A BRISBANE gelateria has scooped the title of Australia’s best ice cream for the second year in a row with a dark chocolate sorbet.
Milani House of Gelato, from Hamilton in Brisbane, beat 164 ice cream, gelato and sorbet entries to win the grand champion title at the Royal Queensland Food and Wine Show’s (RQFWS) Ice Cream, Gelato and Sorbet Competition.
In fact this year the Milani House of Gelato won all all six champion awards at the Royal Queensland Food and Wine Show’s (RQFWS) Ice Cream, Gelato and Sorbet Competition presented by Lendlease at the Brisbane Showgrounds.
The Racecource Road gelateria also dominated last year’s competition, after being awarded Grand Champion for their dark chocolate gelato and winning five champion trophies.
Renowned ice cream expert and RQFWS judge Garry Baker said Milani House of Gelato certainly knew how to consistently put a delicious true chocolate flavour together.
“Their dark chocolate sorbet has a smooth creamy texture and is close to being perfect,” he said.
“Queensland has the best sorbets by far and the RQFWS is the premium competition for sorbets in Australia.”
This is only the second time in the competition’s history a sorbet has taken out the grand champion title.
“For a sorbet to win overall is a great achievement because they don’t have the advantage of all the dairy milk solids that ice cream and gelato have to make them nice and creamy,” Mr Baker said.
The sorbet is produced using milk from Maleny Dairies, which exhibited the champion yogurt and butter entries.
Also awarded today was the title of Australia’s best cheese in the Cheese and Dairy Produce Show, with Berrys Creek Gourmet Cheese from South Gippsland in Victoria winning the Grand Champion title for the third year in a row with their Riverine Blue, made from buffalo milk.
International dairy expert and RQFWS chief judge Russell Smith said the blue cheese was consistently world class.
“It has a smooth creamy texture combining with a superb balance of sweet spicy flavours and would hold its own in any competition anywhere in the world,” he said.
“The fact that both Berrys Creek Gourmet Cheese and Milani House of Gelato are serial winners just attests to the superb quality and attention to detail these manufacturers put into their products.”
The team of 17 judges, led by Mr Smith, tasted their way through 500 dairy products over four days this week to crown the nation’s best.
The prestigious RQFWS is dedicated to celebrating the nation’s finest produce and continues to unearth Australia’s top food and wine products year after year.
The award-winning dairy products will feature during this year’s Royal Queensland Show on August 11-20.
WINNERS
Australia’s best cheese and dairy
Palatable Partners Champion Cheese: Heidi Farm Tilsit 6kg: Lion Dairy and Drinks.
Lendlease Champion Dairy Dessert or Yoghurt: Maleny Dairies (natural yoghurt): Maleny Dairies.
Dairy Australia Champion Butter, Milk or Cream: Maleny Dairies (pure cream): Maleny Dairies.
Lendlease Champion Buffalo, Goat, Sheep or Other Non Bovine Milk Product: Riverine Blue – Berrys Creek Gourmet Cheese.
Lendlease Champion Queensland Cheese or Dairy Product: Frolicking Goat Bûche Noir – Frolicking Goat.
Lendlease Grand Champion Dairy Product (Australia’s best cheese): Riverine Blue – Berrys Creek Gourmet Cheese.
Australia’s best ice cream, gelato and sorbet
Lendlease Chamopion Vanilla or Chocolate Ice Cream or Gelato: Milk Chocolate Gelato - Milani House of Gelato.
Lendlease Champion Flavoured Ice Cream or Sorbet: Coffee Gourmet Gelato -Milani House of Gelato.
Dairy Australia Champion Ice Cream or Gelato: Coffee Gourmet Gelato - Milani House of Gelato.
Lendlease Champion Sorbet: Dark Chocolate Sorbet – Milani House of Gelato.
Lendlease Champion Queensland Ice Cream, Gelato or Sorbet: Dark Chocolate Sorbet – Milani House of Gelato.
Lendlease Grand Champion Ice Cream, Gelato or Sorbet (Australia’s best ice cream): Dark Chocolate Sorbet – Milani House of Gelato.