3 weeks ago

Why Cold, Windy Edinburgh Has Become a Gelato Destination

Why Cold, Windy Edinburgh Has Become a Gelato Destination
The One Dish You Need to Eat in Edinburgh: Gelato · livemint.com

Gelato is a frozen dessert from Italy that is similar to ice cream, but it is made with more milk and less cream.

Edinburgh is a city in Scotland that is often cold and windy.

Even though it is cold, gelato has become very popular there.

Ten years ago, the city had only one or two gelato shops, and now it has about a dozen.

A famous gelato company called Amorino just opened a shop near the Royal Mile.

Many tourists visit Edinburgh, and more than half of the customers in many gelato shops are visitors.

One shop called Oscar's Gelato won a big prize for having the best gelato in the whole country.

Scotland has great milk and berries because of its rainy, sunny summers, which makes the gelato taste extra good.

Experts say people now want natural, handmade food instead of mass-produced treats, and that is exactly what gelato offers.

Key facts

Gelato parlors in Edinburgh
About a dozen today, up from one or two a decade ago
Amorino's arrival
Mid-July, with three more shops planned; first shop located off the Royal Mile
Edinburgh visitors (2024)
5 million overnight visitors, twice as many as Glasgow, per VisitScotland
Average cone price
£5 ($6.70)
Oscar's Gelato award
Top prize at the Golden Scoop Awards; named 2026 national champion
Ciccetta's sales
About 1,000 scoops per day, doubling on sunny days
TikTok effect
Videos of Mary's Milk Bar flavors built a dedicated fan base
Joelato partnership
Partnered with the Balmoral Hotel this summer; also has a shop in St James Quarter

Quotes

Leandro Crolla

Co‑owner of the Vittoria Group, which operates Amorino

““The company chose Edinburgh because of its high number of international visitors and the growing ‘foodie locals’ community.””
livemint.com
““You can almost tell the cows are happier here.””
livemint.com

Sources

Related news