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Luca Vettese of Notarianni Brothers in Blackpool, has scooped the national ‘Guido Morelli Rising Star’ award from the Ice Cream Alliance, the trade body for the UK’s £1.4 bn per year ice cream industry.

“I feel very proud to have won such an incredible award,” commented Luca.  

“It’s just wonderful to receive such recognition from experts in our industry. The Morelli family are ice cream royalty to me so to win The Guido Morelli award is a real pinch me moment.”

Notarianni’s was set up in Blackpool by Luigi Notarianni who emigrated to the UK at the beginning of the 20th Century. He opened a shop on Central Promenade which quickly became popular.  The business was doing so well that they decided to open up a second parlour on Waterloo Road, circa 1937 – and this is where the family still trades today.

The third and fourth generations of the family still run the business thanks to a loyal following from locals and tourists who have returned generation after generation.

What plans does Luca have for the future? “The plan is to just keep working hard, make sure we keep our high standards and quality and hopefully one day pass it down to the next generation of our family.”

For more information on Notarianni Brothers visit: www.notarianni.co.uk

The Guido Morelli Rising Star award is announced annually by the Ice Cream Alliance (ICA), the UK’s ice cream industry trade association. The Rising Star award was created in 2014 in memory of ICA past president, Guido Morelli, a member of the family that runs the eponymous world-famous Irish ice cream company.  It recognises young talent, or someone new to the industry, who is going to make their mark.

“Luca Vettese is a very worthy winner of one of the most prestigious awards in the ice cream industry,” commented Zelica Carr, ICA C.E.O.  “We will watch the progress of his career with great interest.”

Congratulations Matthew Dobson, Arran Ice Cream. 

Matthew has worked in the family business on and off for around 8 years, starting on weekends and holidays from school. After finishing high school on the Isle of Arran, he went off to University in Glasgow to study sports therapy, and completed his study at The University of Cumbria in Carlisle.  After another stint in the business to save up some money, Matthew spent time travelling in Thailand, New Zealand and Australia.

On returning to Scotland, Matthew came back into the business and decided that we wanted to make his career in the ice cream industry. Learning on the job, Matthew has worked his way up through the company and has gained a wealth of knowledge from colleagues and peers in the ice cream industry.

In his current role as Production Manager, Matthew has played a vital role in Arran Ice Cream’s growth, working through a complete factory refurbishment and more recently leading the company through a total rebrand.

He can often be found trying out a new recipe or bespoke flavour and is always willing to give a tour of the small factory to give customers a better insight into the process of creating the award-winning ice cream.

Matthew’s most recent project is working as part of a team to open an ice cream parlour in his hometown of Brodick, on the Isle of Arran. This is the first of its kind on the island and is set to be a great success.