Island Gelato Company

What Island Gelato Company does

Island Gelato Company is a privately held, founder-owned New Zealand artisan gelato retailer founded in 2014 by Ana Schwarz on Waiheke Island. The company produces Italian-style gelato from scratch daily at a central Auckland production kitchen, using local ingredients including certified-organic Jersey milk from Jersey Girl Organics, Tahitian vanilla from Equagold, and imperfect produce sourced through Perfectly Imperfect. It operates five company-owned scoop stores in the Auckland region — Auckland CBD Ferry Building, Ponsonby, Westfield Newmarket (rooftop dining), Mission Bay (temporarily closed due to fire damage), and the original Waiheke Island store — supported by a mobile app for order-ahead, a digital Gift-It voucher platform, and limited wholesale distribution through Farro supermarkets. The product portfolio comprises 20 permanent classic flavors and 4 rotating weekly specials (over 70 flavors on rotation overall), plus handmade Italian gelato cakes for events, vegan sorbets, and seasonal ranges such as the 2024 Winter Dolce Vita lineup.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through one-time consumer purchases: in-store scoop and tub sales, pre-order gelato cake sales (48-hour lead time), digital and physical gift vouchers (with a $2 transaction fee), and a small wholesale stream via Farro. Pricing is unit-based and visible to consumers for individual SKUs (Brioche al Gelato $9.95, Tiramisu Dessert Cup $13.95); full pricing is not publicly disclosed. Customer segments are horizontal: individual consumers (primary), celebration/event planners, and gift givers, with B2B event planners and Farro retail shoppers as secondary channels. Marketing relies on organic social (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok), an email newsletter/loyalty program (Club Island Gelato), and earned media from consecutive award wins including Top 25 World's Greatest Ice-Cream Stores (Financial Times 2022), Outstanding Maker of the Year 2024, and 25 medals at the NZ Ice Cream and Gelato Awards 2023. The company is bootstrapped, has no disclosed funding rounds, and shows no parent company or external ownership.

Name

Island Gelato Company

Legal name

ISLAND GELATO CBD LTD

Website

https://islandgelato.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Island Gelato Company is a New Zealand artisan gelato retailer, founded in 2014, producing Italian-style gelato from scratch daily and selling through five Auckland scoop stores, gelato cakes, gift vouchers, and Farro wholesale to individual consumers and event planners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Gelato & Frozen Desserts

NAICS

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520), Frozen Cakes, Pies, and Other Pastries Manufacturing (311813)

SIC

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024), Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAHAEAD

Gelato Manufacturing

Agriculture & Food Production/Dairy Processing/Ice Cream & Frozen Dairy Desserts Manufacturing

SECONDARYTHAFAGAA

Ice Cream & Gelato Shops

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Dessert, Ice Cream & Specialty Sweets Shops

SECONDARYAFAHAEAH

Ice Cream Cakes & Frozen Dessert Bakery Manufacturing

Agriculture & Food Production/Dairy Processing/Ice Cream & Frozen Dairy Desserts Manufacturing

Keywords

• Artisan gelato production
• Italian frozen desserts
• Handcrafted gelato cakes
• Vegan dairy-free sorbets
• Specialty ice cream retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Gelato Sales: Direct in-store gelato sales across 5 Auckland locations. Customers purchase individual scoops or take-home tubs. Fresh daily production with 24 flavours available (20 permanent classics, 4 weekly specials).
2. Gelato Cakes: Handmade Italian ice cream cakes for celebrations (birthdays, weddings, special events). Available for pre-order (48 hours) or take-home from Ponsonby and Mission Bay stores.
3. Gift Vouchers: Digital Gift-it vouchers and physical gift cards available for purchase in-store or online. E-gift vouchers allow seamless creation, redemption, and balance checking.
4. Retail Distribution: Select Island Gelato flavours sold in Farro supermarkets for take-home consumption, expanding beyond direct retail footprint.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Island Gelato Company produces artisan Italian-style gelato from scratch in its Auckland production kitchen, churning fresh daily for retail sale across its five Auckland scoop stores. Its offering includes 20 permanent classic flavours plus four weekly rotating specials, vegan and dairy-free sorbets, and handmade Italian gelato cakes for celebrations, alongside digital gift vouchers and a mobile app for order-ahead, payment, and loyalty rewards.

