London ice cream start-up Hackney Gelato whips up £1m expansion plan

Ice cream: Chefs Sam Newman and Enrico Pavoncelli founded Hackney Gelato in 2015
Michael Bow24 April 2020

An East London start-up making gourmet ice cream for Michelin-starred restaurants has raised £1 million from venture capitalists to whip up expansion plans.

Hackney Gelato, set up by chef pals Enrico Pavoncelli and Sam Newman, has received the investment from Pembroke VCT, a vehicle which has previously backed Five Guys and Alex Chung’s fashion label.

The cash will be used to expand ice-cream making facilities in Hackney and increase production so it can tap more retail customers.

The start-up, founded in 2015, currently supplies top London restaurants such as Hakkasan and Brat and sells to customers through Ocado and Whole Foods.

“This investment allows us to expand our London premises and equipment so we can make greater volumes of proper ice cream and hire the right people to get it out there,” said Newman.

Pavoncelli, 35, and Newman, 39, met working at Michelin-starred eatery Locanda Locatelli and decided to go into business together.

Pavoncelli is Italian and Newman grew up in Italy. The duo went to Sicily and Calabria after quitting Locanda to learn techniques from master ice cream makers.

Newman said the company tried to focus on innovative flavours, such as Hot Cross Bun flavour, Brown Bread and Marmalade and Xmas Pudding.

The firm also created a special ice cream for the London Transport Museum to celebrate the District Line, which was made from clotted cream rippled with green coloured honey.

The most popular flavours are chocolate sorbet, vanilla and salted caramel, Newman added.

Pembroke’s Andrew Wolfson said: “Hackney Gelato is unique. It is not just another standard ice cream business that’s trying to crack retail. It is an established and well-loved trade business, seeking to grow its ability to manufacture for the trade and launch the ‘restaurant approved’ gelato into retail.“