Spilt Milk Bar the place to chill out as Canberra's weekend temperatures soar

With temperatures set to hit 30 degrees for the next few days, not only can you indulge in some of the most delicious gelato and sorbets you'll ever try, you can chill out to some great tunes as well.

Co-owners Andrew Hamilton and Sarah Quigley wanted to recreate that old milk bar feel.

While that's not reflected in the modern fitout, it's more about creating a place where all generations can come and enjoy the simple pleasure of an ice cream.

"It's something that brings happiness to every person that walks in the place," says Hamilton.

"You see the grandmothers bringing the grandchildren in the early hours of the day for a treat, fathers bringing the kids in on their own yet, everybody that comes in, and everyone on this side of the counter, and the other side are having a great time."

It's all about the "cow to cone" philosophy, fresh, natural flavours that will change with the seasons.

Spilt Milk Bar started in Orange, in central west New South Wales about 12 months ago.

In its first year it churned 50 tonne of ice cream. During COVID they were delivering about 200 litres a day.

Hamilton had family in Canberra and he saw it as a natural choice for the next store, settling on Dickson.

"We chose Dickson where we weren't in the middle of things but we're around families and people looking for an affordable choice," he said.

"And we're around schools too, I love it when the kids come in after school and get an ice cream like we used to head to the milk bar.

"We called it Spilt Milk Bar because the the idea was to go back to the old milk bar flavours most baby boomers would remember, you'd go in and get your mixed bag of lollies and a milkshake and the icecream would be in tubs."

If you're expecting the gelato to be on display like in other outlets you'll be disappointed.

Quigley gives us a quick rundown on the science of gelato, it deteriorates more rapidly if exposed to light and air so everything is hidden away in tubs kept at -10C which allows the flavour to be the first thing you notice without that first sensation being just how cold it is.

No one likes a brain freeze from a cold ice cream even on the warmest of days.

Quigley is looking forward to working with local suppliers on flavours. She's been out to visit a local fig producer, there's already a Three Mills Bakery vanilla brownie flavour on the board. Expect a Christmas collaboration with Three Mills as well.

Quigley is the whizz in the kitchen. Her salted caramel recipe is a closely held secret. It's the most popular flavour, along with pistachio. One good thing is they encourage you to come in and sample everything.

The mint, where the milk is soaked along with fresh mint leaves before being drained before it is churned is like no mint gelato you have ever tried.

There's a Spilt Milk Bar app which keeps you up to date with new flavours and promotions. If you sign up you get a free scoop.

What could be better than free ice cream on a 30 degree weekend.