IN FOCUS // The Piccolina Gelato Project
Chefs vs gelato The Piccolina Gelato Project: a chance for chefs to live their wildest dreams through the medium of gelato. WORDS Amy Northcott
PICCOLINA GELATERIA
would invent, so I created a
people … we have had some
each chef to throw away the
launched her very first gelato
just that.”
and also worked with some
all that gelato could be,” says
FOUNDER Sandra Foti
collaboration with Scott Pickett
project that allowed me to do Each annual season of
in 2020. The duo created
The Piccolina Gelato Project
caramelised banana gelato
different chef creating three
three Thai-inspired flavours: with roasted peanuts and
lemon sorbet infused with
lemongrass; ginger and Thai
basil gelato; and caramelised palm sugar gelato with palm
sugar caramel and honeycomb. It was an experience that
would spark the launch of The
Piccolina Gelato Project. “I was
runs for eight weeks, with a flavours that are available
for one week at a time. The program has seen many
hospitality figures try their
hand at gelato including Serai’s Ross Magnaye, Hope St Radio’s Ellie Bouhadana, and Etta’s Rosheen Kaul.
When it comes to selecting
new, up-and-coming chefs
who are award-winning and
quite established.” Experience making gelato is not a
requirement; the project is a chance for both Foti and
the chefs to learn from each
other. “It’s lots of fun to have
the opportunity to teach these incredibly creative individuals something new,” she says.
“Sharing knowledge is one of
down with Foti and her team
says Foti. “There are no real
There’s no real brief besides
around them to watch how
they worked and see what they 6 | Hospitality
rules on how we choose the
possible, and to try things they don’t necessarily get to try in their own restaurants.” It’s a
hands-on process finalising the flavours with Foti’s team, with lots of trial and error before the products are locked in.
participated in the project
towards chefs who are doing new and interesting things,”
opportunity to be as creative as
very fulfilling.”
to how I was trained,” says
Foti. “I simply wanted to be
project is to allow chefs the
Nagesh Seethiah of
the project and is personally
collaborators, it’s all about inspiration. “We gravitate
Foti. “The whole basis of the
the most inspiring aspects of
fascinated by the way a chef
approached gelato compared
rule book and to reimagine
Once chosen, chefs sit
to start working on flavours.
trying something new. “We ask
Melbourne’s Manzé
earlier this year and jumped at the chance after being
approached by Foti. “[I was
told] to keep it fun, engaging, and to get people excited
