Blue Bell Returns to East Texas Next Month

BRENHAM (Staff/AP) — Blue Bell has announced when the coveted frozen treat is returning to East Texas. KETK reports Blue Bell will be available in Tyler, Longview, Lufkin, and other locations December 14. Other Texas towns due to get Blue Bell that day include Abilene, Amarillo, Beaumont, Big Spring, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Harlingen, Laredo, Lubbock, Midland, McAllen, Odessa, and San Antonio. Phase three will be underway soon, meaning the company “will bring back 215 of its employees who were put on paid furlough earlier this year,” according to a press release from Blue Bell. There are five flavors available as the company works to restore its inventory: Buttered Pecan, Cookies ’n Cream, Dutch Chocolate, Homemade Vanilla, and The Great Divide.

Blue Bell suspended sales earlier this year when listeria was found at some plants. Blue Bell was linked to 10 listeria cases, including three deaths in Kansas. The bacteria can cause serious illness, especially in older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems. The company started returning its items to shelves this past summer.