Such a treat to have a dedicated gelato shop in Stratford

If you’re lucky enough to walk by Angela’s Gelato & Fine Refreshments at the right time of day, you might smell the sweet scent of baking waffle cones and chips, which owner Angela Chau makes by hand.

“It’s a bit like 'golden hour'," said Chau.

Chau said people outside the shop sometimes will enter and ask, "what is that amazing smell?"

The Downie Street gelateria celebrated its first anniversary this month. The business was a major career change for Chau, who had previously worked in the arts industry in Toronto before moving to Stratford in 2019.

“I always felt Stratford needed a dedicated gelato shop. There are a lot of ice cream shops that have been here for decades but good gelato is just such a nice treat,” she said.

“I wanted to spread some joy in the community.”

Chau partnered with a chef with more than two decades of experience making gelato. The shop’s gelato is handmade in small batches, with only eight flavours available each day. The small menu is in part due to the gelateria’s tiny size, but Chau says keeping the menu limited also means the gelato is served as fresh as possible. 

“Part of the reason why we decided to offer eight flavours and to rotate between them is to ensure that every single flavour sells out quickly and that everything is fresh all the time,” she explained. 

Gelato flavours at Angela’s range from classics like mango and hazelnut to more inventive options like PB+J and strawberry basil – the latter of which is one of the shop’s most popular flavours according to Chau.

“A big part of my job is to create a menu with a variety of flavours that will hopefully appeal to everyone that comes in,” she said. 

Compared to ice cream, gelato is made with mostly milk rather than cream and less air is incorporated into the mixture during the production process. Gelato is also typically served at a slightly warmer temperature than ice cream.

“It’s more silky and smooth and flavourful,” said Chau, adding she enjoys teaching customers about the differences between gelato and ice cream and why they taste a little different from one another.

Including dairy-free options in her menus is a priority for Chau. Depending on the flavour, the shop’s vegan offerings might be made with a milk alternative – such as the chocolate hazelnut, which features an almond milk base – while other flavours are made primarily from fruit with no milk or cream. 

Aside from gelato, Angela’s also serves Italian sodas and lemonade.

“I actually have a background working and running a few lemonade stands at a large fair when I was much, much younger, so customers can count on our lemonade being top-notch,” said Chau, noting she uses lemons that are freshly squeezed to order. 

Chau can almost always be found behind the counter at Angela’s Gelato, serving customers personally and talking with them about their favourite flavours.

“It’s part of the fun for me. Hearing what people have loved just brings me so much joy,” she said. “We hope that we’ll become an annual tradition for locals and tourists alike.”