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Gelato & Sorbetto – from ice cream pipe dream to gelato greatness

Bungay has embraced Gelato and Sorbetto with open arms since opening in May 2023. And it’s not difficult to see why. They are a family run business, sell delicious ice cream, with Bungay’s community at the heart of their business.

The idea came about 18 years’ ago when owner, Ian Smith, was serving as a soldier in Germany. Ian recognised the popularity and demand for quality ice cream parlours in Germany and always joked that when he returned to England, he would set up his own family run parlour. But why Bungay?

The idea of running an ice cream parlour in Bungay was never again seriously considered until Carla, Ian’s wife, was clearing out the then, closed Interior shop, (the shop previously located at the same site) and notified Ian that the lease for the site was available. Suddenly Ian’s plan to open an ice cream parlour; a pipe dream from 18 years’ ago, became a very serious reality.

They took 24 hours to consider their options and decided that the only way to discover whether an ice cream parlour would succeed in Bungay, was to open one up and see! And so, Gelato and Sorbetto was born.

They received the keys, and decided they needed to open as soon as possible to take advantage of the warmer months approaching. This was, and still very much is, a family project and everyone was involved from the beginning; Ian’s children, grandchildren, and mother-in-law of 80 years old, all assisted with the transformation of the site and its turnaround and quick opening. In the words of Ian, it was ‘Epic’ and very much a ‘ring and a prayer.’

The ice cream parlour, very much to Ian’s surprise, was immediately popular, especially during the summer months. They benefitted greatly from Bungay’s festivals and the Bungay Street Markets. The winter months have been quieter, but they have pivoted to produce warmer sweet treats to entice customers during the colder periods, also serving coffee and beer.

Going forward they plan to make their own gelato on-site, using locally farmed milk, with Ian’s aim to source milk from a local farm and produce homemade gelato within 24 hours.

We will be catching up with Ian soon, to discover how his plans have developed, so watch this space!

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