Double scoop for Morelli’s!

MORELLI’S vanilla Ice Cream is officially the UK’s favourite frozen treat after winning not one but two first prize silver cups at this year’s National Ice Cream Awards in Harrogate, England.

The family run firm, which is also celebrating its centenary this year, was awarded the gongs by the UK Ice Cream Alliance last week for best in class: vanilla artisan and dairy continuous freezer.

Sales Director, Daniela Morelli, told The Times: “We are over the moon with achieving a double win, especially since the vanilla classes are the hardest to win. What a fitting end to our Cento Anni year.”

Daniela, who is has written a book about her family’s 100 year journey to success, says the secret to making the best ice cream is using the finest Irish dairy ingredients combined with years of experience and Italian passion!

It’s a formula that is clearly working with more than 50 different flavours of ice cream being produced at their Ballycastle Road factory in Coleraine supplying demand from a host of franchise ice cream parlours, family shops, hotels and restaurants as well as Tesco supermarkets across Northern Ireland and Scotland.

The team at Morelli’s, which includes Daniela’s father Guido and her brothers, Arnaldo and Marino, are all passionate about ice cream.

“We are constantly working to perfect our ice cream,” said Arnaldo, who like his brother and sister can remember scooping ice creams in his father’s shop from the age of nine or ten.

“Our customers in Northern Ireland have a sweet tooth and we are always trying to develop new flavours.”

The family, who have won a string of national awards for their ice creams in recent years were praised by Zelica Carr, Chief Executive Officer of The Ice Cream Alliance.

“The Morellis were up against very strong competition in this class and their success is well-deserved.

“The ice cream industry continues to flourish and the quality and flavour is increasing every year thanks to the dedication of ice cream makers like the Morelli family.”

Bringing the two national challenge cups to Northern Ireland for the first time is seen as the icing on the cake for the Morelli family who have hosted a series of events to celebrate their 100th anniversary making and selling ice cream in Northern Ireland.

Earlier this summer, Morelli’s Ices’ year long celebrations culminated in a Guinness World Record attempt for the most people simultaneously eating ice cream.

Nearly 3,000 people gathered in the grounds of Dominican College, Portstewart, for the event which the Morelli family hopes will be officially confirmed by Guinness before the end of the year.