Lilly Stuckings (nee Papa, as in Gelato Papa) is a second-generation gelato maker whose Sicilian family have been making gelato for over 40 years and is a graduate of Italy’s International Culinary Institute for Foreigners in Piedmont, under Massimo Conti. At the culinary institute, Stuckings learnt to balance gelato from real ingredients rather than pastes and extracts, which produces the creamiest and smoothest gelato possible without artificial ingredients.
Gelato Papa uses ingredients sourced as locally as possible, which means figs, lemons and Vietnamese mint comes from a neighbour's garden and prickly pears are foraged from the empty lot a few blocks from the shop. Expect flavours like chocolate; coconut and yoghurt; and Nutella alongside seasonal favourites like yuzu curd in mandarin gelato; passionfruit; and blood orange. Gelato cakes come in flavours like Violet Crumble, lemon meringue pie and bombe Alaska.