My comment was made based on previous posts on this thread. I looked at the shops today. I agree that they are not replicas. Hopefully, the new addition will attract additional trade. Obviously, this will not happen overnight.
If an area gets a reputation for a particular speciality then customers are likely to travel there.

I think it's great to have an addition to the road and the deli is lovely. It seems to be more in competition with Agas. The pistachio ice cream is good and I wish they could do delivery pizza. I didn't realise sugar mountain did ice cream and will now also try that out. Good publicity all round this thread? It is up to us the locals to keep all these businesses alive with our custom provided they charge reasonably.

I didn't want to post on this post like I said before, but have to make all aware of what's what.

I walked past Il Mirto this evening on my way home and noticed that "Homemade" was removed from the signage. Make up your own mind everyone.

Hopefully all realise I have been telling the truth from the start now, and please ask to see my correspondence aswell as their's. If no-one has anything to hide they will show this.

Have a fab evening all and best

Pauline :-)

So now we have a level playing field. Two shops selling ice cream that is not 'homemade' but still delicious. Let's hope we have the weather to enjoy it.

Amen Rachel!

I just wanted all customer to know what they were buying :-)

I'm ashamed to say I've not been to either yet! I'm not really a fan of sweet stuff (always been a savoury man!) but I do like ice cream...
What next for #icecreamgate? The proof is in the tasting...why don't you guys have a "taste off"? Pepsi (other sugary soft drinks are available) challenge style?
Andrew.

What this has cleared up for me is that I don't want to shop at Sugar Mountain. I don't like the attitude of the owner. This has been quite unpleasant to witness.

Sorry, but you lost a customer through this, Pauline.

at least the thread established that we have a choice of factory made ice cream or hand made ice cream on Dartmouth Road

Does anyone know the legal definition of 'handmade', 'homemade' etc, especially with regard to ice cream/gelato. Do they preclude the use of flavourings, syrups etc made off site and bought in, or do you have to forage for wild fruit and make your own. As an example, if a pub/restaurant used frozen fruit and/or pastry in a home cooked pie what could it legally be called - 'homemade'? 'Handmade'? 'Home prepared'? 'Home cooked'?
Maybe you could tell me Pauline, as you said you have contacted the FSA already.

Yes. See: http://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/fil...idance.pdf

I can give more specific guidance if you need, but the answers are all in the above link. See page 25.

Andrew.

Having read that, I wonder if it is the machinery Il Mirto uses that preclude the use of the term home made rather than the quality of any of the ingredients. It may be that their equipment is classified as being beyond the domestic.

Thank you Andrew 1976. Para 93 appears to state that a handmade product is one which must be significantly handmade in that it is not enough for just one component to be handmade. Further, that a handmade product can lawfully be described as such if made in an industrial setting.
If my interpretation is correct, this appears to tie in with the definition of handmade gelato set out in the gelato portal.
What would your conclusion be as regards whether Sugar Mountain and/or Il Mirto could claim correctly that their gelato are handmade?
It seems reasonably clear that neither can claim their gelato are homemade?

It seems that there is a clear distinction between handmade and homemade and that if the gelato is hand made in the main, with the compound products comprising the minority, then Il Mirto is within its rights in describing the gelato as handmade.
Stand open to correction of course if my interpretation is wrong..

The FSA has ruled they can't call it home made. So be it. What is clear though is that it is also very far from being 'powder and water' and it's very unlikely they were being underhand in calling it homemade. Just mistaken.

Did Il Mirto''s sign say homemade or handmade?

I have spoken today with the food safety team at lewisham and in particular to the lady who visited il merto on the 22nd June ,I also have the correspondence that followed that visit,firstly the food safety team have no concerns at all about the quality of the ice cream and have never inferred that it was only powder and water,the wording on the correspondence says because the ice cream made on your premises is using a dried ice cream base mix,the ice cream cannot ACCURATELY be described as homemade,that's all there is to it,a tirade of abuse about one simple word,stop the world and let me get off
Finally I have to say that the guys at il merto have been exemplary throughout this very difficult time for them and have never spoken badly about anyone or posted anything on here or other sites and have painted out the the life changing word of homemade 4 weeks before the deadline

Storm in a teacup, started by a jealous neighbouring business. I will buy from Il Mirto.

As the majority of people ( including me until I did some research) appear to think homemade is the same as handmade, I would suggest Il Mirto use the word handmade.

It appears clear that Il Mirto have done absolutely nothing underhand would in all probability have been happy to use the word handmade anyhow.

Seems highly unlikely that Marine Ices could be defined as handmade, and certainly not homemade.

If Il Mirto are permitted to say 'hand made' I think they'd be mad not to.

Il Mirto couldn't have generated more goodwill had they spent thousands of pounds in advertising. Good luck to them. They deserve to do well. I shall certainly become a customer.

It may be worthwhile for her own sake for the proprietor of Sugar Mountain to consider attempting to build bridges by apologising.

I have never been into either establishment, but looking from the outside in, this complaint to Trading Standards appears to have achieved little, particularly as Lewisham appears itself to have suggested the word handmade as an acceptable alternative, while certain allegations made on this forum by the proprietor of Sugar Mountain have, in my opinion, not done her or her business any favours.