Lady Janes Ice Cream Palour.
Rotorua's Lady Jane's Ice Cream Parlour has been named in the top 10 icecream parlours in New Zealand by TripAdvisor.
The popular international travel website ranked the country's best spots for ice cream based on the quality, quantity and recent reviews from its community of millions of travellers. Lady Jane's, at the end of Eat Streat opposite the Village Green, came in at number 10.
Owner Peter Winstanley said he was pleased to make it on to the list but was keen to see what they could do to move up a few places.
"We came in 10th in the country but I'd like to think we're number one. Locals think so and that's what counts.
"The fact we're in the top 10 is a reflection on our hard working staff, and the support we get from the community."
Lady Jane's opened in the early 1980s and over the years it's become a local fixture and grown a reputation with tourists. As well as TripAdvisor's top 10 rating, Lady Jane's was named as a must do for travellers by the Lonely Planet.
Mr Winstanley has owned the parlour for 15 years. He attributes its success to local support, and considers the community to have as much of a stake in the store as himself.
"I like to call [Lady Jane's] Rotorua's ice cream store, a lot of locals seem to see it that way, it's iconic."
The fantastic weather this summer has meant that Lady Jane's has seen steady business from tourists and locals looking to cool off at the Lakefront.
Mr Winstanley said he and his staff tried to keep everything going smoothly even when things got busy.
"We prep as much as we can when things quiet down a bit, rolling up the Danish cones and the like, so that we can keep everyone happy and served promptly."
Mr Winstanley praised Eat Streat for bringing a real family atmosphere to the block.
The top 10
1. Giapo Ice Cream, Auckland
2. Charlie's Gelato, Warkworth
3. Milse, Auckland
4. Kaffee Eis, Wellington
5. Chocolates Patagonia, Queenstown
6. Rush Munro's, Hastings
7. Black Peak Gelato, Wanaka
8. Movenpick, Queenstown
9. The Gelato Caffe, Hawera
10. Lady Jane's Ice Cream Parlour, Rotorua
Lady Jane's offers more than 50 classic and gourmet flavours. Rotorua Daily Post reporters taste tested a few of the more unusual flavours on offer.
-Blueberry Muffin, 8/10. This icecream tastes just like a blueberry muffin, but with a smooth creamy flavour coming through strongly as well.
-Green Tea, 6/10. A strong flavour that's not for everyone, bonus points to the team for nobody making the obvious pun at the tasting. With a strong, bitter almost coffee-like aftertaste you'll love it or hate it.
-Passionfruit and Lemon Curd, 7/10. The two flavours work well together, playing sweet and sour against each other. It's a solid summer flavour.
-Black Doris Plum, 7/10. This one is definitely for people with a sweet tooth. It's delicious, but lost points because some of the team felt it was a little too sweet.
-Lemongrass and Ginger, 3/10 or 7.5/10. Another flavour that divided the team, mostly based on the strength of the ginger. It has chunky ripples of ginger running through it, which gives a nice texture to the icecream but puts off people who aren't a fan of ginger.
-Licorice Allsorts. We didn't score this one, nobody on the team actually likes licorice so we're too biased to do so properly. For what it's worth it tastes exactly like licorice allsorts.
-Spicy Apple Crumble, 9/10. The best of the bunch, it's like a warm apple pie that also keeps you cool. It'd make a perfect desert ice cream.