Beppi's Gelato
What is Gelato?
Gelato is served at a warmer temperature (12°) than ice cream. Whereas ice cream relies on sugar to bring out the flavour, that’s not necessary with gelato as the flavours are stronger at a higher temperature. It’s also more malleable, so it’s served with a spatula. The ingredients tend to be more natural in gelato, and it’s much denser than ice cream. Cheap ice cream will contain as much air as ice cream, whereas there is only 18-20% air in gelato. Gelato cones are long and narrow.
Flavours
One of Paola’s favorite tasks is trying out new flavours. She uses fresh ingredients as much as possible so the flavours will change depending on what’s available. At the moment, there’s mango sorbetto. Come fall, there will be apple and pear. In addition, gelato is only prepared 5 days a week, so when a flavour runs out, it runs out.
Some flavours are always a hit – lemon and Oreo cookies, for example – but Paola’s not afraid to introduce some less common options. “If you introduce people to good food, they’ll follow,” she says. That’s certainly proven to be the case with Fior di Latte (flower of the milk), which is a big hit in Saskatoon as well as in Italy.
Family members and staff have influenced the choice of flavours. Luca is a lemon gelato with mango puree – two of her son’s favorite flavours. Paola’s middle son suggested a butter crunch flavour, while her daughter can eat a brown sugar pound cake in one go, so her gelato is made with brown sugar with a caramel swirl.
A lot of attention goes into differentiating the different flavours. Chocolate pecan is 100% dark chocolate, whereas giandula balances the chocolate with the hazelnut. Some white chocolate base is added to the strawberry chocolate so that you can really taste the fruit.
Paola is trying to make environmentally conscious decisions, but they come at a cost. The gelato cups and spoons are biodegradable, but they’re also much more expensive. Paola plans to approach the dairy in Martensville about using their fresh milk, but she’s unsure whether customers will be prepared to pay a premium for a local, natural ingredient.
A Steep Learning Curve
Once she decided to open a gelateria, Paola signed up for a course at Carpigiani Gelato University in Bologna, Italy. The one-week program covered what you need to know to run a gelato shop. Every day, they would break into groups to make different flavours of gelato. Paola would like to go back for an intermediate course delving into the science of making gelato and balancing sugars.
Despite the educational program, actually operating a gelateria proved to be a steep learning curve. Paola’s first week in business, her husband was away on a business trip, her kids were in a soccer tournament, and there was a heat wave. “I thought I’d be making gelato in the morning and serving behind the counter in the afternoon,” Paola says, “but it didn’t work out that way. I hadn’t expected bookkeeping and meetings to take up so much of my time.”
Paola is passionate about hiring young people as she doesn’t feel they have the job opportunities she had when she was young. For 90% of her employees, this is their first job, so coaching and explaining are key.
The Winter Months
We’re unlikely to walk down the street with a cone in January, but we don’t stop eating frozen treats just because it's cold outside. In fact, Canada has one of the highest levels of frozen treat consumption in the world.
Paola does plan to make some changes to accommodate the weather. The store will be open for shorter hours and will offer 12 instead of 18 flavours. There will be a greater emphasis on take-home products, including mono portions: single-serving sundaes, gelato-filled cannoli, and gelato sandwiches. There will also be some baked goods: “An Italian breakfast is a cup of coffee and a piece of cake or a scone.”
Italian Influences
“Italians seem to have a better work-life balance and appreciation for life,” Paola says. “I’ve always been impressed with their ability to close early if they run out of product. It shows an appreciation for the work involved in making the product and the importance of taking a break and enjoying life.”
The store has just started serving Italian coffee, and future gelato flavours, such as Arborio (“It tastes like rice pudding”) and Amaretti, would be more familiar in Italy than Saskatoon.
Kid- and Dog-Friendly
If you’re out for a walk with your kids and your dog, you’ll get a warm welcome at Beppi’s.
Paola’s dog is part of the logo and even has his own flavour of gelato. Pyrenee with a touch of Golden Retriever, he’s a beige colour with a black nose and eyes, so Big Dog gelato is a salted caramel with chocolate chunks.
And kids – well, Paola has 3 kids of her own and knows that kids and gelato are a match made in heaven.
Beppi’s Gelato
#1 – 616 10th Street East
https://www.facebook.com/beppisgelato/
Photos: Gretchen, Andrew, Karsten, and friends enjoyed their visit to Beppi's.
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