Opinion
I scream for ice cream at the Gelato Festival
It was every child (and grown up's) dream - an afternoon tasting 18 different ice creams - but I confess to letting the side down
July 9, 2019 16:56
2 min read
It was every child (and grown up's) dream - an afternoon tasting 18 different ice creams - but I confess to letting the side down
July 9, 2019 16:56I love ice cream. I’ve always loved it. From blocks of yellow vanilla sandwiched between two wafers and the wax paper-wrapped cylinders they doled out at school, through the Dayvilles days with my father — stopping off on the Finchley Road for a scoop on our Saturdays out. The 30 flavours were wasted on me — I only ever picked two or three. He always went for Rocky Road but I couldn’t tell you what my choice was — pralines and cream, I think. Although I did love the sherberts from Baskin Robbins too.
There is so much to choose from now. London is awash with gelato stores. And my freezer is always stuffed with tubs of ice cream; frozen yoghurt and various reduced sugar versions like Oppo’s mint choc flavour (a huge favourite) so I can indulge with less guilt.
Anyway, when I was asked to go along to a gelato festival and taste 18 (yes EIGHTEEN) different flavours and choose my favourite, I’d accepted before you could say Mr Whippy — perish the thought!
Apparently, Gelato Festival travels across Italy, Europe, the US and Japan in large food trucks in search of the world's best gelato. It was founded in 2010 in Florence, by Tuscan entrepreneur, Gabriele Poli. Originally only in Florence, it has grown over the years, around Europe and jumping oceans to reach eager ice cream eaters like me and my children.
