As soon as I step inside the ice cream parlor, the cool air from the AC brings my body temperature back down a bit, and tubs full of delicious Italian ice cream greet me. Behind the counter stands Erik, busy refilling ice cream cones and scooping fresh ice cream. He welcomes me with a broad smile. A moment later, we take a seat inside the shop. I’m curious to hear the story behind this tasty spot in the heart of Loon op Zand.
How It All Began
“How did all this actually start?” I ask curiously.
Erik begins: “This actually started with the swimming pool behind the shop—it was already there. I wanted to do something with the hospitality side of it, because back then it was kind of an afterthought. When the old ice cream parlor in the village closed seven years ago, we thought: no more ice cream in the village? That’s unthinkable!”
What started as a way to fill a gap in the village quickly grew into a full-fledged ice cream parlor. At first, it operated out of the swimming pool, but a year later, this location became available.
“That was seven years ago. The previous ice cream shop made artisanal ice cream, but we wanted to put our own spin on it—to offer something of the highest quality and, above all, made fresh. After extensive research, we ultimately settled on authentic Italian ice cream.”
Authentic Italian ice cream, with a story
That decision to offer Italian ice cream turned out to be a huge success. Erik talks enthusiastically about its origins and quality.
“The ice cream is made fresh every day. It comes from the region around Lucca in Tuscany. It’s made the Italian way, by Italians, and with Italian ingredients.”
According to him, you can taste the difference right away. “We work a lot with seasonal ingredients. All our fruit-flavored ice cream follows the seasons. For example, when strawberries are in season at the supermarket, you can really taste in our ice cream that it’s truly strawberry season.”
This method requires a lot of attention and time, but it also yields something special. “It’s more labor-intensive, but you can really taste the difference. You can really play with flavors.”
Flavors with a local twist
That experimentation with flavors is also reflected in the menu. A few years ago, for example, a unique flavor was created. Erik explains: “A while back, we held a contest, and that’s how ‘Wit Kasteeltje’ came about: white chocolate with raspberry. It was actually created by people from Loon op Zand themselves. So it’s really fun to be selling it here now!”
A bit of local history also lives on in the ice cream, as Erik shares a fun anecdote: “Back in the day, we had ‘t Loons Klutske here, a liqueur that’s a bit like Schrobbelèr. We wanted to create an ice cream version of it. That was actually quite a challenge, because try finding that recipe! We teamed up with a group of entrepreneurs, and together we breathed new life into the flavor. Now the liqueur is available again in many places—and we’ve turned it into an ice cream flavor!”
In addition, we pay close attention to various dietary needs. “All our fruit flavors are sorbet, so they’re lactose-free and gluten-free. That means people with dietary restrictions can enjoy an ice cream here, too.”
More than just ice cream
For Erik, the strength of his business lies not only in the product, but also in the people. “The best part is that you can build something for yourself. And that you know a lot of people from the village. We have many regular customers.”
The ice cream shop’s location also plays a big role in this. “We’re located along beautiful biking and hiking trails. People actually make a special trip here when they know we’re located here. And there are also many people who, for example, take a regular evening walk and always stop by to get an ice cream.”
Favorite flavor: a trend from Dubai
With so many choices, I’m actually curious about Erik’s favorite ice cream flavor. When I ask him, he doesn’t have to think twice.
“The Dubai ice cream flavor is my personal favorite. It’s a new flavor that’s really taking off. It’s a kind of pistachio with chocolate, made with real pistachios from Italy and crunchy kadayif.”
A flavor that perfectly fits the trend of luxurious, rich ingredients and surprising textures.
Future plans: keep enjoying life
Although Delizioso is doing well, Erik remains down-to-earth about the success. “The idea is to just keep things nice and stable. Things are going well.”
Still, there are plenty of ideas for the future.
“We also have excellent coffee and delicious Belgian chocolate bonbons—they could definitely use a little more exposure. We’re open year-round, so even in the winter, people can pop in and enjoy, say, a warm cup of coffee with a delicious bonbon.”
As we get up, Erik scoops two more scoops of ice cream for me into a cone. I get to choose the flavors—what a choice! I go with “Unicorn” and “Mango”—let’s go wild.
With Erik’s story and the flavors of Delizioso still fresh in my memory, I walk out the door again, into the summer heat. One thing is certain: this is the place to go in Loon op Zand and the surrounding area to get a little taste of Italy.
Delizioso is located along the following routes
