Images: OVO
Burrata, blue cheese, potato crisps and caviar might sound more at home on a tasting menu than in a gelato cabinet, but OVO is proving that dessert doesn’t always have to play by the rules.
The Adelaide gelateria has been experimenting with increasingly adventurous flavours, transforming familiar savoury ingredients into unexpected gelato combinations that have Adelaide diners stopping mid-scroll and heading in to try them for themselves.
For owner John, the experimentation is part of a bigger vision for OVO.
“I’ve always had this concept of what I’ve called OVO Studios, which has always been something that we wanted to do more as a special event throughout the year,” shared John.
Before officially launching that concept, the team began testing some more unusual combinations, including burrata and blue cheese with quince. And the response was surprisingly good.
The burrata gelato starts with the whole burrata cheese, which is blended through OVO’s milk base before being layered with tomato coulis.
The combination is designed to evoke the flavours of a classic bruschetta, complete with local extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of flaked sea salt.
Essentially, it takes everything you might expect to find on a savoury Italian appetiser and puts it into a scoop of gelato.
“It’s literally having that savoury dish that we all know, but in gelato form,” said John.
Naturally, not everyone is immediately convinced. John says the team often keeps the names simple on the menu, listing creations as “Burrata” or “Blue Cheese” and letting curiosity do the rest.
Social media has also played a major role in getting people through the doors, with customers spotting the unusual flavours online and deciding they simply have to find out what they taste like. And according to John, plenty of them are coming back for more.
“We have been selling a fair amount of it as well, which is a good sign that people are curious enough.”
The experiments don’t stop at burrata. OVO is currently bringing back its blue cheese and quince gelato, served with a salt and pepper cracker, essentially turning a classic cheese board into dessert.
And the next OVO Studio event is set to push things even further. The team is creating a crème fraîche gelato served with salted potato crisps and caviar.
“We’re actually putting caviar on it,” said John.
The caviar has been carefully selected for its quality and creamy, nutty characteristics, which John says complements the crème fraîche.
For those who aren’t quite ready to dive into cheese and caviar gelato, OVO also regularly plays around with more approachable savoury combinations, including olive oil.
The flavour experimentation is also collaborative. The team keeps a whiteboard in the back of the store where customer suggestions are written down, creating a running list of ideas to discuss and potentially turn into gelato.
But John says collaboration with other Adelaide businesses has become just as important.
“We feel like teaming up with another local business and sharing the love almost kind of builds that stronger community within the small business group as well,” he said.
That has led to collaborations with local businesses including Proof Patisserie, which has created a specialty croissant for OVO to pair with its buttered croissant gelato.
Another collaboration came about almost by chance when OVO crossed paths with Adelaide creator Brittney Saunders, when she launched her brand Fayt the Label here in Adelaide.
After meeting over dinner and chatting about the East End and Adelaide, the pair decided to create a gelato flavour together.
“She liked the name Sticky Fayt, and literally 24 hours later, we just created this flavour for her,” John said.
For OVO, these collaborations and experimental flavours are part of the evolution of the business since it first opened its Newton doors in 2022.
Back then, the focus was on creating a gelateria and dessert bar that was a little different from the traditional model, combining handcrafted gelato with the family’s hospitality background, specialty coffee and options designed to cater to a range of dietary needs.
Four years on, John says the business is still focused on quality and staying as local as possible, but is increasingly interested in creating experiences rather than simply selling scoops.
“We won’t just do something for the hell of it,” he said. “We do try and make sure any type of sourcing of products and things like that are not just your run-of-the-mill.”
That philosophy is now being channelled into OVO Studios, with the team planning more experience-based events throughout the year.
The aim is to give Adelaide diners something a little different, whether that’s an unexpected flavour combination, a collaboration with another local business or an event built around food and experimentation.
And while John has spent plenty of time dreaming up strange new flavours, his own favourite scoop has changed along the way.
He was once firmly a nut-flavour person, with pistachio, macadamia and hazelnut his usual choices. But after spending more time experimenting, he’s become increasingly drawn to gelato with different textures and flavour profiles.
“I’m obsessed with the lemon curd gelato,” he said. “And our gluten-free vanilla slice. That’s probably my top favourite at the moment as well.”
So, if you’re the kind of Adelaide diner who likes to stick to pistachio, chocolate or vanilla, OVO might be about to challenge your usual order. Because these days, the gelateria isn’t just asking what flavour you want. It’s asking how far you’re willing to push the boundaries of gelato.
OVO
Where: 10/3 Jan St, Newton SA 5074 and 24 Ebenezer Pl, Adelaide SA 5000
For more information, click here.
