Messina has unveiled a “never-before-seen” offering in a new retail concept at Harris Farm Markets’ new store in Lane Cove, Sydney. 
This is Gelato Messina’s first retail concept inside Harris Farm, which founder Nick Palumbo attributes to the similar origin stories for the businesses and increased demand for its delicious gelato in the area. The majority of the range is exclusive to the store, including six signature grab ’n’ go gelato pints designed to stock in your home freezer and eat straight from the tub: French vanilla, caramel, milk chocolate, berries and cream, cookies and cream, choc chip.
There will be a selection of chilled Bavarian cream pies (choc malt, iced vovo, lemon meringue and tiramisu) and gelato cakes that can be eaten frozen or semifreddo (boysenberry cheesecake and the slab). Customers can also expect a smorgasbord of frozen family cookie pies and rolls of cookie dough ready to take home and bake.
In a first for the brand, there will be a build-a-cookie-pie station offering customisable family pies that are baked fresh on site, where customers can choose their own Messina-made dough, fillings and toppings, centred around its single-origin chocolate. Plus, gelato accessories like dulce de leche, choc hazelnut, cone packs, and waffle cone dessert spreads that are produced in-house at Messina HQ.
For the first time outside of Messina stores, customers will also be able to buy fresh Jersey milk, direct from Gelato Messina’s dairy farm in Numurkah, Victoria.
“It is our philosophy to partner with makers whose products we enjoy eating ourselves. We’ve been a fan of Gelato Messina for a long time and are delighted to be able to support the team’s first retail launch with Harris Farm Markets. Not to mention help out any Lower North Shore locals with their love of gelato,” says Harris Farm Markets co-CEO Tristan Harris.
The Harris Farm Markets Lane Cove store will be home to the first Rebel Donuts in Sydney and the retailer’s largest in-house bakery offering by The Cook and The Baker, which is also the famous Bondi Bakery’s first venture across the bridge.
“Lane Cove is Harris Farms Markets largest Sydney store to date, and it’s absolutely jam packed with everything you possibly need to tick off your shopping list. From your weekly fruit, veg and farm shop to entertaining on the weekend – there’s a Salumi deli, fresh bread and more than 500 cheeses. This store is not only about convenience, but it’s a destination for residents of the North Shore thanks to our fantastic concession partners,” Mr Harris said.
To celebrate the store opening, the retailer’s loyalty program, Friend of the Farm, is running a sign-up competition to win free fruit and veg for a year, plus additional exclusive discounts and secret menu items with the store’s concession partners.
Harris Farm Markets Lane Cove will stock more than 300 new products and extended ranges, an extensive plant-based range, and a new Foods of the World arcade with Italian, Asian specialty, Mexican and South American foods.
The store will feature the retailer’s sustainable lines upcycled perishable food range Re-purposeful Picks as well as cost and environmentally conscious fruit and vegetable range, Imperfect Picks.