22 January
A decent conversation with Rollickin.
Summer in Christchurch wouldn’t be complete without a scoop or two of Rollickin Gelato. With three locations across the city, including their newest spot in Riccarton, Rollickin is known for some of the best gelato, sorbet and desserts, whether it’s a quick afternoon treat or a late-night dessert date.
In our latest decent conversation, we sat down with Tania from Rollickin to talk flavours, menu creativity, growing from one store to three, and the people and principles that shape everything they do. At the heart of it all is a simple philosophy. If it’s not fun, we aren’t doing it.
Name: Tania
Job Title: Chief Doer
Hey Tania! Rollickin is known for some of the best gelato, sorbet and desserts in Christchurch. What flavour(s) would you recommend to people trying Rollickin for the first time?
Honestly… all of them, that’s why we call them Crowd Favourites (we monitor the popularity). But if you’re twisting my arm, my order is Salty Caramel and Yogi Bear in a waffle. Our gelato is churned fresh in-store every single day, and fresh churns just hit different.
Rollickin has a really clear personality. How intentional were you about defining your brand early on, and how has it guided decision-making since?
Jed our fearless leader, came up with the name Rollickin Gelato and the business mantra right from the start: “If it’s not fun, we aren’t doing it.” That one line has shaped pretty much everything we do. If an idea sparks excitement, it’s a definite “yes, let's go for it”.
Rollickin now has three locations across Christchurch, including your newest store in Riccarton. What’s changed the most as you’ve grown, and what’s stayed the same?
Opening our third store has been a giant step. The team has grown and everything has stepped up a notch. We feel a little more grown-up. What hasn’t changed is it’s still very much hands on with lots of Rollickin love. We’ll always be a fun, welcoming, dancing dessert date night safe place for Canterbury.
Opening a new store is always a big milestone. What’s been the highlight of bringing Rollickin to Riccarton?
Nailing another Rollickin Dessert Cafe late night vibe space (super proud of how well it’s all come together) and making a whole bunch of new friends in the Riccarton neighbourhood. Nothing beats it! Riccarton has some seriously great food spots, and we are trying them all.
You’ve put care into choosing custom branded, compostable packaging. Why was that important to you?
We don’t want to add to the planet’s problems. Simple as that. Being planet-friendly matters to us. We were one of decent’s first customers, and it’s been pretty special growing side-by-side as responsible businesses.
What’s one detail in your custom branding that people might not notice straight away, but you care a lot about?
We genuinely just have fun with it, especially the designs and illustrations. There aren’t strict brand rules. We play, learn, and we keep doing better as we go. Packaging is a lot of 3D fun!
Great hospitality always starts with people. How do you build a team culture that shows up in the customer experience?
Rollickin attracts a pretty epic village of people. We make sure everyone feels supported, valued, and happy at work. When the team’s having fun, our customers feel it straight away.
When you’re developing new flavours or desserts, how do you balance creativity with what you know will work in a busy service environment?
Jed is obsessed with churning and perfecting our gelato, sorbet, and dessert recipes with our team of Gelato Chefs and Bakers. The flavours are inspired by everyone’s requests, wild ideas, and whatever’s growing seasonally. Our desserts are driven by our customers too, plus a healthy dose of nana-style big dessert nostalgia. Love our 'have another serving dear’ nanas!
Again, every menu item is monitored, so we know what’s popular and what works.
Your menu goes beyond just scoops. What’s an underrated menu item you think more people should try?
It’s not really underrated, but you must try our Lost in Sticky Date Hot Pudding. The house-made butterscotch sauce is next-level, and honestly, sticky date is absolutely acceptable to eat all year round.
Looking ahead, what are you excited about for Rollickin as you head through summer and beyond?
I’m most excited about our people. With Rollickin Riccarton joining the fam, there’s been heaps of learning, loads of growth, and more opportunities for our team and the business.
Anything else you’d love our community to know?
Oooh Busker Summer Fun! This is our very first dedicated Rollickin Pitch at The World Buskers Festival, with loads of busker entertainment and, of course, some special flavour gelato juggling.
24 January – 1 February right next to our Cashel St Rollickin Cafe.
Keen to try Rollickin for yourself?
📍42 Rotherham St
📍98 Cashel St
📍35 New Regent
rollickin.co.nz // @rollickingelato
