Australian ice cream brand Messina opens in Hong Kong: get ready for exclusive flavours like egg tart, milk tea, even tofu

Summer might be over but, no matter the time of year, ice cream is always a good idea. To the delight of gelato lovers in Hong Kong, Australian brand Messina has just opened its first shop in Asia on Pottinger Street in the city’s Central district.

Australian expats and those familiar with the 19-year-old gelato empire will get to indulge in flavours such as Macadamia Crunch, Pistachio Praline and Tiramisu – as well as intriguing combinations such as Hokey Pokey (honey gelato with chocolate and honeycomb), Nicky Glasses (coffee and salted caramel gelato with whipped cream), and Bounty (coconut milk gelato with desiccated coconut and chocolate).

There are three exclusive Hong Kong flavours so far: Egg Tart, Hong Kong Milk Tea and Jack of All Fruit (jackfruit, coconut and passion fruit). Tofu Fa is coming soon.

Black Sheep Restaurants is behind Messina’s move to Hong Kong and Karys Logue, the restaurant group’s head pastry chef, says the Australian brand’s ice cream should not be seen as comfort food in a post-Covid-19 world – it is thoughtful and intentional.

“This is not just a post-pandemic trend,” she says. “As Messina’s history has shown, it’s something that people are always going to come back for, especially because the way we rotate flavours, it’s going to be very current.”

The ingredients, including milk from Messina’s almost 500 Jersey cows in the Australian state of Victoria, are flown to Hong Kong. “We airfreight anywhere between 300kg [660 pounds] to 600kg of milk per week, and Messina has their own mango and strawberry farms, grows their own hazelnuts and produces their own chocolate,” says Logue.

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The ingredients are of a high quality as a result but, she admits, the inventory can be a pain to deal with if there are logistical hiccups. Nevertheless, when they do arrive in Hong Kong, the ingredients are mixed on site – a process that customers can watch.

There are 35 classic flavours and there will eventually be five locally concocted ones. Messina will release a new flavour every day from Tuesday to Saturday and, by November, the Hong Kong store will be on the same schedule as Australia.

The shop window display features nine gelato cakes, which will be available by the end of the year. “They look simple on the outside, but I promise you they are made with six to seven layers,” Logue says.

Some Messina fans have balked at the steep prices – one scoop of gelato is HK$60 (US$7.70), two cost HK$70 and three are HK$80, making upgrading your serving size from a single to a double or triple the logical choice.

Customers can also buy gelato to take away in 500ml, 1 litre and 1.5 litre tubs.

Logue doesn’t think the gelato is priced particularly high when compared with competing brands in Hong Kong – such as the recently closed Emack and Bolio chain that had a similar price point.

“You have to understand the quality standards that we are aiming for. We don’t want to undervalue these beautiful ingredients, not to mention the logistics, costs and things like that of moving all this product here. I think the flavour justifies the price,” Logue says.

“We haven’t seen any resistance at this point, so I think we’re happy where we are. I also think Hong Kong people like things that are a bit exclusive.”

Messina’s move to Hong Kong, two years in the making, had been postponed because of the 2019 anti-government protests, the pandemic and ensuing travel restrictions.

Now that Messina is opening, is Logue worried about the potential for there being extra-long lines snaking out of the shop and down Pottinger Street that may require security guards to keep people in order – as has happened before in Sydney, Australia?

“I used to work in New York for Dominique Ansel during the time of the cronut craze, so we had a bodyguard outside,” she says. “The hordes of people do not worry me. We had a huge line at Landmark [also in Central] for Butter, so I say bring them all in – let them try every gelato, every sorbet. No amount of people is too many people.”

Messina, 37-43 Pottinger Street, Central