MEET A LOCAL: Giapo Grazioli

Meet Giapo Grazioli, head chef of Giapo ice cream, Auckland

Giapo Grazioli © Davide Zerilli

My name is Giapo Grazioli, and I am the head chef of Giapo ice cream. My work focuses on changing how people experience ice cream through art, science and technology. I have been doing it for 14 years. I graduated in Applied Science at AUT and I live in Mission Bay in Auckland with my wife Annarosa and my two children, Francesca and Pasquale.

At the start of each work day, after my coffee, I spend an hour drawing (dreaming) ice creams. This is my most productive time, when I visualise things that do not exist yet. The favourite part of my work day is when I see that what we are doing is meaningful to other people and motivate them to do more or do it differently.

To be honest, I don’t have a particular highlight in my career that I am mostly proud of. I could say an award, the many acknowledgements from other colleagues, the thousands of positive reviews or a celebrity coming to visit us... but I am mostly proud of my team who show up when it counts, and is there to make it happen. I owe it all to them. They put the hard work in.

ABOVE: Doughnut ice cream, Giapo, Auckland © Davide Zerilli