ORIGIN OF THE BROWNIE IN POPULAR ICE CREAM

“Zen Brownie,” an award-winning documentary on the story behind Greyston Bakery in Yonkers, will be shown Jan. 25 at The Picture House in Bronxville followed by a panel discussion and special reception featuring the famous ice cream makers Ben & Jerry.

The documentary by Emmy nominated and Award-Winning Writer/Director Alison Bartlett narrated by Jeff Bridges tells the tale of Buddhist Monks and how leading with inclusivity, kindness and compassion has created a well-known profitable business in Greyston Bakery. Zen Brownie recently won Special Mention from 2023 Impact DOCS Awards Competition. The film was also selected to be part of the YOFI Film Festival in November. 

Greyston Bakery creates gold-standard brownies enjoyed daily around the world through its inclusion in Ben & Jerry’s ice creams. Bakers of the brownies and other baked-goods products are employed through an Open Hiring® policy, which means no interviews, no background checks and no resumes are required.

In 1982, Greyston founder Zen Buddhist Bernie Glassman set out to employ individuals who faced barriers to meaningful employment at the Greyston Bakery. The hiring process was simple, accept anyone with a will to work, a process we now call Open Hiring®. Through the Greyston Employment Opportunity Center (GEOC), job seekers can access workforce development and transitional (re-entry) employment programs. Clients are also paired with a social worker to help connect them external resources they may need. Finally, the Greyston Foundation also offers business services for employers interested in replicating Open Hiring or tapping into the pool of upskilled clients. In 2013, Greyston Bakery was rated Best for the World B-Corp, a designation given to the top B Corps worldwide. And in 2023, Greyston received the Social Innovator of the Year award from Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship at World Economic Forum in Davos.

Housed in two historic theaters from the 1920s, The Picture House Regional Film Center is a thriving regional film center providing dynamic film and education programs to a diverse and multigenerational audience in Westchester County and beyond. Across five screens in Pelham and Bronxville, audiences see the best in new, independent and classic cinema. TPH education programs provide students of all ages with the opportunity to learn about the art, science and business of film. A mission-driven, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, The Picture House has two locations: The Picture House Pelham is located at 175 Wolfs Lane, Pelham, New York. The Picture House Bronxville is at 84 Kraft Ave., Bronxville. 

The film will be shown at The Picture House, 85 Kraft Ave. in Bronxville, at 6:30 p.m. followed by a second feature “Wide Open Dreams” and a panel discussion featuring the filmmaker, producer, wife of founder Bernie Glassman and Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry’s. Tickets are $20 for the general public and $15 for TPH members and are available online at Zen Brownie at The Picture House Bronxville. The show is almost sold out.