Ice cream testing is underway at the Melbourne home of lawyer-turned-entrepreneur Roz Kaldor-Aroni.
“Look how glossy that is, it’s sensational,” the 59-year-old says scooping her 100 per cent plant-based chocolate ice cream into tubs.
Many of the chocolate ingredients are sourced from small farmers in the Solomon Islands, the Elato founder and CEO says.
“I chose a family business [in the Solomon Islands] because their chocolate flavour was amazing. It's got a very rich, earthy taste which is slightly smokey, due to the volcanic soil there.
“And, more importantly, the company is committed to giving back to the local community.”
Ms Kaldor-Aroni developed a social conscience growing up the daughter of a Holocaust survivor.
Her father migrated from Budapest in 1956, after narrowly escaping the Nazis as a child.
“My dad was younger than 10 when the war started,” she says.
“The family lived in Hungary and so in March 1944 when the Germans [invaded and occupied Hungary] my grandparents were sent to a forced labor camp.
“My father and his brother were in hiding in a farm somewhere in Hungary."
Her father was lucky to survive, and was among thousands of Jews in German occupied Hungary rescued by Raoul Wallenberg.
The Swedish humanitarian issued protective passports and sheltered Jews in buildings designated as Swedish territory.
Mr Wallenberg was later posthumously awarded numerous humanitarian honours in the decades following his disappearance, and is reported to have died in 1947.
“We're obviously very grateful to all his efforts and the phenomenal achievements in saving lives,” Ms Kaldor-Aroni says.
Ice cream manufacturing in Australia is valued at more than $1 billion annually, and is expected to grow by 4.3 per cent in 2022 according to market research group IbisWorld.
With a degree in science as well as law, last year Ms Kaldor-Aroni dived into this growing sector, turning turned her ice cream hobby into a fulltime career.
“ I could not believe my luck to find something that involved science and math, and that I enjoy doing,” she says.
After training in Australia, Italy and Canada, and later receiving a health warning about diabetes, Ms Kaldor-Aroni also decided to try for a healthier style.
Her Elato range has 30 per cent less added sugar and contains pre-biotic fibre for good gut health.
“Ice cream obviously is a wonderful treat,” she says.
“However, most ice cream is full of sugar. So all along this journey I have been keen to make sure that it doesn’t adversely impact people’s health.
“Yet it still has to taste good,” she says.
As well as plant-based ice cream, Elato produces a dairy range which has a three-star health-rating.
It’s been a journey of trial and error during the pandemic, yet over the past 12 months the business has grown steadily to meet rising demand, she says.
Giving back is central to this venture with part of the revenue donated to food rescue organisation OzHarvest.
“In addition to feeding people who are challenged with food security, OzHarvest is also about minimising food waste. And for me that combination is really exciting,” she says.
With a small family manufacturer in Melbourne helping to scale output, the future for this purpose-driven startup looks bright.
“My husband and I put our savings together to launch this business.
“It has the capacity to give back, and if we leverage my skills, we'll be able to grow a business that can do even more good.
“So that's the magic of ice cream.”
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