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Baskins-Robbins Ice Cream


FarangBuddha

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Baskins-Robbins ice cream is back in Pattaya :) They have a large kiosk on the 4th floor of the Central Beach Mall.

B-R has been absent from the Pattaya (and Thai) market for 6-8 months due to some corporate matters regarding the franchise in Thailand. However, these appear to have been solved as the chain is back in business. The pricing is for the premium market, however, with scoops priced at B 80 and a pint about B 350 or so. These prices are on par with Haggen-Daz in Thailand so for most of my scoops, I'll be sticking with Swensen's at B 49 a scoop (with a cone, which is B 10 extra at B-R).

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The reality is Baskins-Robbins quality doesn't jive with premium pricing. It is closer to Buds of San Francisco grade than a real premium product like New Zealand Natural or Hagen Dross. Marketing is everything, I wish them luck but won't be paying over the top for their product here either.

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The reality is Baskins-Robbins quality doesn't jive with premium pricing. It is closer to Buds of San Francisco grade than a real premium product like New Zealand Natural or Hagen Dross. Marketing is everything, I wish them luck but won't be paying over the top for their product here either.

Would you pay premium for .... B & J then.... pls? :)

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The reality is Baskins-Robbins quality doesn't jive with premium pricing. It is closer to Buds of San Francisco grade than a real premium product like New Zealand Natural or Hagen Dross. Marketing is everything, I wish them luck but won't be paying over the top for their product here either.

This is very true. Often brands are positioned in the market in Thailand (and Asia generally) different than in their home markets...usually they are "upscaled." Like B-R is just a regular ordinary ice cream brand in the USA but is priced at the very top end in Thailand. Or take KFC in China, where it is seen as a premium fried chicken sit-down dining experience. Also, it's sometimes funny to see all the "dead" brands from the USA alive and well in Asia like Swenson's brand ice cream, A&W Restaurants, and Kenny Roger's Roasters [Philippines].

Of course, this phenomenon also works in reverse, like the marketing of Corona beer as premium brew in the USA, while in its home market of Mexico, it's the Budweiser of the country.

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The reality is Baskins-Robbins quality doesn't jive with premium pricing. It is closer to Buds of San Francisco grade than a real premium product like New Zealand Natural or Hagen Dross. Marketing is everything, I wish them luck but won't be paying over the top for their product here either.

Would you pay premium for .... B & J then.... pls? :)

whats a B & J?

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Ben and Jerrys.

None of them is worth the money other than maybe Swenson's.

Butter is Better in Chiang Mai has premium ice-cream that is just as good as these giants for only 20 baht a scoop, but not so many flavors.

B&Js is too sweet, as are some Swenson's flavors. Hagan-Daz is very good but expensive [imported from Japan]. I will have to conduct a "taste test" of the "new" B-Rs :lol:

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The reality is Baskins-Robbins quality doesn't jive with premium pricing. It is closer to Buds of San Francisco grade than a real premium product like New Zealand Natural or Hagen Dross. Marketing is everything, I wish them luck but won't be paying over the top for their product here either.

Premium ice cream is defined by the quantity of milk fat. BR meets this definition by having between 10 and 15% milk fat. The BR here used to be made locally, and did not taste as good to me as what you find elsewhere. Now it is imported from Canada and is excellent. I prefer BR to HD, but like B&J the best. Problem, I think B&J is off the market here - I have not seen it in a long time. Compared to Coldstone, Swensons and especially to local ice creams, I prefer BR.

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I am biased. In the US, BR is middle brow ice cream and always will be. Nothing wrong with it, but would never pay the prices asked in Thailand for it. I used to buy it here with their old pricing strategy though. I am also not a Hagen Dross fan but I can taste the difference in luxury compared to BR. I like New Zealand Natural but don't like the prices, but to me that would be more worth it than BR. Now I am wondering if that is considered premium ice cream in NZ. I also prefer BJ to BR.

Edited by Jingthing
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The reality is Baskins-Robbins quality doesn't jive with premium pricing. It is closer to Buds of San Francisco grade than a real premium product like New Zealand Natural or Hagen Dross. Marketing is everything, I wish them luck but won't be paying over the top for their product here either.

Premium ice cream is defined by the quantity of milk fat. BR meets this definition by having between 10 and 15% milk fat. The BR here used to be made locally, and did not taste as good to me as what you find elsewhere. Now it is imported from Canada and is excellent. I prefer BR to HD, but like B&J the best. Problem, I think B&J is off the market here - I have not seen it in a long time. Compared to Coldstone, Swensons and especially to local ice creams, I prefer BR.

Quickly.... if you hurry along.... perhaps you can get your hand on a few pints of B & J left ....

in one of the freezers at the basement of the Paragon.... YUM YUM.... :D

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The reality is Baskins-Robbins quality doesn't jive with premium pricing. It is closer to Buds of San Francisco grade than a real premium product like New Zealand Natural or Hagen Dross. Marketing is everything, I wish them luck but won't be paying over the top for their product here either.

