Our Sustainability Journey

At Piccolina, we’re committed to reducing our environmental footprint and making our business as sustainable as possible. For many years, we’ve been working behind the scenes to find smarter, more responsible ways to make our gelato, researching, testing and continually looking for ways to improve. It’s a work in progress, but we’re proud of how far we’ve come and excited to share some of the changes we’ve made along the way.

Recyclable Takeaway Tubs

Since 2019, we’ve been using a 100% Australian-made and 100% recyclable polystyrene takeaway tub. When you’ve finished enjoying your gelato, simply clean the tub and lid and return them to the manufacturer’s recycling depot. The material is crushed and recycled into a range of building products.

Our supplier can also recycle the material through an extrusion process to produce General Purpose Polystyrene (GPPS), which can then be used to manufacture a wide range of new products from refrigerator trays and boxes to toys, cosmetic packaging and light diffusers.

You’ll find the recycling details on the bottom of your tub. So please don’t throw it away, give it another life!

We’d love to be able to simply refill your tubs or fill your own containers, but food safety regulations mean we need to ensure our packaging process is completely safe and compliant. Under the Australian New Zealand Food Standards Code, packaging must be suitable for its intended use and must not create a risk of contaminating food.

Less Waste, Better Choices

In our stores, we’ve moved to 100% paper gelato cups, spoons and milkshake cups and are proud that we do not have any single-use plastics in our stores.

We’re also incredibly proud of how little food waste we generate. Our gelato is hand-churned fresh every day in small batches, allowing us to make only what we need rather than producing large quantities that may go to waste.

Wherever possible, we source ingredients from local Australian growers and producers. Buying locally not only supports Australian businesses and farmers, but can also help reduce the transport and associated carbon emissions involved in getting ingredients to us.

Recycling Water in Our Production Kitchen

One of the biggest changes we’ve recently made has been in our production kitchen.

Gelato manufacturing can use a surprising amount of water, particularly when cleaning and operating our gelato churners. So, when we moved into our larger production space, we took the opportunity to install water recycling systems.

These systems allow us to capture, treat and reuse water where appropriate, significantly reducing our reliance on fresh mains water. It’s a simple idea with a meaningful impact, using the same water more than once rather than continually drawing on a precious resource.

For us, sustainability isn’t about getting everything perfect overnight. It’s about continually questioning how we do things, finding better solutions and making meaningful changes wherever we can.

There’s still plenty more we want to do, but this is where we’ve come to so far and we’re only getting started.

We hope you’re as excited as we are about these changes! We are committed to this important shift and welcome your feedback. 

What's the difference between gelato and ice-cream?

Gelato is Italian for ice cream. It contains less cream and more milk, making it lower in fat and as it's churned slower than ice-cream, there is less air throughout it, resulting in a much richer flavour. Our gelato is made from milk, cream, various sugars and ingredients such as fresh fruit, spices, nuts and purees. At Piccolina we make everything from scratch, meaning all our jams, gels, ganaches, jellies and everything else are prepared in our kitchen by our talented pastry chefs.

Does Piccolina make their own products?

We are committed to hand crafting traditional 100% natural Italian gelato and gelato cakes using time-honoured techniques. Everything in our kitchen is made from scratch using fresh seasonal ingredients from our nut butters to our caramels, jams and toppings. Our team of highly-trained pastry chefs and gelato makers work tirelessly every day to bring you a completely unique product with a focus on tradition and history.

How can I get in touch to share my experience with your business?

We value our customers and are extremely appreciative of the support that our business has received from the community since we opened in 2015. If you have any questions or would like to share your feedback with us, we would love to hear from you. Please email us directly at hello@piccolinagelateria.com.au

Do you sell gift cards?

Yes, we offer physical gift cards at all our store locations and you can purchase an Ee-gift card from our website. ou can choose the desired value for the gift card when making your purchase.

Can I get Piccolina delivered?

Certainly! You can have Piccolina products delivered to your location through third-party delivery services such as Uber Eats and DoorDash. For specific details and to place your delivery order, please visit their respective websites and search for Piccolina on their platforms. Enjoy your Piccolina treats delivered to your doorstep!

Can I pre-order a cake for pickup?

You can place an order for a cake for pick-up through our website. We offer the convenience of online cake orders, and you can select your preferred Piccolina location for pick-up during the ordering process. Additionally, if you prefer to make a spontaneous purchase, you are welcome to visit any of our stores and buy a cake directly if we have stock available on-site. Unfortunately, we don’t take orders over the phone but feel free to call and see what stock we have.

What is your online refund and return policy?

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide refunds or returns for any of our handmade gelato, made-to-order cakes and custom merchandise products. If you have further questions about this, please email us at hello@piccolinagelateria.com.au, and we'll be in touch as soon as possible.

Why does my 1L tub of gelato not weigh 1KG?

1L of gelato is not the same as 1kg because gelato has air in it, which INCREASES ITS VOLUME WITHOUT ADDING WEIGHT.

Can I bring my own container or cup of gelato?

We appreciate the idea of using reusable containers, but we must adhere to the standards outlined in the Australian New Zealand Food Standards Code (FSANZ section 3.2.2). This code specifies that packaging material must be fit for its intended use, not likely to cause food contamination, and must ensure that there is no likelihood of food contamination during the packaging process. Unfortunately, the scooping process into your own container poses a risk of potential cross-contamination.

Do you offer tastings before purchase?

We make every effort to provide tastings to our customers when the queue is short. However, during busy periods, particularly when the line is long, we may need to limit tastings to ensure efficient service for all customers.

Why don't you accept cash?

We're committed to a cashless environment to protect our team members from any potential security issues as well as maintaining our strict food handling policies.

Why do you have a public holiday surcharge?

In 2023, after eight years in operation, we have had to introduce a 15% surcharge on Public Holidays to ensure we can continue providing customers with your favourite gelato and gelato cakes all year round. Our public holiday surcharge directly relates to additional costs that come with operating on public holidays, including increased wage costs.

I love your brand; can I open a franchise store?

Thanks for your interest, however, Piccolina is company-owned and loved.

Do you have allergen information?

Certainly! You can access our comprehensive allergen table by clicking here.

Are your products gluten-free certified?

While our gelato and sorbetti are crafted using gluten-free and gelatine-free ingredients, it's important to note that we operate in an artisan environment from a central kitchen. Due to the nature of our artisanal production, we cannot provide an absolute guarantee that our products are entirely free of traces of allergens. We take every precaution to minimize cross-contamination, but there is a possibility that traces of allergens may be present in our products. We prioritize transparency and encourage customers with specific allergen concerns to refer to our allergen information for more details.

Do you accommodate vegans?

Absolutely! We offer a selection of sorbetti made from dairy-free ingredients, including our cones. However, due to our artisanal kitchen setup, we cannot guarantee that our products are entirely free of allergen traces.

Is it safe to consume your gelato when I am pregnant?

Absolutely! All our gelato is pasteurised and safe for consumption during pregnancy.

If I have a nut allergy, which products can I safely enjoy?

If you have a nut allergy, we recommend checking our allergen table for specific information about which products are safe for you to enjoy. All our products are made in the same kitchen and therefore may contain traces of peanuts and tree nuts.

I have a soy allergy. Can I consume your gelato?

For individuals with soy allergies, please refer to our allergen table, especially for our chocolate-based gelato, as soy is an ingredient in many of these products.

I am diabetic, which of your gelato or sorbet has the lowest amount of sugar?

All our gelato and sorbet contain sugar, so we suggest consulting a health professional on whether consuming gelato or sorbet is safe for you.