Different name, same great taste

One of the highlights of a trip to Casa Bella is the prospect of finishing your meal with a bowl or a sundae full of delicious Casa Bella Gelato!

Our gelato is a family affair. Made by owner Andrew’s son, Matthew who learned his trade at the Carpigiani Gelato University in Bologna, supplying not only the restaurant but a separate gelato shop on Lake Road, managed by Andrew’s step-daughter Lily.

We’re passionate about the ingredients we use and last year Andrew and Matthew switched milk and cream supplier to Torpenhow Farmhouse Dairy, based at Park House Barn in Wigton, 20 miles north of Keswick.

The Farmhouse Dairy, under the stewardship of farmers Mark & Jenny Lee, has been making a range of products from their organic, pasture-fed, 180 strong herd of Jersey/Friesian cows since 2019. They boast cheeses that have won silver accolades at the World Cheese Awards and were recently crowned Food Producer of the Year at the recent Cumbria Food Awards. 

Given the quality of the product, Andrew and Matthew we’re not surprised to see a  difference in the gelato from switching to the new supplier. 

This has developed into a real partnership with Mark & Jenny and a move of premises to Torpenhow Farmhouse Dairy so the organic milk and cream can be pumped directly into the pasturiser ready for gelato production. 

“We’ve always used locally sourced ingredients where possible in our gelato recipes, showcasing their natural flavours”, explains Matthew.  “Moving to milk from a single herd of cows we can see from the windows of our production unit has been the next step to offering a traditional Italian gelato with a truly Cumbrian flavour.”

As part of the move, and to offer a stand alone identity to the gelato business the decision was made to rebrand to Three Hills Gelato. 

“Torpenhow literally means ‘hill, hill, hill’ made up from three ancient languages used in Cumbria - ‘Tor’ (hill in Saxon), ‘pen’ (hill in British) and ‘how’ (hill in Old Norse)”, explains Andrew, “so it made sense for us to rebrand as Three Hills Gelato to represent our new base and partnership with Torpenhow Farmhouse Dairy.” 

New signage for the Lake Road premises is already in place for the summer season, and the business will look to make Three Hills Gelato available across an increasing number of local outlets so it can enjoyed by a wider audience.

Don’t panic though - Matthew and his team will continue to provide a range of gelato flavours for the restaurant so you can enjoy the perfect end to your meal all year round.