A “burst pipe”, “a broken pump”, working days of 20 hours or more… For the past few weeks, Edoardo Gori has been discovering a whole new world. Next to Bayonne’s famous Halles market, the former Italy international (36, 69 caps) has opened “Ughissimo”, a gelateria where every morning he makes fresh ice cream, in deliberately limited quantities but with boundless energy and real quality.
The project is nothing new, though. He had been nurturing it since his playing days, from Prato to Colomiers by way of Treviso. “When you arrive somewhere, you look for things that feel like you, that remind you of home “. There was no shortage of pizzerias and Italian restaurants, but the ice-cream parlours left him, pun not intended, wanting more: “I didn’t think it was good. I always told myself I needed to dig into something in that area. ” To see it through, Gori wrote a dissertation on a major Italian ice-cream chain and earned a vocational cookery qualification.
At Ughissimo, those high standards mean a deliberately short menu. Eight flavours, refreshed almost every week with four or five new ones. “I don’t want to do quantity, I want to do quality,” he sums up, always with a smile. The ice cream is made every morning with carefully chosen ingredients. Sicilian pistachios and Italian specialities first, milk from the Basque Country, peanuts from Soustons, plus fruit from a greengrocer near his workshop: everything is local.
The rugby network to the rescue
The former Colomiers and Italy player went straight to Treviso for the know-how, spending a year training as a pastry chef and ice-cream maker… During which he even did a stint washing dishes. “You have to go through that too, it’s part of the process,” he laughs now.
The Google reviews are unanimous. Some customers even say his ice cream makes them feel like they are in Italy. “That makes me really happy. That’s what touches me most. Having people who like to drop by, have a bit of a chat and enjoy the ice cream.”
Rugby has been a big help in this venture. “The rugby network is incredible. Finding the premises, getting support, it’s crazy!“. He goes on: “Every day brings its own problem. The other day it was a pipe and another day it was a pump that blew. There are always problems, but you have to find solutions. The demands of top-level rugby help me a lot day to day“.
These aren't recipes I came up with. I haven't invented anything, in fact. They're good products, just made with love
Focaccias and ice-cream tarts next
The Italian has no shortage of plans. He intends to bring back focaccias and schiacciate, specialities from Tuscany, his home region. They were a big hit during the Fêtes de Bayonne. The idea is to offer a savoury range once the ice-cream season is over. He is also considering ice-cream tarts, tiramisus (already on the menu) and other Italian specialities, so as never to stray from his Italian identity. In the meantime, Edoardo Gori stays modest: “The most important thing for us is to serve with a smile and for people to leave happy. These aren’t recipes I invented. In fact I haven’t invented anything. They’re good products, but made with love.”
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