How good was summer? Ask the ice cream sellers
Ice cream lovers have been lapping it up this summer.
The run of long, hot days has seen Duck Island “churning like crazy trying to keep up” while Little Lato’s newly-established parlour in Hamilton East is still trying to figure out if this is the new norm. "We're used to seeing a seasonal shift, but this summer has been massive,“Duck Island operations manager Lauren Clark said, “especially compared to this time last year.” This time last year Kiwis were saying goodbye to a summer that barely lived up to the name – storm after storm hammered the country through January, leaving few windows to enjoy an ice-cold treat in the sun.
Clark said they’ve noticed a significant increase in demand across all of their stores over the past couple of months. “With the epic summer events we've been scooping at as well, our Hamilton East production team have been churning like crazy trying to keep up. It's been challenging but fun; we love helping people cool down, and hope this sunny weather continues."
Meanwhile, award-winning gelato company Little Lato was using the Hamilton summer as a litmus test for seasons to come.
Since setting up their flagship shop in the newly-established Made complex last November, it’s been busy, Owner Hannah Engelsman said.
“That first month was a bit crazy so it’s figuring out what the steady new normal is in this area. Hamilton is a completely different city that we’ve never been in.”
They favour quality over quantity with flavours such as tiramisu, cinnamon bun and chocolate sorbet.
“The gelato market is definitely growing” Englesman said.“whenever it’s warm and sunny, you definitely sell a lot more gelato than when it’s cold or wet.”
Back at the Duck Island parlour on the corner of Grey and Cook streets, staff have been “under the pump”.
“This summer, notably demand is higher,” co-owner, Kim Higgison said.
The sought-after ice cream brand has grown in popularity since setting up shop in Hamilton’s east side in 2015 and they’ve seen a “significant increase in demand” across all their stores including Auckland and Wellington. The company, that operates underneath the Made complex with an in-house kitchen and offices, was used to seeing a 20% seasonal shift.