Scoop, eat, love

A visit to see her cousins in Sicily introduced Lilly Stuckings to an unusual family tradition – making gelato. But it was a visit that would eventually change her life, and career path.

Lilly and her partner Gavin both had more than 20 years’ experience in the corporate world and decided they needed a change. After talking through a few different business ideas, Lilly was drawn back to her time with her Sicilian family in 1996 and so Gelato Papa (named after her family, the Papas) was born. 

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However, Gavin says starting their own small business wasn’t without surprises. “You don't know what it's going to be and how it's going to function,” he says. “It took us a year or two to really feel like we knew the business. It's about understanding what the sales cycle is and then what your costs are and how you can actually control your costs so you can run at a profit so you can continue to grow and operate.”

For Lilly, making gelato using traditional methods with a distinctly unique twist is vital to their business success. “It's about expanding the boundaries and not sticking to traditional flavours,” she says. “It's about being creative and pushing the boundaries - there's no limit to what we can make.”

Gelato Papa hand-make all its gelato from scratch using traditional Sicilian methods but you won’t find old-school flavours like zabaglione at their shop – instead you’ll come across pavlova, gingerbread or lemon meringue. “I just didn't expect the product to resonate so much with our customers and that's the part that gets me out of bed every day,” says Lilly.

“Gelato Papa has always been about authenticity and quality and that's what drives me and drives the business. You want to ensure when people come here they have a great experience and they want to keep coming back.”

You can learn more about Gelato Papa or follow them on Instagram.