Product overview

Island Gelato Company operates a gelato-focused food and beverage business with a portfolio of core frozen dessert products and supporting service platforms. The primary offering consists of freshly churned Italian-style gelato in 20 permanent classic flavours plus 4 rotating seasonal specials, accompanied by vegan sorbet options and artisan gelato cakes. The company also offers a digital gifting service through the Gift-It platform and a proprietary mobile app for ordering, payment, and loyalty rewards. All products are made from scratch in the company's production kitchen using local New Zealand milk and ingredients sourced from partner brands including Pics Peanut Butter, Allpress coffee, and Perfectly Imperfect fruits. The business operates five retail scoop stores across Auckland (CBD Ferry Building, Ponsonby, Westfield Newmarket, Mission Bay, Waiheke Island) with a production kitchen facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Classic Gelato Flavours Traditional Italian-style gelato made from scratch using local New Zealand milk and natural ingredients. 20 permanent classic flavours are available across all Island Gelato scoop stores, including award-winning options such as Rich Chocolate, Dulce de Leche, and Pic's Peanut Butter Caramel. Sold by the scoop or as take-home tubs.
• Seasonal and Weekly Special Gelato Flavours Four rotating special gelato flavours released weekly, featuring seasonal and creative combinations such as Kumara Brûlée, Mango & Yoghurt Lassi, Biscoff Tiramisu, and Mango Ginger Gelato. Sold in-store alongside the 20 permanent classic flavours (24 flavours in cabinet per store).
• Vegan and Dairy-Free Sorbets Dairy-free frozen sorbets made with fruits and natural ingredients. Includes award-winning options such as Pineapple Mojito Sorbet (Vegan), Tamarillo Sorbet (Vegan), and Vegan Mint Chocolate Truffle. Sold by the scoop at all Island Gelato stores.
• Handmade Italian Gelato Cakes Handmade Italian ice cream cakes crafted by in-house gelato chefs for birthdays, weddings, dinner parties, and work celebrations. Available varieties include Chocolate & Forest Berry Cake, Bombe Alaska Cake, and Summer Bombe Alaska. Available for pre-order online with 48 hours' notice, or ready-to-take-home from the Ponsonby and Mission Bay stores.
• Digital Gift-it Vouchers and Physical Gift Cards Digital Gift-it vouchers and physical gift cards available for purchase in-store or online via the Gift-It platform. E-gift vouchers enable seamless creation, redemption, and balance checking. A $2 transaction fee is charged per voucher purchased through the Gift-It website.
• Winter Dolce Vita Range Seasonal dessert range launched in 2024 under the Winter Dolce Vita banner, comprising the Tiramisu Dessert Cup (NZD $13.95, all stores) and the Brioche al Gelato (NZD $9.95, Newmarket and Ponsonby stores only) — a soft buttery brioche filled with Island Gelato gelato.
• Island Gelato Mobile App Proprietary mobile application published by ISLAND GELATO CBD LTD that enables customers to order ahead and pay for gelato for pick-up at participating locations, find stores, and access promotions and the Club Island Gelato loyalty rewards program. Payments are processed via a third-party payment gateway; full card details are not stored by Island Gelato.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25 medals at NZ Ice Cream and Gelato Awards 2023 (8 Gold, 10 Silver, 7 Bronze)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pics Peanut ButtercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing ingredient partnership. Pics Peanut Butter is used in award-winning flavours like Pic's Peanut Butter Caramel (Gold at NZ Ice Cream Awards 2022 and 2023). Also collaborated on Pics Peanut Butter & Jam Gelato Cakes.
• Allpress CoffeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAllpress coffee served at Westfield Newmarket store. Collaboration on coffee-infused gelato flavours.
• Perfectly Imperfect FruitsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of imperfect produce that would otherwise go to landfill, supporting Island Gelato's sustainability initiatives and upcycling programmes.
• Elemental DistilleryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to create Gin, Grapefruit & Yuzu sorbet. Elemental Distillery uses Twisted Citrus grapefruit from Gisborne, with leftover fruit and juice repurposed for the sorbet infused with Elements Roots Dry Gin aromatics.
• Jersey Girl OrganicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of award-winning, sustainability-focused, certified organic Jersey milk from Matamata. Milk has 30% more protein and 25% more calcium than standard milk. Key foundation ingredient for all dairy-based gelato flavours.
• EquagoldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of 100% pure Tahitian vanilla bean (considered the world's best). Equagold committed to fair trade with vanilla-producing communities.
• Twisted CitrusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGisborne-based orchard supplying oranges and mandarins. Fruit picked to order, delivered fresh with no storage, processing, waxing or refrigeration. Used in Gin Grapefruit Yuzu sorbet and citrus-based flavours.
• FarrocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFarro supermarket chain distributes select Island Gelato flavours for take-home purchase. Rich Chocolate Gelato Tub available at Farro locations.
• LF SeltzerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to create New Zealand's first wine-seltzer spiked gelato, available exclusively at LF Seltzer Scoop Shop at Sweat Shop on Sale Street in Auckland.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Coolhaus: US-based premium ice cream and gelato brand with retail and scoop shop presence focused on innovative, chef-driven flavours. Comparable on craft, innovation-led flavour development, and ingredient storytelling; differs in geographic market and earlier stage of retail expansion.

