​Moira gelato innovator invests for growth after tasty rise in sales

Aaron runs Moon Gelato in Moira, an innovative gelateria in the picturesque village that’s already attracted the attention of major retailers because of the outstanding quality and rich flavours of the products he’s developing and producing in-house.

Moon Gelato, now a leader in Northern Ireland’s vibrant ice cream sector, is on a successful growth path as result of Aaron’s recent investment in its operations and his award-winning product portfolio that includes a unique chocolate expresso flavour, a success in the prestigious UK Great Taste Awards run by the Guild of Fine Food in London.

The investment has included the expansion of its wholesale presence to outlets across Northern Ireland.

“Our new wholesale business is an immensely important breakthrough for us,” says Aaron.

“It means our gelato is now available to more people across Northern Ireland than ever before."

The new gelateria he’s designed and completed now features a glass-fronted lab where customers can view the Italian ice-cream-making process.

It’s a feature that’s become extremely popular with children in the village and from further afield.

“Transparency is at the heart of our business. We are keen that people here should see everything that goes into our gelato.

"We use only the best ingredients that we source from local suppliers we know well and trust,” he explains.

He’s also proud to emphasise that all gelato from the plant in Moira is “crafted, hand-filled and stored in-house”.

“Everything we produce is within our control and fully traceable. Customers, therefore, can count on us to provide high quality products that are backed with exceptional service,” he says.

Further investment in the artisan enterprise is planned soon and will include machinery upgrades designed to enable the business to meet steadily increasing demands for existing and future products.

“We’re really exciting about the future of our business,” continues Aaron.

“As well as increasing orders from across Northern Ireland and potentially some major stores, we are attracting interest from retailers outside Northern Ireland."

Mood Gelato’s luxury products are being influenced by Aaron’s long-standing love of Italian ice cream. A fascination with Italian ice cream led to him signing up for an intensive course at the unique Carpigiani Gelato University in Bolognia, the only institution in the world focused on the delicious treat. He subsequently launched the first gelato from Moira after the first coronavirus lockdown was lifted in June 2020.

A native of Moira but now living nearby at Aghalee, Aaron, a qualified and widely experienced chef, developed a taste for Italian gelato on honeymoon with wife Victoria in Barcelona and a Mediterranean cruise which included a short stopover in Italy, the home of gelato.

“The trip put the idea of a genuine Italian gelato here in my mind. I discussed creating our own with Victoria and she was enthusiastic,” Aaron, once the chef at the Fat Gherkin café in Moira, explains.

“After the honeymoon, I began reading all I could find about gelato and then experimenting with various types in our home kitchen. I taste tested my gelato with family and friends.

"Everyone was supportive and provided feedback that influenced my work.

“This research introduced me to Carpigiani and led me to find out more about the university and how to produce genuine Italian gelato.

"It made sense for us to sign up for an intensive course there in gelato production and flavour creation. The course was in 2018 and covered five days.

“After the course ended, we returned home with the objective of producing the best gelato I could for customers here,” Aaron, a father of three, adds.

“The course gave me the confidence and inspired me to turn my interest in gelato into a small business venture.

"The first lockdown provided the time and space to develop my own products and develop the business idea.

“The course gave me solid knowledge of Italian artisan gelato, an understanding of ingredients and different production methods for gelato, sorbet and stick gelato,” he continues.

“While gelato and ice cream both contain the same basic ingredients of cream, milk and sugar, authentic gelato uses more milk and less cream and generally doesn’t include egg yolks. Gelato is also a much denser product than ice cream, which can mean stronger flavours, and contains only about four to 9% fat.

“In addition, my gelato has fewer calories, less air and lower sugar than ice cream,” he explains.

“I handcraft the gelato myself and even pasteurise the milk. This means customers can count on a totally traceable product with provenance and outstanding flavours."