This April, we are delighted to share the debut of Pidapipo’s Makers Series.

The Makers Series is an ongoing exploration of interesting makers, producers and creatives– partnering through gelato to uncover the beauty of their process and the creations made together.

For Makers Series 1, we have teamed up with the acclaimed Korean restaurant Chae, launching a limited-edition gelato collaboration. Led by owner and chef Jung Eun Chae, Chae is a two-hatted, highly acclaimed Korean restaurant, recognised for its intimate, booking-only dining experience and deeply considered approach to traditional Korean cooking and fermentation with a focus on seasonality and time-intensive processes. This line reimagines Chae’s signature flavours through a playful gelato offering centred on Korean ingredients, including house- fermented makgeolli and aromatic mugwort. Makgeolli, a traditional rice wine, is delicately sweet, creamy and softly tangy, while mugwort often compared to matcha brings an earthy, herbaceous depth.⁠

Developed at Fitzroy’s Pidapipo Laboratorio, the collaboration brings together Italian gelato craftsmanship and Korean culinary tradition. Through the use of house-fermented makgeolli alongside traditional Korean ingredients, the range balances creamy richness with subtle acidity, creating a layered flavour profile that reflects both practices.

The range features three Korean Gelato Cups:

Makgeolli combines milk-based gelato and CHAE’s traditional makgeolli and glutinous rice, finished with puffed sweet rice for texture.

Watermelon Makgeolli builds on this using CHAE’s house-fermented watermelon makgeolli, served alongside fresh Victorian watermelon for a bright, refreshing finish.

Mugwort is a standalone gelato made with the herbal ingredient often compared to matcha, paired with chocolate granita, chocolate cookie crumb and a crisp wafer.

The Koren Gelato Cups will be available across all Pidapipo stores from Thursday 9 April until Thursday 26 April.

As part of the Makers Series, Chae will host an intimate Fermentation Workshop at the Pidapipo Laboratorio in Fitzroy on Monday 20 April. This exclusive masterclass will offer a hands-on and engaging experience focused on makgeolli- making and fermentation techniques, alongside an exploration of how makgeolli and mugwort are translated into the three gelato flavours. With limited spots available, tickets will be released via Eventbrite on April 9 at 5pm.