Summer means warm days, and balmy nights, and what better than homemade ice cream to keep you cool. Not just any old ice cream though – this is slow-churned, small-batch Italian Gelato. In the heart of the Lake District. Yum!
We caught up with Amy, who brought gelato to Cumbria when she dreamed up The Little Ice Cream Shop at Hawkshead. 5 years on and with a second shop in Windermere, they create over 40 delicious flavours of gelato, along with sorbets and dairy-free options too. Each day brings a choice of around 22 flavours to both shops.
The Little Ice Cream Shop
Isn’t gelato just Italian for ice cream?
Yes, but gelato is creamier, smoother and has less fat than traditional English ice cream. Almost guilt-free! We source our milk & cream from a local dairy in Windermere – we know that Cumbrian cows are the happiest cows
How did you get into making gelato?
I opened the Little Ice Cream Shop in 2016, when I was 18 and trying to save up enough money to move to that there London and train as an actor. My little shop in Hawkshead proved popular and word spread, and we ended up with queues outside the door. I then persuaded my mum and dad to help me expand the ice-cream empire, and in July 2018, the Little Ice Cream Shop #2 was born in Windermere.
Amy did eventually move to London and is now a professional TV actress. You may see her behind the scenes in Hawkshead making ice cream into the wee small hours in the summer.
The company has gone from strength to strength and has won awards and plaudits from Cumbria Life Magazine Taste Awards- Readers’ Choice Awards, Olive Magazine, Best Artisan Ice-cream producers in the UK, and mentions from LateRooms.com, and Lancashire & Lake District Life magazine.
They serve 22 flavours each day but make over 40 – with some intriguing names and flavours: Kendal Mintcake, My Ex’s Soul, Houston we have Biscoff, Let that Mango and amazing classics like Lakeland Cream, Salted Caramel, Chocolate Indulgence and Strawberry Milkshake. They also create 6 gorgeous ‘sorbetto’ flavours – including 2 of my favourites, raspberry, and watermelon. So refreshing! Go on, treat yourself. #LittleIceCreamShop
