SKOWHEGAN, Maine — A Maine ice cream company has added a second professional sports team to its partnerships, announcing Friday that it has become the official ice cream of the six-time world champion New England Patriots.
Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream, based in Skowhegan, became the official ice cream of the Boston Bruins in 2016. Its black-and-yellow-inspired "Power Play Fudge" is among its top three best-sellers, according to the company.
The new flavor won't be unveiled until likely this upcoming football season, but the company did say it'll be available at Gillette Stadium, in grocery stores and scoop stands throughout New England, including its own five locations.
"The Gifford family has been training for this moment for years," the company said in its announcement release, "and already has its own star-studded team of ice cream makers working on creating a delicious new custom ice cream flavor to honor the Patriots and their fans."
A Patriots and Kraft Sports Entertainment executive called Gifford's a "quintessential New England company," and said they were thrilled to partner with the family, noting that National Ice Cream Day is this Sunday.
JC Gifford, Gifford's VP of sales, said a lot of customers had suggested they needed a New England Patriots flavor. He said his team's ready to do its job.
"We share a passion for excellence and hard work with the New England Patriots," Gifford said. "We also share a love of family, sports, and a pride in our deep New England roots with the Patriots. So, let’s go!"
The fifth-generation family-owned company's roots date back to the 1800s in Connecticut. In the 1970s, Randall and Audrey Gifford purchased a small dairy in Farmington, followed by another in Skowhegan. That's where the first season stand was opened. By the late '80s, they begun to sell out-of-state.
The sponsorship is a multi-year deal. Specifics were not provided.