Changes in the dairy industry led to a quality challenge for Goodberry’s Frozen Custard.
It’s different than premium ice cream – way different than frozen yogurt, but still a frozen desert. Better than both!”
That’s how Will Brozowski, Sales Engineer for Clayton Industries, describes Goodber- ry’s Frozen Custard, the unique, all-natural treat that is considered one of the culinary treasures of the greater Raleigh-Durham region of North Carolina.
“Frozen custard is quite different from ice cream,” explains Henry Brathwaite, Good- berry’s President.“ It’s what used to be called French ice cream, very similar to the recipe Thomas Jefferson brought to the United States from France. It’s made in the way all ice cream was before the advent of industrialized food processing. These ice creams were all-natural, rich and creamy
– not pumped up with the air and artificial ingredients you see in most ice creams today.”
Innovating for Old World flavor
Keeping that delicious density has meant serious commitment since Harry Brathwaite (Henry’s father) founded Good- berry’s in 1987. “Dad’s passion for frozen custard started when he was President of New England’s oldest ice cream manufac- turer,” Henry said. “In the mid-1980’s, he recognized that, unfortunately, almost
all ice creams at that time were being manufactured with cost, not quality as the highest concern. In other words, manu- facturers were removing high-cost, high quality, natural ingredients, and replacing them with the latest innovations in less expensive artificial substitutes. He set out to formulate the best, all-natural recipe that could be made, regardless of cost.”
Having identified the growing Raleigh- Durham “Research Triangle” as a great place to start his business, he moved there with his family in 1987, when Henry was in 4th grade.
Harry worked out the first proprietary frozen custard recipe at a North Carolina Dairy, which was then tested at a local cold storage facility and made ready for production.
“If business grows as expected they’re all set up to add another 100 BHP unit without having to make a substantial capital improvement
to ramp up.”
Frozen custard processing equipment that is cleaned and sterilized via the Clayton Steam Generator after each batch is made
Now it was time to build the busi- ness. Henry’s mother, Joan, a former schoolteacher, served as director of operations and training. For a busi- ness name they chose “Goodberry’s” to express their focus on quality ingredients and fresh toppings. The first and second stores were opened in close succession, with architec- tural elements mimicking dairy silos and 1930’s themes to emphasize the experience of real, old school, natural flavor.
As the business grew, Harry worked with a local engineer in the area to develop a frozen custard mix machine, a last measure to preserve freshness while meeting demand.
Rescuing quality with Clayton
While growing popularity led to success and more Goodberry’s store openings, change was upon the dairy industry.
“To make the best frozen dessert possible you need a supply of
fresh, high quality milk,” said Henry. “Unfortunately, there has been a tremendous consolidation on the producer and processor side of the dairy industry over the last forty years. Many of the small processors have been replaced by very large facilities focusing on fluid milk production. These facilities don’t have the time, desire or economic interest to engage in the much slower process of making an extremely high-quality ice cream or frozen custard mix. So, it’s always been a dream of ours to take the process of making our proprietary recipe in-house and to do the things the bigger guys simply can’t do. I don’t know of anyone else doing the things we’re doing here at Goodberry’s.”
Harry contacted a local dairy for guidance, which led to conversations with personnel in the Dairy
Science program at North Carolina State University. They quickly hit on the idea of using steam-producing equipment and thought through the basic technical requirements.“The NC State engineers led us to the Clayton Industries technology. It was the equipment for the job,” Henry said.
He continued: “What appealed most about Clayton was that it’s an instant- on system that takes very little time to produce steam. The small footprint was a real plus for space require- ments, it was very easy to assemble, and it was safe. We’ll never have to worry about a steam explosion.”
Bringing a new process in-house meant building a new company home for Goodberry’s. Harry first worked with a local engineering firm to design the process and needed scale for the desired facility, then in 2016 began construction at the new location in Wake Forest.
“We helped them every step of the way,” said Clayton’s Will Brozowski. “Goodberry’s is only getting more popular, so they want to be ready for more production capacity. They were tempted by our 200-boiler horse- power (BHP) steam generator, which is bigger than they need right now. Instead we found a way to save them money in upfront equipment and operating costs. We split the differ- ence and specified a 100 BHP steam generator with a 200 BHP feedwater skid. If business grows as expected they’re all set up to add another 100
“What appealed most about Clayton was that it’s an instant-on system that takes very little time to produce steam.The small footprint was a real plus for space requirements, it was very easy to assemble, and it was safe.”
“Clayton’s exceptional customer service made us glad we chose them. They answered our questions and stayed in close communication with us.”
BHP unit without having to make a substantial capital improvement to ramp up.”
Goodberry’s began producing product in the new facility in February 2020. “Vertically integrating our mix produc- tion allows us to control the quality and source of the ingredients and to take a slower, and as a result, better batch processing approach that is unheard of in our industry,” Henry said.
Clayton’s versatility and dependability in production
“We use the Clayton for a variety of functions,” said Garrett Jenkins,Production Engineer for Goodberry’s. “The hot water jackets on our tanks heat the product quickly and then hold that temperature to complete the pasteurization process. The Clayton design helps us run other proprietary processes that create our unique texture and flavor.”
“Our old school, slower processing methods are the secret to getting what we want, so we need efficiency,” he continued.“ Typically we have batches running in parallel, and it takes four hours to make a batch, which includes packaging. At the end of the day we use the steam generator to heat up our wash cycles to clean our tanks. With Clayton’s fast start up and large capacity, you can put a lot on it and it rises to the challenge.”
Product is packaged in liquid form and delivered to Goodberry’s local stores, where their custom-built freezing machines contribute the last step in serving up the all natural,
high quality frozen custard dreamed of (and dreamed up) by founder Harry Brathwaite.
“Clayton’s exceptional customer service made us glad we chose them,” said son Henry. “They answered our questions and stayed in close commu- nication with us.” Will added, “We never push custom- ers into what they don’t need. Price helps sell, but much like Goodberry’s going the extra mile to share the flavor of real frozen custard, treating customers the way you’d like to be treated is our company ethos. They depend on us to be here for them.
