Matakana ice cream maker Charlies Gelato has scooped six medals at the 2024 NZ Ice Cream & Gelato Awards announced last week. The boutique producer based in Sharp Road took three golds, for its Passionfruit Sorbetto, Fig & Ginger Gelato and Chocolate Hazelnut Gelato, and three silvers, for Dark Chocolate Gelato, Sweet & Salty Gelato and Lemon Sorbetto. The wins mean Charlies’ owners Andrew Cole and Tania Nevill are in contention to win a trophy when they are announced in Auckland on August 29.
Twenty judges tasted 233 award entries last month to decide the medal winners, sampling everything from two-litre tubs to commercial cones, including record numbers of gelato products, 39 of which won medals..