Azzura the new cream for Bannister

Bannister Downs owner Sue Daubney says the shelf life of products from her award-winning Northcliffe dairy is capped at just 14 days.
So when the opportunity arose to buy premium ice-cream brand Azzura Gelati from the founders, it was as good as the cream on the cake.
“We had always said we needed a long shelf-life premium product,” Mrs Daubney said yesterday after she and husband Mat finalised the Azzura acquisition.
Financial details were not disclosed and Mrs Daubney conceded she was still trying to get her head around what was required to restart production of Azzura’s ice-cream.
The O’Connor operation ceased production about six months ago as the business, under the stewardship of the founding Odorisio family’s second generation, fell on tough times.
The 29-year-old business, which at its peak is understood to have turned over $2 million a year, reverted to founders Rey and Nick Odorisio, who sought out the Daubneys two to three months ago as preferred buyers.
Mrs Daubney said yesterday she hoped to have Azzura ice-cream back in shops in time for summer but said the initial focus would be on a simplified range of flavours.
“It’s a case of making sure we have the correct ingredients and (initially) we will stay with plain vanilla,” she laughed.
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