A new gelateria, Bilmonte, has opened in Barcelona's Eixample district, bringing an authentic Sicilian ice cream brioche to the city. Located at Consell de Cent, 282, the shop offers the 'bun brioscia', a soft brioche bun filled with freshly made ice cream.
Gabriele Mansueto, a representative for Bilmonte, explained, "We wanted to bring the authentic recipe for 'bun brioscia' to Barcelona, a sweet treat we eat a lot." Unlike French brioche, the Sicilian version uses lard instead of butter and is flavoured with a citrus essence. The ice cream is made from scratch, starting with pasteurised milk and hazelnut paste, specifically the 'tondo gentile' variety imported from Italy for its intense and balanced aroma.
Crafting the Sicilian Delicacy
The ingredients are beaten to create a smooth mixture, then cooled in a machine to achieve a creamy, light texture. Once the ice cream reaches the correct consistency, chocolate and hazelnut crunch are added for contrast and intensity. Mansueto stressed the importance of precise cooling times. "It is very important to strictly respect the cooling time. Once we close the freezer, we never open it immediately. We have to wait at least 30 seconds to avoid interrupting the process, and in total it will be eight minutes."
After the ice cream is ready, the soft and fluffy Sicilian brioche bun is cut in half and filled with ice cream and chocolate. "It creates a kind of sandwich that can be eaten with your hands," Gabriele said. He noted the interesting combination of different textures, the soft brioche and the firmer ice cream, as well as the temperature contrast between the cold ice cream and the room-temperature bun. "That's what makes it so good and surprising," he added.
From Palermo to Barcelona
Gabriele explained that there is no specific time to enjoy a 'bun brioscia', and in Sicily, it is often eaten for dinner. "You eat one and you are full. It's good, fresh, and very appealing." The shop also experiments with flavours and temperatures, offering a hot chocolate ice cream cone.
Bilmonte's founder, Giacomo Conti from Palermo, had a childhood dream of owning a business. He worked in various catering companies before creating the Bilmonte brand, which he describes as "Italy's good ice cream." With the help of his partner, Vincenzo Squatrito, and a Milanese designer, Conti transformed the craft of artisan ice cream making into a boutique open to the public. The model has already been replicated in London and now in Barcelona, balancing production times with the fast pace of direct customer sales.
