UPDATE: Blue Bell is back! Crowds arrive early for Blue Bell ice cream Monday a.m.

UPDATE: Wednesday, August 31, 2015

Crowds started arriving early Monday morning, Aug. 31, at Houston area grocery store chains, to get Blue Bell ice cream after a 5-month drought. HEB, Kroger, and Randalls, had early morning shoppers when they opened for business. Blue Bell's Homemade Vanilla is currently in the stores' freezers, soon to be followed by Dutch Chocolate, then Cookies 'n Cream.

#BlueBell



UPDATE: Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Blue Bell has announced that after their Homemade Vanilla is first distributed to Houston area stores August 31, Dutch Chocolate will be the second flavor released, and third will be Cookies 'n Cream!



UPDATE: Monday, August 24, 2015

HOUSTON, Texas - Blue Bell announced Monday that Homemade Vanilla will be first flavor distributed to store freezers. The ice cream has already shipped from the Alabama facility to Houston-area distribution centers.

Blue Bell ice cream will go back on sale August 31, with Houston one of the first areas to receive new product.

The company shut down production earlier this year after a listeria outbreak killed three people.

Read the article from Woodlands Online's affiliate, KHOU, to see which flavor will be the next to be released.Blue Bell names second flavor to be released





ORIGINAL STORY:

HOUSTON, Texas - Blue Bell Creameries announced today that it will begin distributing ice cream to select cities on August 31. According to a statement issued from the company, Houston is in the first of five phases in returning the ice cream to store freezers.

The Blue Bell facility in Alabama started production late July, and dispatched some of it to a Houston distribution center last week. The Brenham facility is still undergoing "upgrades" and is not fully operational yet.

"Over the past several months we have been working to make our facilities even better, and to ensure that everything we produce is safe, wholesome, and of the highest quality for you to enjoy," said Ricky Dickson, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Blue Bell Creameries. "This is an exciting time for us as we are back to doing what we love…making ice cream!"

Blue Bell will re-enter parts of 15 states in five phases. In addition to Houston, the first of the five phases will include the Brenham, Austin and parts of Alabama.

The following phases:

Phase Two: North central Texas and southern Oklahoma

Phase Three: Southwest Texas and central Oklahoma

Phase Four: The majority of Texas and southern Louisiana.

Phase Five will complete the states of Alabama, Oklahoma, and Texas, and begin distribution in Arkansas, Florida, northern Louisiana, and Mississippi. This phase will also include only parts of the following states: Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Product availability will determine the progression of each phase, to ensure that customers in that area are properly serviced. Dates for Phases 2 through 5 have not yet been determined. For more information, see the Blue Bell link provided.

Also see related link Nowhere but The Woodlands

#WeScreamForIceCream