A Sibling-Run Gelateria That Turns Curiosity and Inspiration Into Flavours Worth Queuing For

For Italian Australian brothers Alec, James and Paul Carney, gelato was a formative part of their childhoods. As adults, they’ve turned that passion into a career, churning out flavours inspired by classic desserts and fruit at Gelato Gemelli, which has locations on the Gold Coast.

That same playful approach is what made the new collaboration with Swisse feel like a natural fit. Reimagining the Swisse Gummies Range as gelato, the limited-edition range reflects Gelato Gemelli’s focus on nostalgia, flavour and fun.

“We’re all about fun and memories,” Alec Carney says. “As little Italian kids eating gelato in Italy or Australia at our local Italian restaurants, we felt gelato brings a lot of joy to everyone.”

That mindset underpins how each flavour comes together. Compared to the menu at their restaurant Gemelli Italian in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, which stays close to Italian classics, Carney says gelato offers more room for experimentation.

Every flavour starts with a loose concept – often drawn from familiar desserts, fruits, flavour combinations or even Swisse gummies – before moving into rounds of development. Balance is key, particularly across sweetness and texture, with fresh, seasonal produce from the Gold Coast and northern New South Wales forming the backbone of many recipes.

“When we do our flavours, we keep the classics, but we definitely put our own twist on it,” Carney says. “We do a lot of research and testing through different products, suppliers and sourcing fresh fruit from local farmers.”

For the latest team-up, it reimagines Swisse’s Gummies range as three limited-edition gelatos. There’s Frutti di Bosco (“fruits and gummies of the forest”), a dairy-free berry flavour inspired by the Swisse Ultiboost Calm + Sleep Gummies; Nonna’s Apple and Gummie Cake, which nods to the Swisse Apple Cider Vinegar + Fibre Gummies; and a creamy Sicilian Orange Gummie Bite, a splice-like take inspired by the Swisse Probiotic + Prebiotic Gummies.

It was important that the collaboration flavours balance playfulness with a sense of wellbeing, while staying true to Gelato Gemelli’s ethos: fresh, high-quality ingredients and a focus on craft.

Translating the gummies into gelato meant more than replicating flavour alone. Texture plays a big role, particularly when it comes to recreating the chew of a gummy within something frozen. Anyone who’s ever chucked gummy bears into gelato knows they can turn into sweet rocks, so the Carneys developed custom gummies for this collaboration designed to retain their soft chew even at low temperatures.

“The texture’s really important,” Carney says. “The three flavours have gummy bites made with real fruit mixed through.”

Those limited-run flavours will be on offer at the Swisse Sweet Treat Club, an ice-cream truck popping up for two days across the Gold Coast. Expect free scoops, goodie bags and giveaways at The Oxley on May 2 and Pacific Fair Shopping Centre on May 3 from 10am to 2pm both days. After the pop-up, the flavours will also be available for the following month at Gelato Gemelli. No bookings required – just rock up and take a moment for yourself with a gummy-inspired gelato.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Swisse. Always read the label and follow the directions for use.