Ice cream queens dishing up a treat

TWO Norco employees have created over 5000 ice cream flavours during their careers, earning them the title of the ‘Norco Ice Cream Queens’.

Debbie Pirlo and Carolyn Ross have spent decades crafting unique flavours, from a wattle seed ice cream for the Sydney Olympics to a peanut butter creation with choc ripple and salted peanuts.

Ms Pirlo started her career at Norco in her 20s, learning the art of making and packaging ice cream.

Now, 36 years later, she works alongside Ms Ross to develop the company’s signature flavours.

One of their standout creations was the wattle seed ice cream from the Australiana range, launched during the Sydney Olympics.

“My favourite and most memorable flavour in the Australiana range was by far the wattle seed, and the fact it was created for such a prestigious moment for our country was the icing on the cake,” Ms Pirlo said.

Ms Ross’s all-time favourite is mango passionfruit ripple with coconut ice cream, but she also can’t go past Cape Byron Ultimate Vanilla.

The duo is always on the lookout for new inspiration, often finding ideas in dessert menus or food trends.

“You take inspiration from dessert menus and even from trending foods. You have so many ideas in your head, just waiting for a brief where you can apply those ideas,” Ms Ross said.

Although neither expected a career in ice cream, both say they wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.