Champion Flavoured Ice Cream or Gelato of Show
In 2026 we entered the Royal Queensland Ice Cream, Gelato & Sorbet Awards for the first time. Our Enchanted Orchard, a pear and ginger gelato, won a gold medal in Class 6 and was then named Champion Flavoured Ice Cream or Gelato of Show — judged the best flavoured gelato or ice cream in the competition, out of more than 160 entries in its group.
Royal Queensland Ice Cream, Gelato & Sorbet Awards 2026 · Class 6 · Gold Medal · Champion Flavoured Ice Cream or Gelato of Show
Pear and ginger sounds unusual for a gelato, and that’s part of why we love it — sweet poached pear with a warm ginger lift. Meet the flavour: Enchanted Orchard — pear & ginger →
[PHOTO NEEDED: Pear & Ginger (Enchanted Orchard) gelato — a beautiful fresh tray or serve, award context without looking corporate.]
Why we entered
When we entered the Royal Queensland Awards, we’d been open barely six months. Entering wasn’t really about winning — it was a chance to put our approach in front of independent judges and see how it held up against the rest of the state.
We didn’t chase novelty for its own sake. We put recognisable classics — chocolate, vanilla, strawberry — alongside a couple of more adventurous flavours, and set out to execute every one of them beautifully. A classic doesn’t need reinventing; it needs doing well.
We started with the classics
Chocolate. French vanilla bean. Strawberry. They sound simple, and that was the point.
Our chocolate is a rich premium gelato. Our vanilla is made with French vanilla bean. Our strawberry is made with fresh strawberries and cream.
The judges gave all three a gold medal.
| Flavour | Also known as | Class | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Down the Choco Hole | Chocolate | Class 2 | Gold |
| Tweedle Dum | French vanilla bean | Class 1 | Gold |
| Alice’s Strawberry Patch | Strawberry | Class 3 | Gold |
Because we serve in mini scoops, those three gold-medal flavours can sit in one cup together — our own take on another classic.
Our own classic
The Triple Gold Neapolitan
Three gold medals, three mini scoops, one Piccolo.
- Down The Choco Hole — Chocolate · Gold, Class 2 · read more
- Tweedle Dum — French vanilla bean · Gold, Class 1 · read more
- Strawberry — Strawberry · Gold, Class 3
A serving idea grounded in our 2026 golds — have all three together, or swap a scoop once you're at the cabinet.
[PHOTO NEEDED: a Piccolo with those exact three flavours, shot from above — the photo that could carry the whole page.]
And something more adventurous
Pear and ginger is one of our own favourites. A little unusual, and we think rather special.
It won gold too, and then took the champion’s trophy.
The full 2026 results
Royal Queensland Ice Cream, Gelato & Sorbet Awards 2026:
Gold
- Enchanted Orchard — pear and ginger — Class 6 — also Champion Flavoured Ice Cream or Gelato of Show
- Down the Choco Hole — chocolate — Class 2
- Tweedle Dum — French vanilla bean — Class 1
- Alice’s Strawberry Patch — strawberry — Class 3
Silver
- The Green Queen’s Delight — Class 10, Gelato: Non-Animal Milk Product
- Caterpillar’s Pistachio Cloud — Class 5, Nut Flavoured
- Merry Berry Unbirthday — Class 6
- White Rabbit’s Coconut Cloud — Class 7, Reduced or Low Fat
- The Cheshire Zing — Class 12, Citrus Sorbet
- Mango Mayhem — Class 11, Tropical Fruit Sorbet
- Hearts a Flutter — Classes 11 and 13, Sorbet
Bronze
- Caterpillar’s Cool Cocoa — Class 14, Sorbet
The competition has run since 2011 and was the first in the country dedicated to judging sorbet, gelato and ice cream. It’s part of the Royal Queensland Awards, run by the RNA.
Judged on the vegan flavours too
We didn’t only enter the classics. Our vegan and fruit-based flavours were judged in their own classes, and they medalled as well — including a silver for The Green Queen’s Delight in the non-animal-milk class, and medals across our sorbets.
We usually have around eight non-dairy options in the cabinet on any given day.
[KYLE: confirm the almond milk / coconut milk descriptions before these go public, since they're a claim about what's in them.]
Next: the national awards
All four of our gold medal winners have been entered in the Australian Grand Dairy Awards, held 6 to 9 October 2026, where gold medallists from around the country are judged together.
We’ll let you know how they go.
Come and taste them
Our cabinet changes, so the award winners come and go — Enchanted Orchard is one of our rotating flavours rather than a permanent fixture. Chocolate, vanilla and strawberry are usually here.
Check what’s in the cabinet today, or come and see us at the Aqua Complex in Labrador, right by the Broadwater.