The Ohio State Fair was winding down as people of all ages flocked to the dairy barn to taste some of Velvet Ice Cream’s popular flavors.

The Utica-based company did something it never did before. It allowed the public to come up with Velvet’s annual contest of creating a new and unique flavor to be featured at the Ohio State fair.

This year’s winner was Cereal and Milk.

“It’s really sweet but it’s got cinnamon in it,” said Christine Broehl, who bought the new flavor. “It’s like you are eating a glass of cereal and milk.”

Velvet Ice Cream President and fourth-generation founder Luconda Dager said 700 people submitted flavor ideas.

“Everybody’s an ice cream connoisseur,” said Dager. “And though we narrowed it down to three, we had a taste panel with 50 people come in and we picked the winner.”

Where the public picked a catchy name, the research and development minds at Velvet Ice Cream came up with the taste and recipe that goes with it.

From the Ohio State Fair, we drove 45 minutes to Delaware County. That’s where we found Magistrate Kari Childs, who, in addition to serving as a juvenile delinquency judge, is also a lover of ice cream.

She also won the Velvet Ice Cream flavor naming contest, submitting Cereal and Milk.

“I was over in Amish Country with my mom and I got a call that I was down to the top three and needless to say I was a little excited,” said Childs. “I think I said it was better than my wedding day.”

She says working with children who get in trouble can be stressful.

“That’s what ice cream is for,” said Childs. “I would say justices and magistrates that I meet are about the quirkiest people that you would imagine.”

Whether it’s judges or people who are raised on a farm, Velvet’s staff are amazed by the talents of ice cream lovers.

“Way to go judge! That’s where we get our best flavors from,” said Dager.

“It’s really good,” said Broehl. “I’d actually buy it every day and I’m not a big ice cream eater.”

Christine is in luck. Velvet will be putting Cereal and Milk in stores sometime next spring.

“That’s the first I’ve heard of it. I can’t wait,” said Childs.

But don’t think her victory means she’ll stop submitting for next year’s contest. She already has a list of flavors in mind.

“You won’t find me jumping out of an airplane,” said Childs. “But I’ll name the next ice cream.”