Premium ice cream is defined by the quantity of milk fat. BR meets this definition by having between 10 and 15% milk fat. The BR here used to be made locally, and did not taste as good to me as what you find elsewhere. Now it is imported from Canada and is excellent. I prefer BR to HD, but like B&J the best. Problem, I think B&J is off the market here - I have not seen it in a long time. Compared to Coldstone, Swensons and especially to local ice creams, I prefer BR.

Quickly.... if you hurry along.... perhaps you can get your hand on a few pints of B & J left ....

in one of the freezers at the basement of the Paragon.... YUM YUM.... :D

I don't think there's a baht-bus route from Pattaya to Siam Paragon ;)

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I am biased. In the US, BR is middle brow ice cream and always will be. Nothing wrong with it, but would never pay the prices asked in Thailand for it. I used to buy it here with their old pricing strategy though. I am also not a Hagen Dross fan but I can taste the difference in luxury compared to BR. I like New Zealand Natural but don't like the prices, but to me that would be more worth it than BR. Now I am wondering if that is considered premium ice cream in NZ. I also prefer BJ to BR.

i had a big scoop of delicious New Zealand Natural English toffee flavor ice cream in a waffle cone today in Central

it was 94 baht

very, very nice...........

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Yeah I think NZ Natural is very good stuff. Here in Pattaya, they appear to be doing poor business compared to Bangkok. I noticed their outlets in Kuala Lumpur were doing very well, people always buying.

Also one thing they offer in Malaysia that they don't offer in Thailand. DURIAN fruit flow. A blend of fresh durian and frozen yogurt in a shake. Incredible stuff.

Edited by Jingthing
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The reality is Baskins-Robbins quality doesn't jive with premium pricing. It is closer to Buds of San Francisco grade than a real premium product like New Zealand Natural or Hagen Dross. Marketing is everything, I wish them luck but won't be paying over the top for their product here either.

Premium ice cream is defined by the quantity of milk fat. BR meets this definition by having between 10 and 15% milk fat. The BR here used to be made locally, and did not taste as good to me as what you find elsewhere. Now it is imported from Canada and is excellent. I prefer BR to HD, but like B&J the best. Problem, I think B&J is off the market here - I have not seen it in a long time. Compared to Coldstone, Swensons and especially to local ice creams, I prefer BR.

Quickly.... if you hurry along.... perhaps you can get your hand on a few pints of B & J left ....

in one of the freezers at the basement of the Paragon.... YUM YUM.... :D

I don't think there's a baht-bus route from Pattaya to Siam Paragon ;)

I think I saw B&J in Villa's freezer. It's a while ago though, so they may no longer stock it.

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Right, they no longer stock it at Villa. Too bad there isn't a way to sell BJs in Thailand for 200 baht a pint. At that price point, they could dominate the market. I am clear they failed here due to the price point. The other <deleted> thing about BJ in Thailand is that as the dollar has weakened dramatically the baht price of BJ cream has gone way up! Go figure, I can't, but how many people are that desperate for BJ product?

Mind you, much as it sounds like it, I am not really complaining. The price of good ice cream in Thailand keeps me from eating much ice cream here. I really don't need it, so thank you very much!

BTW, I think that Thai chain Gelate on the ground floor of Central mall is fairly decent gelato, nothing to write home about, but decent value.

Speaking of business opportunities, why doesn't someone start a gelato place or perhaps a frozen yogurt shop in inner Jomtien? That would be a great location I think. The Surf Kitchen has a dedicated ice cream stand now, but they have below average product.

Edited by Jingthing
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BTW, I think that Thai chain Gelate on the ground floor of Central mall is fairly decent gelato, nothing to write home about, but decent value.

Is that the "etc." brand ice-cream? This is a Thai manufactured ice-cream and sold in stores and kiosks and is pretty good and good value as well...around Swensen's price-point but I think better.

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BTW, I think that Thai chain Gelate on the ground floor of Central mall is fairly decent gelato, nothing to write home about, but decent value.

Is that the "etc." brand ice-cream? This is a Thai manufactured ice-cream and sold in stores and kiosks and is pretty good and good value as well...around Swensen's price-point but I think better.

No i am talking about a store called Gelate (or something like that). It's gelato (not ice cream) and also some frozen yogurt which I haven't tried.

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I don't believe that I read Ben & Jerry's to sweet.Well it's A wonder anyone buy's it right! I can't believe it.I guess he wants his ice cream bitter.I gusee it's not me but I believe there's A few people besides me that don't think Ben and Jerry's is to sweet.

I don't believe i've ever had any ice cream that was to sweet.

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I don't believe that I read Ben & Jerry's to sweet.Well it's A wonder anyone buy's it right! I can't believe it.I guess he wants his ice cream bitter.I gusee it's not me but I believe there's A few people besides me that don't think Ben and Jerry's is to sweet.

I don't believe i've ever had any ice cream that was to sweet.

That's interesting. I can't recall feeling an ice cream was too sweet either. I suppose it's possible.

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