Aucklanders will get a taste of 18 Ben & Jerry's flavours.

American ice cream chain Ben & Jerry's is coming to New Zealand, it has been announced.

Kiwis will be able to taste the iconic ice cream in December, when the company opens its first New Zealand store in central Auckland.

There will be 18 classic Ben & Jerry's flavours available, including Strawberry Cheesecake, Choc Chip Cookie Dough, Chunky Monkey – banana ice cream with fudge chunks and walnuts, and Phish Food – chocolate ice cream with gooey marshmallow swirls, caramel swirls and fudge fish.

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Pints of the ice cream will also go on sale in a number of retail outlets.

Details of the store location and opening date are expected to be announced on Monday.

New Zealanders are among the highest per capita consumers of ice cream in the world, licking their way through 22 to 23 litres a year, according to the New Zealand Ice Cream Manufacturers Association.

Food scientist Kay McMath, who has been the chief judge of the New Zealand Ice Cream Awards for the past 12 years, said while inexpensive tubs of ice cream used to dominate Kiwi freezers, premium flavours were gaining in popularity.

Consumers were now prepared to pay more for a single cone.

"I guess Ben & Jerry's are just thinking, 'We'll jump on that band wagon'."

Ben & Jerry's flavours were well-known for being "really rich and indulgent", McMath said.

"In saying that, it's apparently not uncommon for the Americans to sit on their couch with a pint pot of Ben & Jerry's and scoff the lot while watching a soap."

McMath said with so many high quality local ice cream brands already available, Ben & Jerry's would find stiff competition in the Auckland market.

But the brand's novelty value would have pulling power.

"It's the whole package – the way they do their shops, and their flavour range. It's quirky.

"Quirky may not necessarily be better, but it's going to have some appeal."

Ben & Jerry's was started in 1978 by childhood friends Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in Vermont, United States.

The brand became a major player in the ice cream industry because of its pop culture-inspired flavours and creative marketing strategies.

Ben & Jerry's is now a household name all over the world. The duo sold the business to British-Dutch conglomerate Unilever for $325 million in 2000.