Pistachio ice cream, orange basil or even fougasse from Aigues-Mortes… we go to meet these frozen dessert artisans in Montpellier

La Banquise, glacier artisanale de l'Ecusson Midi Libre – GIACOMO ITALIANO

It's the star of the summer for adults and children alike: ice cream! In the thirty degrees of Montpellier, there's nothing better than this frozen treat to cool off. One problem remains, the signs indicating "artisanal ice cream", "homemade ice cream" or even "Italian ice cream" are blooming all over the Ecusson. How to choose a good artisanal ice cream maker ? We went to meet these artisans of the cold.

The unusual

The team at La Banquise ready to amaze your taste buds Midi Libre – GIACOMO ITALIANO

La Banquise. Everyday experiences give her the idea for flavors. An apricot tart at her neighbor's. And here is the apricot rosemary sorbet. A hibiscus juice in Egypt. And here is the Hibiscus sorbet. Gabrielle Moussaud, an ice cream maker for over twenty years, offers forty flavors that change with the seasons. She creates over 140 flavors a year.

“I make artisanal ice creams, I don't use artificial powder to make my products. So I can create associations that don't yet exist with raw products”, explains the ice cream maker.

A flavor to taste ? “The latest creations are often my favorites. So I would say orange basil, with a real squeezed orange in it. I also really like peach, pink. It's a combination that I wouldn't have thought of without the ice cream parlor”.

These peaches – like all non-exotic fruits &ndash come from an orchard in Saint-Jean-de-Védas. This Thursday, Gabrielle will go and get thirty kilos of peaches for her creations. As for the base of the ice creams, a farmer from Sainte-Eugénie-de-Villeneuve, in Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, delivers milk to her every week.

“I went to his farm to check the conditions. The cows are well treated, they go out into the pastures.”And the man does everything himself, including sterilizing the milk and delivering it. He gets up at two in the morning to do his rounds. The milk arrives in the middle of the night”.

The secret is not for her. The door to the workshop always remains open.”“I want to pass on my craft to people who have the same love of ice cream as I do”. Gabrielle therefore decided to train Gaëlle, one of her saleswomen. “I have been working as an ice cream seller for several years and I was very curious. So I asked Gabrielle to teach me how to make them. And now I help her”, explains the young apprentice.

She got this knowledge from Italy, the land of gelato and her father. As a child, she went there every vacation. Her father would take her to taste homemade ice creams for lunch and dinner for dessert. Because three is a good thing! Little Gabrielle would pretend to be out and about to sneak off to the local gelateria. And hey presto, an extra ice cream for a snack!

Quite naturally, the German-Italian went back to the country of her childhood to learn the trade alongside Saint Marco, a famous Venetian ice cream maker. “The production process is long, it lasts eight hours because I make the base myself. I work with the fruit. That's how I learned. When you do a job you love, you want to do it well and do it with love. I think that's true for everything.”

Price: 3 € the 100 g ball. Hours: 12 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Location: 1 Rue des Multipliants in Montpellier.

The continuity of public service 

Florian, head of Padova shoulder Arnaud Bongarzone Midi Libre – GIACOMO ITALIANO

Padova. "The melon sorbet is ready! The pistachio is coming! Place in the middle freezer, the other is full! At Padova we operate like a restaurant, the customers parade and the team helps each other. Nothing surprising when you know the boss, Arnaud Bongarzone.

This Dijonnais, of Italian origin, has more than ten years of cooking under his belt and he is still immersed in the sauce, with his Burger et Blanquette restaurant in Jacou. "I spent ten years in a big house in England. When I returned to France, to Montpellier, I immediately set up a restaurant. I have several here", explains Arnaud.

And the ice creams in all that ? In 2014, he bought the ice cream palace on the Esplanade :“That's where I discovered this world and I loved it. Ice cream makes you happy! We're a bit like a continuation of the public service. And it erases all the flaws in catering. There's less pressure and everyone can afford it. Many families, even in restaurants, prefer not to have dessert and have an ice cream”.

Arnaud becomes a dad and takes it easy to enjoy the little ones. He sells his business but the lack is quickly felt. “In 2019, a friend calls me and tells me he has an ice cream parlor for sale. I was like crazy. So I asked him if it was a real one, a craft one. He answered yes, it was Padova”, Arnaud says with mischievous eyes.

Arnaud turbines between two trips to see his children. As the months went by, he hired a pastry chef to replace him. Today it's Bertille in this position, the former pastry chef, chocolatier and ice maker from the La Diligence restaurant.< /p>

To create new flavors it's like in a restaurant: "I work with a slate: the daily specials, the suggestions. It allows us to test perfumes. Depending on the reception, they enter the official menu. So, we have the fundamentals and the satellite flavors, three of which rotate every three days."

Padova brings together the recipes of Crema Viena – old name of Padova –, of the ice cream palace and the creations made in Bertille. Arnaud's favorite taste? A combination in his image, that is to say unusual: chocolate mango or pistachio stracciatella. How can you blame him when the pistachios come directly from Sicily.

