There are two things which you should know about me a) I’m a physical geographer b) I’m a big fan of food.
So have you heard of a place called ‘Gelato Village’? If you have not, you’re not the only one. Couple of weeks ago, I was walking past this gelato shop in Saint Martins Square in Leicester. As I have never tried gelato before, I thought I might as well try it. To be honest, I thought it was just like normal ice cream. I was so totally wrong!
Gelato is an Italian word for ice cream but it has more milk and less cream, its churned at a slower rate than ice cream and it has a milky and favourable taste to it.
As I walked into Gelato Village, there were different gelato flavours to explore from. As a newbie in the gelato world, I asked to sample the gelatos to get a feel of it. The first one I tried was coffee. The moment I put that spoon into my mouth, the gelato melted in my mouth and I felt how silky it was. Then I tried a hazelnut one, tiramisu one and the list could go on. If you’re a vegan, there are sorbets as well such as the milk and dark chocolate.
In the end, I got a mini cup with three scoops which were milk chocolate, hazelnut and stracciatella that came with a mini waffle biscuit. Gelato village also serves hot drinks and has a cute seating area to sit down with your peers.
As a second year geographer, I had no idea that this place existed. If you’re a Leicester student or if you’re in Leicester for the day, try this place and let me know what you think.
Enjoy your gelatos,
Simran 🙂
Hi Simran,
Thanks so much for your lovely comments on Gelato Village in this well-written blog! We’re sorry that you didn’t discover us during your whole first year at the University of Leicester, but we’re glad you have found us now.
We thought you’d be interested to know that we are unique in Leicester in serving natural, fresh Italian gelato that is all handmade using the traditional ‘Mantecazione’ technique. We do not use artificial flavours, preservatives or emulsifiers; all of our ingredients are fresh. We source the very best local produce (all of our milk and cream comes from rare breed cows in Leicestershire) as well as the finest global raw materials, like our PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) certified Bronte pistachio from Sicily.
We have some firm favourites that are always on the counter but we also love experimenting in our Gelato Laboratory and mix it up with seasonal specials. We have many items that suit vegetarian, vegan, dairy free and gluten free diets – just ask if you have any particular dietary requirements and we’ll let you know what we have available to suit your tastes.
Plus at around 170 calories for 100g of gelato, and around 110 calories for our sorbettos, it’s possible to enjoy guilt free as part of a balanced diet.
Come and see us again soon!