Brilliant Brunch at Great Gelato [PR]

I’ve made no secret of loving the ‘ice cream’ shop on our estate, but Great Gelato isn’t just that. I’m a huge fan of their focaccia sandwiches and bakes, and I love that their coffee is from a local roaster (Milk & Beans)… but I love that they now serve brunch even more!

I was invited to the VIP launch to sample of the new things on the menu – and wow, are we in for a treat! It was a great evening meeting fellow foodies, locals, and influencers – some of whom I’ve followed on Instagram for a while, and never met IRL! I met one of my IRL besties there too!

The smoothies are super Instagrammable, with the colourful swirl effect. There are four on the menu in varying colours – I had the Ocean Smoothie: banana, pineapple, coconut, and blue spirulina. It was more green than blue in colour, but the flavours were a bit of me. Completing the smoothie range are the Pink Smoothie, Sunshine Smoothie and Green Smoothie (as well as a Breakfast Smoothie) – all priced at £6 a cup.

I picked up an acai cup, which I’d never had before but knew I would love it. I wish I’d followed the hype sooner – I can see why they’re super popular, and a great option for a healthier sweet breakfast. I tried the classic acai, topped with honey granola, sliced strawberries, blueberries and chopped hazelnuts, with Biscoff sauce and crumb (you can usually choose your topping and sauce). The base was so refreshing, and I loved the mix of fruit and nuts with the Biscoff. There’s also a chocolate acai on the menu, and you can either buy a cup for £9 or a bowl for £11.

I’ve already mentioned the focaccia in the intro – which you can buy as part of a sandwich, or simply as a slice. The brunch menu features a topped cinnamon toast slice (£6.50 per slice), but we got to sample the Very Berry toast as bitesize pieces which were just heavenly. Think bouncy focaccia toasted and topped with honey yogurt, honey, blueberry compote and strawberries… yum! The pieces were so so moreish, and I need to go back for a full slice. If you’re a fan of French toast (which Great Gelato also serve), you’ll love this! And if you don’t fancy berries, give the PB & Honey toast a go!

The brunch menu also contains a maple bacon range – and you can order French toast, waffles or pancakes, topped with bacon, berries and maple syrup. This also sounds right up my street! Take a look at Great Gelato on Instagram for photos!

It was also a lovely opportunity to try some of the seasonal specials we can expect during the autumn months. The homemade bakes are pretty legendary – especially the cake slices (the Easter cake was epic… I think I posted it on my Instagram). I tried the Double Baked Blackberry Crumble Cake, and it was delicious. I complemented the cake with a (decaf) pumpkin spice latte and honestly, the combo gave me all the autumn feels! I wish I’d known sooner that Milk & Beans supply Great Gelato with decaf coffee beans as well as regular – I ended up switching to tea during pregnancy. With this unpredictable weather, the PSL is available as an iced latte. Various hot chocolates are also on offer – the Biscoff and Kinder Bueno flavours proved popular during the event.

Brunch is served all day every day at the Newton Leys store (open Tuesday-Sunday from 10am but check socials for specific times). There’s also a mum and baby morning on Wednesdays (I think it’s 10:30am until 12pm), which I really must attend – if only for a sweet treat and some caffeinated goodness.

Thank you to the team at Great Gelato for having me. Brunch is very much on my agenda!

Love, Lucy xx

 

*PR Visit: the food and drink as part of the brunch event (including hot drinks) were FOC. Thoughts and images are 100% my own.