Mary in Vancity

When I asked James Coleridge, owner of Bella Gelateria and Maestro Gelatiere how he came up with the concept for his hugely succesful store he told me that he didn’t. Gelato found him.

There is no doubt in my mind that James is passionate about what he does – it shows! the store is immaculate, and the service is impeccable. it’s also incredibly busy for a chilly November afternoon. Unlike typical restaurants that take years to develop a loyal clientage, its hard to believe that Bella Gelateria has managed to achieve just that, in 5 short months.

James credits his success not only to hard work, but also to his respect for the art of making gelato. Great is not enough he says – it has to be perfect.

Bella only uses the finest ingredients to make their gelato –  if it takes Tahitian vanilla to get the flavour right, then you import Tahitian vanilla.

But most of the flavours Bella creates are made with ingredients found here at home. When I asked James what was his favorite gelato flavour he laughed: “how can I have a favorite?” he says – “every flavour is tied to a moment, like a fine wine, it rises to the occasion”.

Unlike James, I found my favorite – Pale Ale. Yes folks. Beer and gelato is a beautiful thing.  I also tried the chocolate and sea salt, the Tahiti vanilla and the chocolate stout. Their gelato is rich, creamy and delicious.

As I left Bella Gelateria, I said goodbye to James as he was busy creating a new flavour – bacon chocolate. I have no doubt that we will be enjoying his amazing creations for years to come.

You can follow Bella Gelateria on twitter for updates on their new flavours or events.