AN ICE cream parlour scooped a prestigious Great Taste award for its vegan salted caramel and liquorice gelato.

Gelato Gusto in North Laine, Brighton, received the Great Taste Golden Fork Award for London and the South East at an awards dinner at London’s Intercontinental Hotel.

Owner Jon Adams, 55, said: “It’s a fantastic accolade. We enter every year and this is the first time we’ve won. I hope it will lead to more customers and more recognition.”

The flavour was developed by chef Mark Sole after a trip to Copenhagen, during which he was inspired by the Scandinavians’ frequent and inventive use of liquorice.

Mr Sole, who is vegan himself, said his favourite flavour sold by the parlour was vegan pistachio.

Mr Adams said: “Over the last couple of years our customer base in the area has grown. We’re passionate about making vegan gelato as good as non-vegan and about it appealing to non-vegan customers too.”

Four flavours developed by three chefs were entered by Gelato Gusto into the competition, and each chef won a prize.

The parlour, which opened in March 2012, won a further two more awards for an apricot and coriander sorbet and a vegan orange gelato.