Direct peers

• Gelatissimo: Australian premium gelato chain with scoop shops and grocery tubs. Comparable as a regional multi-store artisan gelato operator with similar store economics, flavour rotation approach, and dessert occasion extension; however, geography is Australia-focused.
• Gelato Messina: Australian premium gelato chain with multiple stores and strong brand recognition, often cited alongside Island Gelato in regional "best gelato" rankings. Closest comparable on craft positioning, flavour rotation cadence, and dessert cake extension, though geographically focused on Australia.
• Giapo: Auckland-based artisan gelato shop and direct competitor to Island Gelato in the premium scoop category, with overlapping customer base (Auckland locals and tourists) and similar craft, made-from-scratch positioning. Both compete on flavour innovation, awards, and high-end downtown locations.

Regional players

• Kapiti Ice Cream: New Zealand premium ice cream and gelato brand with broad retail distribution. Comparable as a domestic premium NZ frozen dessert competitor for both scoop and take-home occasions, though it operates primarily through grocery rather than company-owned scoop stores.

Broad incumbents

• Ben & Jerry's: Global premium ice cream brand (Unilever) with retail scoop shops and grocery distribution. Comparable on premium positioning and flavour innovation, though it operates at mass scale and broadens across many frozen dessert formats rather than specialising in artisan gelato.
• Talenti: Premium gelato and sorbetto brand (Unilever) sold primarily through grocery retail. Comparable as a gelato-forward premium brand targeting the same consumer; differs by being a packaged-goods play rather than a scoop-shop operator.
• Baskin-Robbins: Global ice cream and gelato chain with franchise scoop shops. Comparable as a multi-store scoop operator targeting the impulse/treat occasion; differs by operating via a franchise model and broader flavour catalogue at mass-market price points.
• Tip Top Ice Cream: Largest New Zealand ice cream brand (Froneri) with mass-market positioning across retail and foodservice. Comparable as the dominant local frozen dessert incumbent; competes on price/availability rather than premium craft, but sets the category benchmark for grocery distribution.
• Häagen-Dazs: Iconic global premium ice cream brand (General Mills) with scoop shops and broad retail distribution. Comparable as the dominant premium ice cream benchmark; competes for the same premium dessert occasion as Island Gelato but with significantly broader scale and category reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/islandgelatocompany
• Instagraminstagram.com/islandgelatocompanynz
• TikToktiktok.com/@islandgelatocompany
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/island-gelato-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Island Gelato Company