Hoole-based Luca's Gelato has achieved national recognition, securing several top awards at this year's Golden Scoop Awards.

In 2024, Aaron Gill founded Luca's Gelato following a trip to Italy at a pivotal point in his life. Inspired by traditional Italian gelaterias, he trained in Tuscany and later in Manchester before taking the leap to open his own shop.

"I was in Italy and I'd just gone through a bit of a crossroads in my life," he told Nub News.

"A friend of mine who runs a gelateria said, 'Why don't you open a proper Italian gelateria in England?' I said, 'Well, I'd need to learn how to do it.' He said, 'Stay here and I'll teach you.' It felt like the perfect thing to do at the time."

Since opening, the gelateria has maintained a strict focus on authentic, small-batch production, importing the majority of ingredients and equipment directly from Italy.

He said: "I never worked in the food industry as such, and it was a massive gamble. I got divorced, didn't know what to do with the rest of my life, and it was a big step to do something I'd never done before - but it paid off."

Luca's Gelato recently received multiple nominations at the prestigious Golden Scoop Awards, organised by the Ice Cream Alliance, which celebrates the very best in UK ice cream production.

Luca's Gelato recently received multiple awards at the prestigious Golden Scoop Awards (Image supplied)

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This year, the business secured five-star ratings for Strawberry, Strawberry Trifle, Cherry Bakewell, and Amarena Cherry, whilst its Pistachio flavour earned four stars, and Belgian Chocolate and Mince Pie received three stars.

Explaining the industry-wide respect and significance of the awards, the owner said: "The awards are from people with hundreds of years of experience in the business. When they say your gelato is five-star, it's a five-star gelato.

"I'm always pushing with my recipes. We make our own base, which is made from milk, cream, sugars, and we're always tweaking it to try and get the best flavours we can get. It's a constant trying to improve."

Whilst acknowledging the pressures facing independent businesses, Aaron said customer loyalty has been central to the gelateria's success, with visitors travelling from across the region.

He said: "People drive here from miles around to come here and buy ice cream. If people are going to spend their money, they want to spend it on the best. You might not buy as much, but you'll go to the best.

"We want to sell a high quality product, not the cheapest product on the market, but it's a high quality product that you know is made with love, care and the best ingredients."

Aaron also pointed to Hoole's strong independent business community as a factor in the shop's growth, adding that it has become part of the local community, particularly for regular customers.

Even with national recognition and award-winning flavours, Aaron says the focus on quality and the joy of serving customers remains at the heart of the business.

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"We didn't open the business just to make money - it's a way of life," he added. "I love gelato and I love tweaking the recipes to make them the best possible.

"Every pan we make is meant to be at its best when it reaches the customer. That's what we learned in Italy, and it's what we still aim for every day."

You can find out more about Luca's Gelato here.