Dessert maker the latest Walmart-supported supplier with treats made in the U.S.
Maryland small-batch ice cream maker Taharka Brothers has announced that it is now shipping its gourmet frozen desserts through Walmart.com. The employee-owned, diverse social enterprise is now sending their sweet treats, made and packaged in Baltimore, to all 50 states and Washington, D.C. through one of the world’s largest retailers. This deal supports Walmart’s 10-year commitment to support the creation of 750,000 American jobs by spending an additional $350 billion in products that are made, grown, or assembled in the U.S by 2031.
Now spreading across the nation, Taharka Brothers is already famed regionally for its unique flavors including Caramel Crunch, which is salted caramel ice cream with chocolate-covered honeycomb toffee, and Keep Ya Head Up, consisting of blackberry crumble layered throughout vanilla ice cream. Today, Taharka Brothers Ice Cream has 45 employees, while stretching product sales beyond Baltimore to various shops and restaurants across Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia.
“Walmart customers love to shop our high quality, fun ice cream varieties and so we are proud to work with Taharka Brothers to add their great product to our assortment,” said André Crawford, merchandising director at Walmart. “We think our customers will love their story and their product.”
Although it was originally founded as a charitable nonprofit, Taharka Brothers is now a Maryland-registered Benefit Corporation, a status that allows a for-profit company to measure success by public benefit over profit. This is called out in the company’s slogan, “Awaken more than just your tastebuds.” A dozen years ago, Maryland became the first state in the U.S. to register businesses under this classification.
“At Taharka Brothers, we use our award-winning, gourmet ice cream to serve up delicious scoops and inspire social change,” said Detric McCoy, director of sales and marketing for Taharka Brothers. “By focusing on personal development in the context of an employee-owned company, we hope to model both the individual and collective effort it takes to improve our community.”
Currently, Taharka Brothers is shipping two different six packs of pints through Walmart.com:
- The Traditional Variety Pack contains one pint each of Honey Graham, Black Cherry Chunk, Caramel Crunch, Vanilla Bean, Chocolate Love, and Roasted Strawberry.
- The Unique Variety Pack contains one pint each of Cookie Dough, Keep Ya Head Up, Key Lime Pie, Pistachio, Honey Graham, and Mintflix and Chillz.
About Taharka Brothers
Taharka Brothers is an award-winning, small-batch, gourmet ice cream company based in Baltimore. Founded in 2003 as a nonprofit, re-branded as Taharka Brothers in 2008, and then fully launched as a for-profit in 2011, the company became one of the country’s first registered Benefit Corporations, designating it as existing for community benefit. The social enterprise offers 16 year-round options, along with several seasonal flavors. Their ice cream can be purchased in shops and restaurants across Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia, in addition to home delivery in the Greater Baltimore Area, and nationwide shipping. The company also offers wholesale, a scoops truck serving regional events, monthly social change engagements, and community fundraising programs. Additional information can be found by visiting TaharkaBrothers.com.
About Walmart
Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better — anytime and anywhere — in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, approximately 230 million customers and members visit more than 10,500 stores and clubs under 46 banners in 24 countries and eCommerce websites. With fiscal year 2022 revenue of $573 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at twitter.com/walmart.
