Big Red Rumble, the ice cream that carries the Western Kentucky University brand, is being served to students on campus today for the first time since the product’s creation.

Big Red Rumble is white chocolate ice cream with red velvet cake, dark chocolate chunks and a fudge ribbon. The ice cream has been available elsewhere on campus since last summer, but today marks the first time the product will be served in the Downing University Center cafeteria.

The ice cream is a Kentucky Proud product and a collaboration between WKU Restaurant & Catering Group/Aramark and Chaney’s Dairy Barn, a local ice cream and agritourism store owned by dairy farmers Carl and Deborah Chaney.

The &#8220spirited” confection was introduced to the WKU campus community in a public tasting last year in a &#8220Name Your Ice Cream” contest.

After more than 500 people voted, the name Big Red Rumble was chosen and the WKU flavor was unveiled during a July 4 celebration on the campus’ South Lawn last year.

Roy Biggers, resident district manager for the WKU Restaurant & Catering Group, said the ice cream’s popularity continues to grow.

&#8220We’ve had the ice cream for six to eight months now. The students like it and I think it’s great we have a branded ice cream just for Western,” Biggers said.

Biggers said the ice cream also gives students the opportunity to show their school spirit.

&#8220It’s a novelty for them, being that Big Red is a nationally known mascot,” Biggers said.

Biggers credited Fred Mildner, senior food services director, for doing the footwork with Chaney’s to develop the ice cream.

The ice cream has been available to the campus community in the Downing University Food Court, Garrett Food Court, the C3 Express Store in the Environmental Sciences and Technology building, the Bate Shop and the South Campus C3 Express Store.

Chaney’s Dairy Barn also created an ice cream concept for the Mammoth Cave Hotel based on the black cherry preserve Mammoth Cave is known for, according to the hotel’s assistant general manager, Sarah Martin.

&#8220Last year, it was produced and developed,” Martin said. &#8220We have black cherry preserves that we sell in our gift stores that we provide with our dinner entrees. We are the only place in Kentucky that has that.”

Martin said the black cherry ice cream debuted in spring ’06.

&#8220With us having this ice cream made locally – we are a hotel that prides itself in buying locally – the partnership in general is a great marketing tool,” Martin said.

The WKU- and Mammoth Cave-branded ice creams are examples of the growing demand for Chaney’s Dairy Barn collaborations with some of Kentucky’s most notable institutions, according to Carl Chaney.

Chaney mentioned on-and-off talks with Churchill Downs to create an ice cream concept for the historic Louisville race park, which may or not come to fruition, he said.

&#8220We’ve been real fortunate,” Chaney said. &#8220It’s really worked out great for us.”

Keeping costs down has been key in Chaney’s expanding its operations to Cambridge Square and taking on other new projects.

&#8220We’re comfortable with our overhead. We’ve had two or three other opportunities with other places,” Chaney said. &#8220We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves.”

Now that Chaney’s Dairy Barn is more established, it’s all about growing wisely, Chaney said, stressing the importance of being careful and conservative with future plans.

&#8220It’s almost as important to say ‘no’ as it is to say ‘yes,’ ” Chaney said.

Chaney said it would be nice to one day use the company’s own milk and cream in its ice cream, but the business has yet to reach that point.

&#8220That’s going to open up even more opportunities,” he said.

Chaney’s sells its ice cream at Riley’s Bakery, Olde Stone Restaurant, Reed’s Orchard in Owensboro and Dennison’s Roadside Market in Horse Cave.

Chaney credits his family’s efforts – his daughter, Jessica, with getting the Western contract specifically – for helping with the company’s expansion efforts.

Family members usually have a hand in making the ice cream a majority of the time, Chaney said.

The Chaneys opened the Dairy Barn in June 2003, after Carl Chaney attended a crash course in ice cream in Pennsylvania. Since then the business has continued to grow.

The Dairy Barn produced more than 10,000 gallons of ice cream in 2006, Chaney said.

&#8220And 70 percent of the milk in our mix is from Kentucky farmers,” Chaney said.