The Good Life Ice-cream snippets Vivienne Pearson Many publications would wait until the first week of summer to do a feature on ice-cream. Not us. The sun is shining, the sea beckons and we know there’s nothing better after a beach trip than an ice-cream. If it’s made in house by locals, all the better.
Ice-cream without the cream Vivienne Pearson As Horst Thomson was lying on the floor, in a funk after losing his job, a small voice spoke to him. It said: ‘Ice-cream’. Most others would take this as a sign to grab a tub of icecream and start eating. But not Horst. He started an ice-creammaking business. It is called Knox & Aya. Knox & Aya’s ice-cream is not ordinary. It is vegan, thanks to the use of coconut milk instead of dairy. Horst, along with his partner in business and life, Nadine, started making coconut-milk icecream at home after extensive medical testing could find neither a cause nor cure for his daughter’s skin rash. It only disappeared after eliminating dairy and refined sugars and grains. Horst was already a good cook. Deciding it would be easier for the whole family
to adopt the new diet, Horst experimented with making foods that were ‘good to eat and made you feel good all day’. Ice-cream was one of these, and a choc/peanutbutter flavour was soon the family’s favourite. To fund the purchase of a decent ice-cream-making machine, Horst turned to crowdfunding. He not only reached his target (of $5,000) but found the crowdfunding process to be a huge confidence booster. ‘You have so much doubt when you start something,’ he says. Crowdfunding works by offering donators something in return for their investment. Tellingly, no-one wanted the t-shirts or tickets to the launch party that were on offer. They all wanted ice-cream. Now, nearly nine months on, the main game for Knox & Aya
Knox & Aya (see main story opposite) are the latest in a long tradition of in-housemade ice-cream and gelati in this region. Here are some of the others:
Horst in action – photo Vivienne Pearson Knox & Aya ice-cream. Photo supplied is selling ice-cream in tubs via stores. Local options include Santos, Baz+Shaz, the Green Garage and the Garage Grocer. Ice-cream in a cone is available via a mobile ice-cream van at events and markets. Horst and Nadine use these events to get feedback and test new flavours and get feedback. The flavours are indulgent, strong and satisfying. Some in development include lime, and a caramel pecan. The family’s home favourite, choc-peanut butter, has been ousted from top seller by salted-caramel and chocolate ‘moneycomb’ (a honey comb made with coconut nectar instead of honey, in keeping with the vegan theme). Horst reckons that 20 per cent of buyers at events care about the ice-cream’s being vegan. The rest? ‘They just want an ice-cream!’ says Horst. Maybe they heard the little voice too.
What’s in a name? Vivienne Pearson You say gelati, I say gelato. He says ice-cream, she says sorbet. So many different words, but hey, let’s not call the whole thing off. On starting this story, I felt embarrassed that I didn’t know the difference between ice-cream and gelati, let alone sorbet. And is it gelati or gelato? It turns out that I’m not alone. Several conversations and dictionary/website consultations later, I’m clearer but not crystal. Some say that ‘gelati’ is simply an Italian word for ice-cream. Others say that gelati is made slightly differently and ends up
with a lower fat content and less air than ice-cream. I now know that gelati is the plural of gelato but, in Australia, the two words are used seemingly interchangeably. I was under the misconception that all gelati were dairy free. I got this idea from the classic lemon flavour that was always an option in the gelati vans of my youth. It turns out that I was half right – this product is dairy free, as are most fruitbased gelati. Some places distinguish between fruitgelato and milk-gelato. An alternative is to call the fruitbased ones sorbet, as sorbets never contain dairy. But does ice-cream always contain dairy? Traditionally
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Tastebuds tickled pink
In the Pink is one of the mainstays of locally made gelati, having been in business for nearly 30 years. Supplying other ice-creameries as well as their own store, In the Pink are proud to be one of the few to make their gelati from scratch, using only Norco milk, and to source the rest of their produce locally, including at farmers markets. 20a Jonson Street, Byron Bay.
go to the farmers market to buy strawberries,’ he says. If that doesn’t put you in the mood for gelati, I’m not sure what will! On the day I visited, customers ranged in age from bubs-in-arms to ladiesrelying-on-walkers – is gelati the least age-discriminating food around? On the beach at Lennox Head.
All in the family
Made in the pantry
At the tender ages of two years six months, Frankie and Lucas Hardy are not quite old enough to realise that their parents have the coolest job in the world – they own a gelati shop! Layla and Matt Hardy have run Bernardi’s in Brunswick Heads for six years. Layla learned the gelato trade from the original owners who used their gelateria-owning Italian grandparents’ recipes. ‘We still use the recipes,’ says Layla. ‘We have people come from Italy and say it’s the best gelato they’ve ever had.’ 22 Fingal Street, Brunswick Heads (next to the health food shop).
Peachy keen
Life is short
‘Life is short, eat dessert first,’ says a social media post by Bella Rosa. Researching this story, I realised that the presentation of gelati is becoming a standalone art form. At Bella Rosa, I had to look twice before realising that the mango flavour was actually gelati, not cut slices of mango! 11 Jonson Street, Byron Bay
it’s really warm, I might need to use less sugar,’ he says. ‘It changes a bit with the season.’ He learnt from a ‘gelati master’ and now feels confident enough to invent new flavours, like banana-nutella and a coconut-lime sorbet. On the off-chance that someone in your crew doesn’t feel like icecream? Beaches & Cream make their own donuts too! 14 Bay Street, Byron Bay (opposite the surf life saving club)
For Pantry 29, located about half-way down the hill in Bangalow, ice-cream is only one part of their business. While they have some unique flavours, including Turkish delight and ginger, the most popular are mint choc-chip, vanilla, and chocolate. After owning the business for six years, the joy of eating an ice-cream hasn’t dimished. ‘I love eating it,’ says Lisa Fisher, adding that though her favourite flavour varies, mint choc-chip is a mainstay. ‘It reminds me of my childhood,’ she says. www. pantry29.com.au.
Next new kid on the block
Andy Raberg was a bar manager before his life took a turn for the sweeter almost a year ago when he became inhouse gelati maker for Beaches & Cream. ‘It’s fun!’ he says. ‘It’s almost a form of art – I use a recipe but it’s up to me to get the balance right.’ Andy notes that he alters the recipe slightly depending on the weather. ‘If
Teven Valley Farm is a brand-new small on-farm manufacturer of ice-cream. ‘We got all our approvals through two weeks ago,’ says Mark Parry, adding that they are currently talking with local retailers and cafes. One of their flavours will be burnt-honey and others are in development, including a banana ice-cream with peanut and bacon brittle! www. tevenvalleyfarm.com.au.
Colour, colour everywhere yes, but not Knox & Aya’s selection of vegan ice-cream, based on coconut milk (see story opposite). I will leave the last word to Lisa Fisher, of Bangalow’s Pantry 29. ‘I roll with whatever people call it,’ she happily declares. I second that… and, in celebration, will add a second scoop to my next icedconfectionary-in-a-cone.
It’s not just the ice-cream that is colourful at Lennox Gelato & Coffee Co – the entire shop is blazing colour, including the sprinkles and coffee cups (and yes, there’s even a rainbow ‘flavour’). Owner Dan makes the gelato fresh every day. ‘I
The Byron Shire Echo September 28, 2016 27