There is a new ice cream parlour in Leigh – Poco Gelato. It is on Elm Road and was founded by brother and sister Lucy and Joe Donnelly, who are the great-grandchildren of Massimiliano Rossi, who helped to bring the famous Italian ice cream to the UK.
Poco Gelato was originally called Hokey Pokey Gelato. Hokey Pokey is a colloquial name for vanilla ice cream with honeycomb pieces. According to Wikepedia, “Hokey pokey” was a slang term for ice cream in general in the 19th and early 20th centuries in several areas, including New York and parts of Great Britain, specifically for the ice cream sold by street vendors, or “hokey-pokey” men.
However, they received a request from The Chocolate Society to stop using the name as it has been trademarked. The Chocolate Society have a “Hokey Pokey range of products”. Lucy and Joe Donnelly decided that rather than fight the case it was easier, and cheaper, to quickly rebrand their new ice cream parlour.
“Ecco Un Poco”
Hokey Pokey’s were the nick name ice cream street vendors because their common call was “Ecco Un Poco” which means, “I have a little”. Italian Ice cream vendors would shout this in the streets of London in the same way market vendors in the UK shout “roll up, roll up!”. Ecco Un Poco was translated by the Londoners to Hokey Pokey.
So, the Donnelly’s chose to call their shop Poco Gelato instead. Fortunately the quick change of branding does not seem to have put a damper on their business plans. Trade has been good despite the abysmal weather.
New Unusual Ice Cream Flavours
Poco Gelato sells all the usual ice creams, but has some interesting and unusual new flavours such as Chocolate and Chilli, Green Tea and White Chocolate and Cardomom (a spice normally seen in Indian cooking, but also popular in making sweet breads in Scandinavia).
Where To Find Them
- Poco Gelato
- 54-56 Elm Road
- Leigh-on-Sea
- SS9 1SN
They also have a Facebook page: www.facebook.com/PocoGelato
