Pepita’s

Mélanie Chaix studied to be a pastry chef at one of the cooking schools in France run by three Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse. So when she started making vegan ice-cream in Sydney she a lot of learning to undo.

Pepita’s ice-creams and sorbets have a coconut- and cashew-milk base. The result is a texture and taste that is convincingly ice-cream-like and delicious, and because of the natural sweetness, she doesn’t need to add in as much sugar as you would with regular ice-cream. As well as being plant-based, Pepita’s ice-creams and sorbets are gluten free.

Pepita’s offers seven or so flavours, including hazelnut and coconut, plus refreshing sorbets such as raspberry-mango, and lime, cucumber and mint.

There’s also an incredibly creamy chocolate made with ganache, water and sugar syrup. It’s then blended to incorporate air, which is where it gets its creaminess.

It’s all sold out of a custom-fitted mint-green Volkswagen kombi. It’s based in the Northern Beaches and drives around Curl Curl, Dee Why, Manly and Freshwater.