Huntly firm Rizza’s enjoying cool win after scooping prestigious National Ice Cream awards trophy
An Aberdeenshire family-run ice cream firm have been celebrating after scooping a prestigious national award.
Huntly-based Rizza’s Ice Cream, which has been run by four generations of the family since its foundation in 1914, tasted sweet success at the National Ice Cream Awards, the industry equivalent of the Oscars. The trip to The Belfry In Birmingham for the awards ceremony was to prove a worthwhile one for Rizza’s director Donald Morrison and his wife Laura as they were to head home with the trophy for the Open Ice Cream Class Vanilla Minchella Cup.
Wowing the judges in what was a fiercely competitive field was their hugely popular Double Dairy Gold, which was developed by Mr Morrison’s father and won the award back in 1997.
Mr Morrison said: “We’re all chuffed to bits, just thrilled.
“Our vanilla has traditionally done well and last year we got a silver for one of our other vanilla flavours.
“It’s one of the most difficult categories at the awards to win, there were something like 390 entries in all. It was a really super night and there was a big cheer when our name was read out as the winner.
““We were quietly confident we’d take something from the awards - I thought if we were going to win a top award it’d be for our passionfruit sorbet - but to win what we did, we’re absolutely thrilled and delighted.”
Being cream of the crop has given the firm a massive boost.
Mr Morrison continued: “This is absolutely huge for the company.
“The Open Ice Cream Class is open to businesses ranging in size from small artisan manufacturers right up to wholesalers, so to win this is massive for us, it potentially opens so many doors.
“Everyone here at Rizza’s has a spring in their step since the win, it’s given us a sense of purpose. Having a trophy to to show off in the shop is just super.”
Rizza’s boast an ice cream parlour in Huntly, where the firm also has its HQ, plus another in Lossiemouth.
The company currently employs 33 staff, which rises to 36 or 37 during busy periods in the school holidays.
For over 100 years Rizza’s has blended the best of Scotland and Italy, the business having been founded by brothers Domenico and James Rizza. They left their home in Belmonte Castello in Southern Italy, aged just 17 and seven respectively, to settle in the north-east of Scotland, opening their first confectionary shop in Mid Street, Keith. The brothers continued to open businesses across the north-east, with Domenico opening a shop in Huntly and James moving to Banff where he installed one of the first soda fountains in this region of Scotland.
For more on Rizza’s Ice Cream, follow their Facebook page or visit https://www.rizzas.co.uk/
