By Deborah Burke Henderson, Contributing Writer
Jerry’s ice cream flavors over the next year.
Photo/ Deborah Burke Henderson
WESTBOROUGH – If you want to know the scoop about ice cream, ask 50-year-old Westborough resident Amy Dwyer.
Dwyer was recently selected as the new FinanceBuzz Ice Cream Flavor Evaluation Specialist for 50 Ben & Jerry’s flavors produced by the iconic Vermont ice cream maker. Chosen from 8,000 applicants, ice cream is central to just about everything Dwyer does.
Beyond her latest endeavor, Dwyer is a real estate agent with Keller Williams Boston MetroWest and incorporates her passion for ice cream into her professional brand. Her motto is “Giving You the Scoop on Real Estate,” and her business logo features an ice cream cone front and center.
Photo/Submitted
Her love of ice cream is integral to other areas of life, including a family tradition of “Ice Cream Wednesdays” and even her car’s identity.
Dwyer self-identifies as a planner. She takes this flavor evaluation work seriously. Upon accepting the gig, she called the frozen food managers at area grocery stores to determine what flavors each carries (including seasonal options) and developed a spreadsheet to capture that information along with her weekly rating.
“Week One, I tested Chocolate Fudge Brownie,” Dwyer said, “and added a comment on the electronic review form: This flavor pairs well with dropping off your child 2,000 miles away to start college.”
Origin of Ice Cream Wednesdays
When Dwyer’s daughter was a tween, she pleaded with mom one day to go out for ice cream. Mom was too busy. Too tired working three part-time jobs while getting her master’s at Boston University. After further pleas from Abigail, Dwyer realized she needed to spend more quality time with her kids. The three walked to the local ice cream store. Abigail mentioned it would be fun to go out for ice cream every Wednesday. A family tradition was born.
“We scooped out some quality time together,” Dwyer quipped, enjoying the pun. “The kids got excited each week about planning which shop we’d drive to, and we scrapbooked about our experience all summer. We’ve eaten ice cream in just about every creamery in New England.”
Photo/submitted
Taking this one step further, Dwyer set a personal goal of tasting ice cream in all 50 states. Currently up to 41, her latest adventure was a fall escape to New Mexico’s hot air balloon festival where she ticked off another state as well as something on her bucket list.
How the passion began
Dwyer recalls several childhood events that helped shape her love and passion for ice cream. Picture her grandfather, adding rock salt into his ice cream machine and letting young Amy, age five, crank away to her heart’s delight. There are also fond recollections of regularly eating a bowl of ice cream (not a dish, she admits) with her dad.
A bad day in high school? She and her best friend would go out for “ice cream therapy.” It worked every time.
“Everyone gets happy when they eat ice cream, don’t they?” Dwyer asked. “It brings joy. Pure joy.”
In 2011, Dwyer attended Ice Cream University in New Jersey, a three-day program. An entrepreneur at heart, Dwyer researched how to start a small business and purchased a $7,500 commercial ice cream-making machine which she housed in the garage. Dwyer’s Homemade Ice Cream was a hit with neighbors, friends, at fairs, and local events.
Beyond her side hustle
Dwyer became a licensed realtor and in May 2013 started working full-time with Keller Williams Boston MetroWest in Framingham. She likes working with first-time homebuyers, as well as downsizers, investors, and others with a housing need.
“Home buying is the biggest financial transaction of your life and often quite stressful,” Dwyer said. “I enjoy guiding clients through the process and helping make their future a reality.”
Dwyer is also a house flipper, along with her long-time partner, a general contractor who has his own remodeling business. Dwyer’s children, Abigail and Matthew, and two dogs complete the family.
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