Forest Gelato, JHB

Ice cream is always a good idea, but if you’re in the vicinity of Candice Harrison-Train’s little shop of artisanal scoops at 44 Stanley, it’s downright obligatory

“Our ice cream makes people happy. I love seeing the immediate feedback on customers’ faces” – Candice Harrison-Train

Authentic, artisanal and made the old-fashioned way: this is the promise Candice Harrison-Train wakes up to fulfil every day at Forest Gelato, where she churns her legendary gelatos and sorbets. You won’t find any artificial additives, preservatives or pre-made gels and powders here – but you will find fresh, seasonal flavours and vegan options.

But this wasn’t always her calling. Candice, a researcher by profession, only started making ice cream 12 years ago because her child was constantly battling tonsillitis.

“A friend’s mother gave me a recipe, then another friend gave me her late father’s ice-cream machine and I just started making the recipes in the book that came with it. The result was ice cream that was so delicious and different from what we were finding in the shops.”

Left: Candice Harrison-Train and Sannah Molepo take a moment outside the store. Opposite, clockwise from left: Forest Gelato’s flavour offering is based mainly on seasonality; Sanah serves scoops of the gelato she makes; the vegan Belgian chocolate gelato is popular.

Over the years that followed she found herself buying larger churners and experimenting with different flavours, even exploring the work of gelato chefs.

Then one day, while waiting for her coffee in a queue, Candice casually mentioned to someone that she was considering opening a small shop. “She happened to be an activator at 44 Stanley and told me a space had just opened up.”

Nothing could have prepared her for the ride that followed.

Candice signed the lease on 1 March 2020. South Africa went into Covid-19 lockdown three weeks later, which meant she could only start operating that August. “It was a difficult first year, but it gave me time and helped me learn the business – quantities and people. It was a soft opening,” she says philosophically.

Then along came loadshedding.

“We’ve had a rough season. Several times we’ve found ourselves sitting with icecream soup,” says Candice, adding that extended outages, sometimes for days, cost her greatly. The entire production at Forest Gelato originally took place at the store, as Candice wanted customers to witness the art that goes into making authentic gelato, but “we’ve had to shut that down and have a dark kitchen with back-up power to maintain production.”

These days you will find Candice at the Johannesburg Fresh Market early in the morning, sourcing ingredients for her seasonal flavour combos, which may include orange-and-Szechuan pepper or chocolate-and-rosemary. She also grows produce that isn’t readily available. “I have a myrtle bush that I use to make our pear, ginger and myrtle sorbet,” she says proudly.