Overview
Summer days when we were kids were all about running around barefoot, angering our parents by getting sunburnt, chasing ice cream trucks and shoving huge amounts of the frozen treat in our mouths (then, getting brain freeze). A new ice cream truck in Sydney's Northern Beaches is capturing this nostalgia and serving it back to the public, along with a dose of quality ingredients and friendliness to those with dietary restrictions.
Pepita's is run by two pastry chefs, one French, Mélanie Chaix, and one Australian, Elliott, and together they've realised all those sweet-toothed, summer-missing folks' dreams. Out of its eye-catching mint-green Kombi van, the duo is serving up ice cream that is almost as sweet as the throwback vibes.
Or perhaps less, the ice cream has less sugar than standard ice cream, and all flavours are gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan. All the sorbets are nut-free, too. Using cashew and coconut milk as the base, the duo whips up all the flavours from scratch, including Earl Grey, mocha, hazelnut, raspberry and thyme and calamansi (a citrus similar to lemon).
During the wintry months, you'll be able to grab some soul-southing cups of hot chocolate — to thaw your cold fingers and brain — and a range of homemade jams and spreads are available, too.
We think that's more than enough to have you waving your arms around frantically to hail them down if you see the Kombi cruising by you. Luckily, you don't have to, you can track down the van via the GPS tracker on its Facebook page. The van cruises around the Northern Beaches during the week, from 12pm–5pm Wednesday–Friday in winter, and is often at the Manly Market on the weekends.
You'll find Pepita's cruising around the Northern Beaches from Wednesday–Sunday, check the Facebook page for exact hours and locations.
Images: Tony Nolan