Caliendo's Gelato in Kentish Town scoops sorbet gold trophy

Caliendo's Gelato, in Kentish Town, last year won the UK’s first ever Ice Cream Parlour of the Year competition, organised by trade association the Ice Cream Alliance (ICA).

Now the Kentish Town Road shop, run by Michelina Caliendo Sear and Fiona Bell, has won a gold glass trophy at the National Ice Cream Competition 2024 for its blackberry and lemon sorbet.

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"Since opening in 2019 we've been going from strength to strength," Michelina told the Ham&High.

Micheline Caliendo-Sear with the support from all kinds of media after Caliendo's Gelato won UK Parlour of the Year (Image: Nathalie Raffray)

"We've been really lucky with support from regulars, our local residents have been absolutely amazing and I think that's what set us up on our trajectory. We feel we are part of the community."

Since winning the Parlour of the Year award their customer base has increased from a two or three-mile radius to areas such as Guildford and Oxford.

"They are gelato lovers and they love us," added Michelina.

She believes their strength is constantly changing the range of ice creams, which they make fresh every day.

To date they have created 205 recipes.

The gold award winning blackberry and lemon sorbet at Caliendo's Gelato, so sherbet-like delicious it was hard to put down to take a photo (Image: Nathalie Raffray)

One third of their cabinet is dairy free for lactose intolerant or vegan customers. They do not use milk alternatives, only fresh fruit, water and sugar.

"We've never really had a flavour that didn't work," said Michelina. "One we thought wouldn't work was the Marmite and buttered toast but it was a hit."

The savoury flavour even won backing from a celebrity you might expect to prefer Vegemite. On February 3 - National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day - they were invited by GB News to join a panel with musician Peter Andre.

Michelina Caliendo-Sear and Fiona Bell with singer Peter Andre, said to be a fan of their Marmite and Buttered Toast Gelato (Image: Caliendo's Gelato)

The pair served up their infamous Marmite and buttered toast gelato, as well as a honey roast cornflake gelato, mango sorbet and Belgian chocolate sorbet, and the Mysterious Girl singer declared himself converted to the famously divisive yeast extract.

The best ice cream parlour in the UK is in Kentish Town (Image: Nathalie Raffray)

"Peter Andre loved it and said he definitely wants to come and visit to learn how to make it," she added.

Former Conservative MP turned train-hopping dandy Michael Portillo also visited last summer to learn about gelato as part of another GB News programme, joining them in the kitchen.

Caliendo's Gelato is currently open Wednesdays to Sundays from 12pm to 8pm. It will open six days a week from the Easter weekend at the end of March.