An artisan gelato parlour, which offers handmade ice cream, speciality desserts and Italian coffee from Naples, is opening it's first Welsh branch in Cardiff in the new year.
Swoon launched in Bristol in 2016 by the Forte family and has since grown to have parlours in Bath, Oxford and London on Oxford Street. Speaking about Swoon, Bruno Forte said: "My Italian family introduced handmade gelato to the UK over a hundred years ago and Swoon is very much a family business with my wife, mother and sister all involved. That family history and love of gelato drives what we do - it’s why we focus so much on provenance and using only best and purest ingredients in the flavours we craft."
Coming to the historical Duke Street Arcade this autumn, Swoon has flavours such as pistachio, chocolate sorbetto, and the award-winning hazelnut. With new flavours being explored, Swoon has been recognised with more than 85 Great Taste stars.
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And vegans rejoice as it always stocks at least four dairy-free flavours and last year won Vegan Product of the Year at the Great British Food Awards for its bacio hazelnut & chocolate gelato.
For something a little smoother or more indulgent, Swoon's milkshakes, 'Swoondaes' and semifreddo cakes also look unbelievable. If you're fancying something a little warmer, they will also be doing pure hot chocolate drinks for the ultimate decadent treat.
Bruno, who founded the gelateria with his family, said of this new venture: "We can’t wait to be part of the Castle Quarter community here and have lots of plans for getting people involved with what we do. In the past we’ve run gelato seminars - a talk about flavours followed by a blind tasting, we’ve got kids involved in making gelato ‘pizzas’ or helping us to choose new flavours and invent new names for them. It’s going to be fun bringing that Swoon experience to Cardiff.
“New for this season will be Cremino. This is gelato inter-layered with flavoured creams that bring a warmer feel during the cooler months. We’ll also be introducing more special flavours and seasonal products as we move into spring around occasions like Valentine’s day and Easter."
He added: "We design our bars to be chic and distinctive to create relaxed, friendly places where people want to come and hang out - this is particularly true of our new Cardiff shop in its unique, historic arcade location."
Simon Blagden, CEO of Swoon Gelato, also said: "Cardiff is the sixth location for the growing Swoon business which has ambitious plans for another four openings in the next three years across the south west from our base in Bristol.”
Swoon plans to open in early 2023 at 11 Duke Street Arcade, Duke Street, Cardiff.
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