The Royal Highland Show is looming in the not too distant future.

Here we have a quick chat with the winner of the ice cream championship about their recipe for success.

North Berwick-based company Alandas Gelateria is a small family business whose gelato has taken Scotland by storm. Since opening the gelato side of their business in 2014, Alandas Gelateria have been awarded Overall Dairy Champions in 2017 and 2018, also managing to win gold awards in the Ice Cream Championship at the Royal Highland Show for four years running.

Now a leading name in Scotland’s food and drinks scene, we spoke to Alandas to discover how their win has shaped the company and what they have planned for the future.

Tell us a bit about your company?

“Alandas is a small family business which has been operating for more than 30 years. Originally specialising in fish and chips, we took our passion into the creation of fresh Italian gelato in the spring of 2014, when we opened our North Berwick micro factory and parlour.” 

How long have you been trading?

“Although the family fish and chip shop has been operating since 1991, Alandas Gelateria has been open since May 2014. Our company started off with one street food unit that travelled around Edinburgh and East Lothian selling fish and chips. Eventually, this grew to include three fish and chip shops and four Scottish seafood street food units before we opened the Gelateria in 2014.”

What makes your ice cream so special?

“We really, really love what we do. All of our gelato and sorbets are made fresh every single day, from scratch, in our tiny North Berwick shop, the milk is sourced from our local dairy in East Lothian. It takes a huge amount of effort, but we truly are passionate about making the best gelato possible outside of Italy, and we only use the very best ingredients.”

Which flavours won?

“We have been named the overall champion for the Scottish Dairy Produce Championships for two years running. In 2017 we won with our Chocolate Fudge Brownie and in 2018 two of our flavours were in the spotlight – our Strawberry and Fresh Ginger Sorbet and our Belgian milk chocolate, which has won gold awards for four years running. We call this flavour our famous Belgian milk chocolate now!”

What are your most popular flavours?

“Definitely our Belgian milk chocolate, it’s unlike any other chocolate ice cream as we use a super-secret recipe and a special method of production. Other popular flavours are Ferrero Rocher, Banoffee Pie, Millionaire Shortbread, Pistachio and the humble but classic Vanilla Fudge.”

Why did you apply for the Ice Cream Championships?

“It’s a great thing to be involved in because with small businesses like us entering alongside huge national businesses, you get the chance to see how your product compares to some very influential brands. It’s also quite fun!”

Has winning made a difference to your business?

“I would think so, it’s been good for publicity and letting people know that the ice cream we are making is amazing. People often come into the shop, see the trophy and then ask a lot of questions. They also enjoy reading the engravings from previous year’s award winners and seeing how the cup has travelled all over Scotland!”

What are your plans for the future of your business?

“We take every day as it comes, but hopefully to expand one day!”

 Are you planning to enter again next year?

“Yes, it’s become a sort of tradition for us to take part now, and we love the atmosphere of the Royal Highland Show!”

What would you say to someone who is looking to enter the ice cream competition next year?

“I would say get involved, it’s a good experience and you can learn a lot from it; we certainly have!”

To find out more about the Scottish Championships being held at this year’s Royal Highland Show or to enter, visit our website at:

https://www.royalhighlandshow.org/competitions/how-to-enter/