And in winter, there's no question of closing, we just move on to madeleines. They have the texture and taste of financier, with the shape of a madeleine. "I love financier, but it’s horribly expensive and small. So with a madeleine shape, we have more. I want to recreate Proust’s madeleine effect, like with ice cream. Faced with these desserts, even a grandmother finds that child's look, explains Arnaud.

Price: 3 € the 100g Schedule: every day from 11 a.m. to midnight. Location: 1 rue de Rouan in Montpellier

The Italian dream

Franco Della Vecchia talks about Italy with tenderness Midi Libre – GIACOMO ITALIANO

Mamma Mia. The hazelnuts in his ice cream come from Piedmont, and so does he. For six years, Franco Della Vecchia has been working to promote the know-how and products of his country, Italy.“I want to keep an Italian ice cream shop, with Italian products. I don't want to follow trends. It's important to keep your DNA”, argues the ice cream maker. On the other hand, for fresh fruit, he insists on buying it locally: “Often, they come from Mauguio, but I also go to a lot of markets, I go where there are juicy fruits”.

His singing accent immediately transports you to the foot of the Italian Alps, a Sicilian brioche in hand. This frozen specialty is rare in Montpellier. Franco uses brioches straight from Sicily that he garnishes with scoops of ice cream &ndash the pistachio blends in wonderfully-.

The ice cream maker makes a confession to us: “To be honest, it doesn't work very well. People are sensitive to the cold, they're afraid their teeth will get cold when they bite into it. But the brioche surrounds the ice cream, so problem solved. Those who take the plunge immediately change their minds and come back for more”.

So why make them ? “In my village in Piedmont, all the ice cream parlors offered them. They're delicious, so I want to make some too. You just have to wait for customers to dare".

The ice cream flows, or rather melts, in the veins of the Italian. By the age of two, the toddler knew how to eat a cone without letting a single drop of ice cream flow. Opening an ice cream parlor for Franco was a dream : "I do everything with my wife Nadia, without her nothing would be possible. We promised each other to slow down and open a small Italian ice cream parlor to finish our careers".

After years as an executive chef following renowned Italian chef Giacomo Gallina, cooking in the four corners of the world; to run an Italian restaurant in Paris… Franco achieved his goal in Montpellier. "Ice cream makes customers smile, it makes me happy. Il gelato is not a dolce. Gelato is not a dessert. Gelato is not food. è un concetto di felicità – Ice cream is not a sweet treat. Ice cream is not a dessert. Ice cream is not a food. It’s a concept of happiness – ".

Price: 3.50 € the small cone or pot with one or two flavors. Hours: 12:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. every day. Location: 1 rue de Verdun in Montpellier.

La Montpellieraine

Anne Laurence presents the new flavor of summer, blackberry Midi Libre – GIACOMO ITALIANO

Delacrem. Erasmus, a university exchange abroad, is known for transforming the lives of its students. According to ResearchNed, 94% of students still feel the positive impact of this program on their professional life. For Anne-Laurence Pons, manager of the Delacrem ice cream parlor in Montpellier, this trip to Barcelona transformed her career.

“I was in the hotel business and in the street below my shared accommodation, there was this Delacrem ice cream parlor, founded by the Italian Massimo Pignata. I went there very often and we became friends. It was a sign, I left everything so he could train me”, explains Anne-Laurence

Massimo Pignata is the ambassador of slow food in Barcelona, ​​that is to say, raising awareness among citizens about eco-gastronomy and alternative consumption. Anne-Laurence, a proud Montpellier resident, wanted to participate in the dynamism of our city by opening an ice cream parlor with the values ​​of her master ice cream parlor.

The ice cream parlor chooses environmentally friendly products:“I have seasonal fruit delivered every morning by a local greengrocer. As for the hazelnuts, peanuts and cocoa, everything comes from the Biocop down the street”.

To consume differently, the Montpellier woman uses all the products. The kernels in particular, are kept for a young woman who creates alcohol with them. The sorbets are vegan and some flavors usually offered in ice cream, such as hazelnut, are available in sorbet.

"I make the flavors from A to Z. From cutting the fruit to the juicer. I want to put as little sugar as possible and I don't use any processed products. Chocolate, salted caramel, peanut butter, I make everything homemade", says Anne-Laurence.

Delacrem not only advocates a balanced diet, but also balanced human relationships. Anne-Laurence is proud of her team: “There is a game between the salespeople and the customers. Each month, two flavors, chosen by the team, compete to become the flavor of the month. Customers put in a coin to vote. The winnings represent the employees' tips”

For the month of August, coffee and blueberry are competing. To your pieces!

Price: 2.90 euros per small one. Hours: Every day from 12:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Location: 16 rue Saint-Guilhem in Montpellier.

Really artisanal ?

Do you really know what artisanal ice cream is? ? The name is only granted to artisanal ice cream makers, referred to the Chamber of Crafts and having a glacier diploma (CAP, BTM, RNCP). The producer must use artisanal processes. Production may include machines – the turbine – but humans must keep a majority share in the manufacturing process. Powders and chemical compounds are banned, in favor of raw products, that is to say natural and unmixed.

