Wānaka ice cream maker PURE New Zealand has taken out the champion dairy-free category award at the New Zealand Ice Cream and Gelato Awards overnight (Thursday, September 1).

PURE’s mango and coconut gelato was named the category winner at a gala dinner held in Auckland.

The category win follows the announcement that PURE had attained three golds, five silvers and four bronze medals from flavours entered in the awards.

“We were very happy to attain the awards,” co-owner Brian Thomas said.

“We make every ice cream from scratch using real ingredients every day.”

Brian said PURE is now servicing over 150 supermarkets nationwide, is the preferred premium ice cream supplier to Dominos nationally and has just entered the Japanese market.

“We are a core team of five operating from the back of the Snowsports New Zealand building in Anderson Road,” he said.

For the first time a gelato was named the supreme boutique champion at the awards with judges describing Little ‘Lato’s Speculoos Gelato as a “wonderful innovation … making it totally moreish”.

“After all the challenges of the past couple of years it’s heartening to see the quality of locally made ice cream and gelato is better than ever,” NZ Ice Cream Association president Karl Tiefenbacher said.

The awards, run by the NZ Ice Cream Association, have been held since 1997 and recognise the country’s finest ice cream and gelato producers.

A full list of award winners can be found here.

PHOTO: PURE New Zealand Ice Cream