Dessert Alert: Messina Is Bringing Back 40 of Its Greatest Gelato Hits in Take-Home Tubs

In the two decades that Gelato Messina has been in dessert business, more than 4000 special flavours have made their way through the chain's gelato cabinets around the country. Each year, it releases 260 specials, in fact. Yes, that's a lot of frosty and creamy scoops.

To celebrate some of these oldies but goodies, the chain brings a selection of these flavours back every now and then — and, sometimes, it busts out its entire top 40 greatest hits. That's happening again this winter, based on the past year's top flavours, so you'd best make room in your freezer.

Lucky Sydneysiders, Melburnians and Brisbanites will be able to treat themselves to a treasure trove of limited-edition gelato varieties. While, in the past, the greatest hits specials have been a buy-in-shop-only deal, the chain went with preordered tubs in 2020 — so no one had to worry about long queues and empty cabinets — and it's doing the same thing again in 2023.

Gelato fiends can preorder 500-millilitre tubs of the 40 flavours from Monday, July 10. You'll then need to pick them up from Sydney's Marrickville, Tramsheds, Bondi, Darlinghurst, Norwest, Brighton Le Sands stores; Fitzroy and East Brunswick in Melbourne; South Brisbane in Brisbane; and Braddon in Canberra — all between Friday, July 21–Sunday, July 23.

Individual tubs are filled with just one flavour and will set you back $19, or you can get three for $54, five for $75, ten for $140 or — if you have the freezer space — 20 for $250.

Wondering which flavours are available? Messina has dropped the full list of faves making a comeback — and it's stacked with deliciousness (just like your freezer will be). Fairy Bread (toast and butter gelato with 100s & 1000s) and Robert Blondie Jnr (white chocolate gelato, blondie and white chocolate fudge sauce) will all return in tub form. So will Balls Deep (chocolate gelato with chocolate mud cake and salted caramel fudge) and You Cannoli Live Twice (chocolate crème patisserie gelato with chocolate hazelnut fudge, candied hazelnuts, and crushed cannoli shells), too.

Love Messina's takes on other beloved desserts? The Malteaser, Eton Mess, Baked Mango Cheesecake, Have a Gay Old Time, Pavlova, Red Velvet — those Messina flavours are all on the list as well.

Good luck trying to choose just one, or even a mere few.

Gelato Messina's Greatest Hits will be available to preorder on Monday, July 10 with pick up between Friday, July 21–Sunday, July 23 from Sydney's Marrickville, Tramsheds, Bondi, Darlinghurst, Norwest, Brighton Le Sands stores (orders from 12.15pm); Fitzroy and East Brunswick in Melbourne; South Brisbane in Brisbane; and Braddon in Canberra (orders from 12pm).