Alessandro Palumbo’s earliest memories of Gelato Messina are as sweet as the frozen desserts, also known as Italian ice cream, it serves. The nephew of Nick Palumbo, who founded the gelato brand in Darlinghurst, Sydney, in 2002, recalls fondly, “I must have been about nine years old, small enough that I had to stand on tiptoe just to peek into the gelato cabinet.”
As the youngster wiped tables, offered taster spoons, and ferried tubs of gelato to the freezer, he developed a passion for both dessert and business. By the age of 12, he had earned his place behind the counter, digging up creamy, rich gelato for excited customers. “That’s when I found my groove,” he continues, “making people fall in love with gelato the same way I had.”
Gelato Messina’s made-from-scratch approach has produced a standout menu of 40 irresistible flavours.
Palumbo, now 27 and the International Operations Manager of Gelato Messina, which has 32 outlets across Australia and two in Hong Kong, recently opened its first Southeast Asian outpost in Club Street.
He tells us that there are two things one must know about Gelato Messina. It has always been a family business; besides Nick Palumbo, other co-owners include Alessandro’s dad Danny, head chef Donato Toce, and brand custodian Declan Lee.
In addition, its made-from-scratch approach has produced a standout menu with 40 irresistible flavours. Every day, premium ingredients and original mix-ins, such as brownies, jams, sauces, and custards, are churned on-site.
Additionally, Gelato Messina owns dairy and hazelnut farms in Australia, which provide many raw ingredients for its products. Among them are pasture-fed milk from 550 Jersey cows, free-range eggs, honey, and mint.
Upon milking, the milk is flown here and pasteurised in the Club Street kitchen within two to three days for maximum freshness. “It’s not the easiest or cheapest way to make gelato, but it’s the only way we know,” says Palumbo. “[And] the reward is tangible: you can literally taste the difference.”
Gelato Messina’s Singapore menu consists of 35 signature flavours and five local exclusives. In what Palumbo describes as “borderline obsessive” research and development, each one was tweaked, taste-tested, and tested again. How You Durian? features real durian pulp and house-made durian jam and cake. Free of artificial flavouring, its gelato base blends Jersey and coconut milk for a delicate balance between intense and creamy that appeals to both dairy fans and first-timers.
Yolk’s On You is equally outstanding, inspired by gula melaka and salted egg yolks. “We wanted it to be something you could imagine craving after a meal at a hawker centre,” Palumbo says, “without going into gimmick territory.”
We also gave the thumbs up to creamy Teh Tarik, the tofu-based Tau Huay gelato, and Kaya Toast, swirled with kaya jam and studded with dehydrated toast. Kaya Toast is the only flavour that uses a store-bought component. “We haven’t figured out how to grow pandan cost-effectively yet,” he admits.
The one Palumbo loves most is hazelnut, which reminds him of Nutella growing up. “It’s rich, roasty and incredibly satisfying. I never get tired of it.”
