Jeni’s total recall

Every food business will face a crisis eventually. This Ted Talk is 9 years old, but holds a timeless message: disaster will strike. What will you do?

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream, described by Fast Magazine as “one of the most creative companies in the world”, had catastrophic setback in 2015. Founder Jeni Britton explains how they recovered. Give it a watch:

After a pint of their Ice Cream tested positive for trace Listeria, they recalled 6 months’ worth of frozen food products. A colossal financial and reputational setback. They had a major hole to climb out of. Three ways they did it:

1. Acknowledge reality: ‘normal protocol was out the window’.
2. Control controllables: ‘solved immediate things in front of them’. Targeting the first thing they could control: their Kitchens.
3. Get Creative: ‘every idea was a good idea, everything was on the table’. Give your team the freedom to contribute.
   It was a massive moment for Jeni’s. Strikingly, she said the disaster gave her huge clarity. She realised the company had been taking themselves too seriously, gained a new sense of gratitude and realised the disaster was an opportunity to reimagine everything.

Deeper dive:

• Medium read: Great Q&A with Jeni. She tells her story and talks inspiration.
• Long read: Academic study – How clear communication & crisis management saved Jeni’s.
  Watch