From Italy with love – Al Bacio Gelato Naturale is now scooping authentic gelato in Burleigh Heads
A little slice of Italy has arrived on the Lower Gold Coast Highway, and it’s serving happiness by the scoop. Al Bacio Gelato Naturale – the name meaning ‘as good as a kiss’ – is the new Burleigh Heads gelato shop from husband-and-wife duo Bek and Craig Heininger alongside their daughter Jaime, offering handcrafted gelato made the traditional Italian way – from scratch, with nothing but pure ingredients and a whole lot of heart. Here’s everything you need to know …
What began as a light-hearted family joke about ‘one day opening a gelato shop’ has become Burleigh’s newest obsession – Al Bacio Gelato Naturale. Jaime, who’s worked in gelato since her teens, inspired her parents, Craig and Bek Heininger, to turn that offhand idea into a reality. Craig, an engineer, and Bek, a graphic designer turned health professional, traded spreadsheets for spatulas to chase a shared dream of making gelato the Italian way. “If we were going to do it,” Craig says, “we wanted to do it properly.”
And they did. The family travelled to Italy earlier this year to study at a traditional gelato school, immersing themselves in the art of balance, flavour and technique. They toured award-winning gelaterias across Florence, Bologna, Sicily and Turin – sometimes visiting two or three locations a day – to bring home inspiration for what would become Al Bacio Gelato Naturale.
Armed with an extensive education, the trio began searching for the perfect location, which they found in a tiny hole-in-the-wall on the lower Gold Coast Highway – close enough to feel the sea breeze, but just far enough from the bustle of central Burleigh. Bek says they were drawn to the spot because it felt like a true locals’ pocket – a place where people live, stroll and stop by regularly rather than the high-traffic tourist hub. That neighbourhood energy, paired with its proximity to the beach, gives Al Bacio an easy, everyday charm – the kind of place you might wander to after dinner or detour past on the way home from the surf.
With the location sorted, the Heiningers set up shop with a focus on natural, locally sourced ingredients. Each flavour is churned fresh in-house using seasonal produce and quality suppliers – pasture-raised eggs from Limpinwood Layers, honey from ‘John the Bee Guy at the Burleigh Markets’, and mascarpone from Byron Bay Mozzarella. “We wanted to champion the community around us,” Craig explains. “Everything we can source fresh and local, we do.”
Even the family’s Italian roots make their way into the mix – Bek’s father is from Piemonte, a region world-renowned for its hazelnuts, which are roasted and ground into the base of Al Bacio’s signature gelato, ‘The Al Bacio’ – a chocolate-hazelnut gelato made with jersey milk. There are no artificial colours, flavours or powdered bases here – just creamy, flavour-packed perfection stored in traditional pozzetti tubs to preserve texture and temperature.
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The line-up will evolve with the seasons, but for now, flavours like strawberry and mint sorbet, mascarpone with honey and walnut, pear and ginger, and even an avocado, lemon and coconut creation have already won hearts. For the dairy-free crowd, vegan options including coconut and mango (once the season hits) are on the horizon alongside a vegan salted-dark chocolate and all of the fruity classic sorbets. And in true Italian spirit, there are gluten-free options abound – including a tiramisu crafted with housemade gluten-free sponge.
Transparency is key to the Al Bacio ethos – the kitchen sits behind glass so customers can watch the small-batch magic happen. “We wanted people to see that everything is made here, from scratch,” says Jaime. “It’s part of the fun.”
Al Bacio Gelato Naturale’s branding was done by Pennybridge Creative, with the venue brought to life by Zero 9 Constructions, nods to the coastal-meets-classic aesthetic that Burleigh does best. A little vinyl decal on the floor reads ‘as good as a kiss,’ a sweet reminder of what Al Bacio stands for – joy, authenticity and a love of life’s simple pleasures.
While the shop has only just opened, word is already spreading thanks to their gelato cart, which pops up weekly at Miami Marketta and local events like Feast on Fifth and Spooktacular. And the family’s just getting started – plans are underway for gelato cakes, slices and Sicilian granitas come summer.
Al Bacio Gelato Naturale is now open. Head to The Directory for opening times.