The institution

Sarah and Floriane plan to open a new ice cream shop together Midi Libre – GIACOMO ITALIANO

Hyoga by catalan. No need to go to the coast to taste the Catalan ice cream cups. Sarah Pinto, granddaughter and worthy heir to the ice cream shop of Palavas, runs an "ice cream truck" – an ice cream truck – in the food court of the Halles du Lez.

“I wanted to get closer to the city, and the owner of the Lez market called me in 2018. I was the first to set up in the street food section. Today, I have another stand inside the market”, explains Sarah.

In the family, ice cream is an institution, and Italian style! Contrary to what the name suggests, the Barberio family – her grandmother's maiden name – is far from Catalan. Sarah's grandmother, Line Didier, was born in San Giovanni in Fiore, not far from Florence.

A confusion that makes Sarah laugh: “Granny bought her first ice cream parlor from a Catalan in 1977, on the left bank of Palavas. She kept the name for the customers”.

As a child, Sarah remembers dragging herself every summer in her parents' shoes to the ice cream parlor:“I was immersed in ice cream. We would go and get the milk directly from Maurin's farm. Joining the family business was obvious. But not necessarily as a manufacturer, I first studied accounting to manage the financial side of ice cream shops. And now I have my truck”.

This third generation of ice cream makers keeps Line's recipes, including her two classics: Valhrona's lemon and dark chocolate sorbets. “You can't touch them or granny will strangle us. She's watching us haha. At the same time, they are so good and the chocolate sorbet allows vegans or people with allergies to enjoy it, since there is no milk”, reacts Line's heiress.

However, there is no question of remaining too classic, the young woman draws inspiration from New York ice cream masters to innovate, in what she calls her playground (the laboratory).

“In Montpellier, I have a curious clientele so I can allow myself to test unusual flavors. Among the new products this summer, we have the blackcurrant, violet or lime, coconut and coriander flavor. I have a lot of fun for events, at Christmas we released the limited edition ice cream, gingerbread”.

The next step ? Opening a new shop with her manager and friend Floriane Candat. “The team is great, we work, we go for drinks and we run together. We even did a half-marathon in Montpellier. So for my next business, I will set it up with Floriane”.

Price: Schedule: from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Location: 1348 Avenue Raymond Dugrand in Montpellier.

Eco-responsible< /h2>

Louis proudly represents MPL at the Laissac market halls Midi Libre – GIACOMO ITALIAN

MPL. MPL ice cream parlor opens to the public  ! Founded in 1995, MPL ice creams have been produced in Gigean for over thirty years. "Originally, we made ice creams in the style of restaurants. We even supplied Michelin-starred restaurants before they made them themselves,” explains the manager. Since 2021, the ice cream parlor has been located in the Laissac halls in Montpellier.

Louis, a salesperson for MPL, recommends the black sesame ice cream, roasted in-house and purchased from a wholesaler specializing in Asian products. But the taste not to be missed is the fougasse from Aigues-morte. You can't get more local than that. We find real pieces of fougasse and sugar crystals in every bite.

"We only use quality products. The non-exotic fruits come from the Rhone Valley, and are mostly organically grown.", Louis explains.

A commitment that continues even in utensils. The returnable glass is far from being out of fashion. Customers can take their favorite perfume away in a reusable jar. With each purchase, you bring back its packaging, two jars brought back and you get a free scoop of ice cream.

If you just want to eat a perfume on the go, no problem, the cardboard pots are also made of biodegradable and recycled material.

Price: 3 euros for a 100g jar. Opening hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday. Location: 10 place Alexandre Laissac, stall no. 6 in Montpellier.

The young ice cream maker

Alexandre Murador takes you to Italy with his pistachio ice cream Midi Libre – GIACOMO ITALIANO

Angelo. At 27, Alexandre Murador owns two ice cream parlors, one in Carnon and the other in the center of Montpellier. Yet ice cream was not his first choice. “I have always been drawn to gastronomy, with a particular appetite for desserts and sugar. My parents wanted me to have a stable job”, explains the young man.

After studying programming, he began a CAP in pastry making and ice cream at Georges Frêche. For Alexandre, it was a revelation. “You can create flavors endlessly”, proclaims the ice cream maker.

In Carnon, the flavors change depending on the fresh fruit he buys in Mauguio and Saint-Aunès. Montpellier allows for more madness: “There, the flavors change every day. I get inspired by trends, matcha, chai latte…".

If the fruits are local, the dried products come from Italy. "Every year I take a month of vacation to look for suppliers in Italy. The pistachios are harvested at the foot of Mount Etna.

Despite the luxurious products, Angelo's production is simple: “We make ice cream like at home, with the family and without chemicals”.

Price: 3.30 euros for a small pot. Opening hours: Every day from noon to midnight. Location: 58 Grand rue Jean Moulin in Montpellier.

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