It's Worth the Full VerMonty! (Ben & Jerry's The Full Vermonty)

Member Name: ian22

Product:	Ben & Jerry's The Full Vermonty
Date:	01/02/04 (165 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Delicious

Disadvantages: Expensive

having tried quite a few of Ben & Jerry's ice creams in the past, I have always been amazed at how good they are. So, of course, it's no surprise that I had to buy 'The Full VerMonty' when on a recent trip to Sainsbury's.

First, let me tell you a bit about the company itself.

Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc. was founded in 1978 by two friends, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. The two friends completed an ice cream correspondence course, and soon became renowned in the local community for their innovative flavoured ice creams. Although they tried to make the ice creams 'fun' by using a range of different flavours, their most important ingredient was fresh local Vermont milk and cream.

Ben & Jerry's has grown significantly since its small beginnings, and there are now operations all over the world. They have not forgotten their roots, however, and try to use local ingredients as much as possible.

Now onto The Full VerMonty itself....

The Full VerMonty is made from maple syrup ice cream, and contains roasted pecans and, like most Ben & Jerry's ice creams, a gorgeous caramel swirl. The ice cream itself is one of the nicest I've tasted. It is creamy and has a unique flavour. The pecan nuts contrasts well with the smooth, creamy ice cream, and provides a real taste of Canada. Unlike Phish Food, it doesn't bombard you with a mad profusion of flavours, but it is quite sweet all the same.

Like all Ben & Jerry's ice creams, it comes in a very colourful tub. The front of the tub bears the Ben & Jerry's logo and shows red and golden Autumn leaves against a sky blue background. The allusion to the film, 'The Full Monty', is also cleverly encapsulated by the zip up jacket on the front of the tub.

As you would expect, 'The Full VerMonty' is high in calories. A 100g serving contains 280.

The nutrition information (per 100g) is as follows:
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Total Fat 18g
Carbohydrates 27g
Protein 4g
Sodium 95mg
Calcium 10%
Iron 4%

Unfortunately, the tub itself does not specify whether the ice cream is suitable for vegetarians, but the B&J website (www.benjerry.co.uk) says that it is.

This ice cream is not suitable for vegans or those suffering from allergies to nuts.

I paid £3.49 for a 500ml tub of this ice cream. This sounds an awful lot for such a small tub, and I must admit that I wouldn't normally pay this much for a single tub. However, I have been wanting to try this flavour for a long time, so thought I'd give it a try. I was lucky enough to buy it on a 'two tubs for £4.00' offer at Sainsbury's, which, I thought, was excellent value for money.

I have done a bit of research and found that a 500ml tub of Ben & Jerry's retails for £2.95 at Morrisons, £2.91 at Asda, £3.45 at Tesco and £3.49 at Sainsbury's. But not all varieties of Ben & Jerry's are available at all these stores.

According to the B&J website, most supermarkets, including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Safeway, Somerfield and Waitrose, stock 'The Full VerMonty', but Morrisons and Asda do not.

This is the first time I have tried The Full VerMonty, and I must say I'm very impressed. It might not be as widely available as the more common flavours (Phish Food, Cookie Dough etc.), but it is well worth trying. Personally, I find it less sickly than, say, Phish Food, but just as moreish.

For further information, take a look at the Ben & Jerry's website at www.benjerry.co.uk. Here you will find details of this ice cream and others too.

Summary: