Gelato Lab

Hiding away in the leafy suburb of Opawa lies a small piece of Italy. Gelato Lab churns out traditional gelato in a number of delicious and ever-changing flavours, all made on-site by two passionate ladies: Martina, who hails from the motherland of gelato and hence has a fair idea of the product at hand; and Pippa, the owner-operator of this wee gem, who fell in love with gelato while studying in Europe and attended a ‘gelato university’ in Bologna (just for fun, she tells us!) after finishing her PhD.

Working as a research scientist at the University of Otago as a day job, Pippa set up Gelato Lab as a way to import a slice of Europe to little ol’ Christchurch. She wanted to combine science, fun and creativity in Gelato Lab. Thus, on top of its name, the fit-out also nods towards all things science: an elements table as a menu, conical flasks and glass beakers on top of open shelves, and a white scientist’s jacket and hairnet uniform for the scoopers and churners.

Keeping true to tradition, the gelato here is scooped with a spatula rather than your usual round scoop. Expect to find seasonal flavours along with some classics, plus a number of dairy-free options available throughout the year. Come on a sunny weekend and you’ll find a wiggly line of people queuing to cure that craving for the Lab’s gelato delizioso.

If you can’t quite pedal your bike all the way to HQ, Gelato Lab’s cold stuff is also available right in town at Ballantynes and at Riverside Cheesemongers (the latter will be the only spot where you can wrap your laughing gear around a very special sheep’s milk gelato!). With a focus on wholesale going on behind the scenes, more spots to offer a Gelato Lab fix will be popping up in the near future.