One Year After Move to Stamp Student Union, Maryland Dairy Business Soars

Every afternoon the crowds gather. Classes let out and it’s time for lunch. Thousands of students trickle into the University of Maryland’s Stamp Student Union on a hot, sticky, April day while lines form as students crave a cold, sweet sensation at the Maryland Dairy.

On weekdays between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. the cozy corner in which the Dairy lies is packed. Exactly one year after its move from Turner Hall into Stamp, food service manager Daniel Robertson says the Dairy’s business is better than ever.

“The ice cream sales have multiplied almost four times as much as they were selling [at Turner Hall],” he says.  “We are selling a lot more than what we were expecting. On a busy day we serve probably around 400 to 500 people, from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.”

In fact, the Dairy has become so successful that extra storage was needed to hold all the ice cream. An extra closet was built recently that holds an additional 40 tubs of ice cream, with each 4-gallon tub holding 56 servings.

The Dairy went through 20,000 tubs of ice cream this year, which is more than double previous years.

With such a high success rate, the Dairy is looking forward to Maryland Day, where it will be featured in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources’ Ag Day Avenue showcases.

Daniel Robertson talks about the most successful flavors.

Maryland Dairy Will Feature B1G Ice Cream at Maryland Day

Chef Jeff Russo with the ice cream machine

Chef Jeff Russo has been working with University of Maryland Dining Services since 1996 and with the ice cream since 1994. He is the creative mastermind behind the Dairy’s ice cream.

This year, the B1G ice cream is the Dairy's feature at Maryland Day.

"Each year there's something special," says Russo. "This year, for Maryland Day 2015, we're going to have the Big Ten ice cream."

Like most Big Ten universities, Maryland was given the task of creating a B1G ice cream flavor. Unlike other universities in the conference, Maryland chose not to incorporate an ingredient from each school. 

“Ours has three things that are Maryland related,” says Russo. “It’s vanilla ice cream with a raspberry swirl, but what makes it unique is the three pieces of cake. One is the Smith Island, which is the state cake of Maryland. We have compass cake, which is a cake that goes back to the mid-19^th century, and we have a thing called Lord Baltimore.”

Chef Russo explains why ingredients must be cut with a wet knife.

The B1G ice cream is not the only unique University of Maryland flavor at the Dairy. Russo makes several seasonal flavors for different departments at the university, sometimes citing his family for inspiration.

For example, one of his latest flavors, Jordan Almond, was created after having a conversation about how delicious the crunchy snacks are with his wife, who works in the physics department. He decided to combine milky-tasting ice cream, honey from the UMD-kept bees and homemade Jordan almonds, “Which is a job in itself,” he says. Together they helped name the ice cream after Jordan A. Goodman, the former chair of the physics department.

Other special flavors include Strawberry Startup, which ran as a flavor for the Robert H. Smith School of Business, and Rockin’ Randy, which has football coach Randy Edsall’s favorite ice cream toppings in it. 

Consumers Preparing a Bikini Body Can Still Enjoy the Dairy

Daniel Robertson explains low-calorie Dairy options.

For Dairy fans worried about the upcoming bikini season, fear not, as the Dairy still has plenty of options.

“The sherbert and sorbet are the lowest in calories,” says Robertson. “Then, the ones that have the least amount of ingredients added are the lowest in calories, like vanilla. We’ve gotten it down to about 200 to 300 calories per scoop, depending on what flavor you pick.”

The Dairy also offers a “Kiddie Scoop,” which is about 2/3 the size of a normal scoop.

Lastly, for those worried about the rumors that the Dairy ice cream is not FDA approved because of its fat content, think again.

“We just don’t have a license to sell it off campus,” chuckles Robertson. “It is FDA approved, but we don’t have the permit to sell it outside of the university, so that’s why you won’t see it in other locations.”

Be sure to check out the Maryland Dairy’s B1G flavor and many more of Chef Jeff Russo’s creations at Maryland Day this Saturday.