rolling hills around Brenham, about 70 miles away. If you slow down and try to count the cows you can see from your window, you might be there for a spell.
Over 50,000 dairy cattle of Blue Bell Creameries populate these green hills and fertile pastures, and they're not just your ordinary cows either. They're Blue Bell cows, the only cows lucky enough to produce the milk and cream required to make real Blue Bell ice cream.
Blue Bell Creameries has been producing great dairy products since the doors opened in 1907. In those days, the plant produced only butter. But just a few years later they added a couple of gallons of homemade ice cream to the delivery wagon every day, and the Blue Bell legend was born.
Now just ask any Texan, "wanna get some ice cream?", and whether they say it or not, they're immediately thinking about Blue Bell Ice Cream, the unofficial ice cream of the Texas Republic. And what's more, if you're thinking about free ice cream, then you should be thinking about Blue Bell Creameries in Brenham.
Yes, you can tour the creameries facility in Brenham, one of several creameries the expanding company operates across the South. But be warned, almost regardless the time of year, the tours are in demand and limited to the first 800 visitors through the doors each week day. And don't expect to eat your fill of ice cream just because you were lucky enough to make the tour group. You'll certainly get a good taste. But it will, of course, leave you wanting for more.
But cheer up - you're at the creamery. Getting more is as easy as bellying up to the parlor bar and ordering your favorite, secret-recipe flavor.
But why is Blue Bell Ice Cream so special? That's a hard one to answer, and you'll get plenty of different answers from lovers of the product. It starts with a secret family recipe, one protected about as well as the gold at Fort Knox. In fact, Blue Bell general manager E. F. Kruse, who took the reigns back in 1919, passed the secret on only to his sons Ed and Howard, and grandson Paul, who now run the company.
 But that's not the only secret to success. The Creamery boasts of using only the best products, providing the finest quality and care, and to this day, Blue Bell delivers their own ice cream to retail distributors instead of shipping their product commercially.
If you're not from the Southland, chances are good you may not have heard about the Blue Bell name. The product, though in great demand throughout much of the U.S., is made and distributed only in the southern states. It's all part of a company policy to remain in total control of the product, from start to delivery, and one of the reasons the ice cream is so consistently good. Even when a Congressional delegation in Washington D.C. petitioned to have the ice cream distributed in our nation's capitol.
U.S. Representative Michael McCaul, whose district includes Brenham, Texas, has drafted the Texas-Washington Free Trade Agreement, or TEXWAFTA to bring Blue Bell Ice Cream to the District of Columbia.
Rep. McCaul along with 22 other members of the Texas delegation including Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee, Henry Bonilla and Lamar Smith each signed the agreement. “It is a fully bipartisan effort,” McCaul added.
The letter, addressed to CEO and President Paul Kruse, reads, "we ask that you help facilitate free trade by ensuring Blue Bell Ice Cream finds its way into the District of Columbia market. We have heard reports that Blue Bell has found its way into markets as far away as Qatar. Surely it can find its way to D.C. The Texas delegation needs it. The country needs it."
“Its good to know that we have their support,” Kruse said. “But, I don’t think we’ll be moving into their market anytime soon. We may have to send a few half gallons to hold them over until they’re back in Texas.”
If planning a visit to the famous Creamery, they offer guided plant tours weekdays throughout the year, but are closed on weekends. However, the Country Store and Ice Cream Parlor are open most Saturdays, so you can shop around and treat yourself to a big helping of your favorite Blue Bell flavor.
It's a good idea to call before visiting Blue Bell to make sure the tour isn't too crowded. And remember to make a reservation if you have 15 or more in your group. If you have questions or you'd like to make reservations, call:
800-327-8135 or 979-830-2197.
Directions to Blue Bell, Brenham
From Houston, take Highway 290 West approximately 72 miles. When you pass the old drive-in theatre turn right on Loop 577, go past the second stoplight and we're on the right.
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Rio Grande Valley
