You’ve probably had a drive-thru Covid test, but this drive-thru is bound to tickle you in a much more pleasurable way. Get set for both your tastebuds and your fancy to be tickled throughout August (rather than the back of your nose and throat, for once).

Having transformed its carpark into a lockdown-friendly, food truck drive-thru last year, The Bella Vista Hotel team are here to boost morale again. This time, it’s teamed up with none other than Gelato Messina to create a Covid-safe gelato drive-thru warehouse.

Now you can forgo the usual drive-thru sundae for the likes of the ‘Have a Gay Old Messinetta’ (the delicious love child of the flavours of a Golden Gaytime and the curves of the height-of-90s-dinner-party-sophistication Vienetta) – featuring caramel and milk gelato mixed with chocolate biscuit crumbs, topped with vanilla and caramel Chantilly cream ($35).

Then there’s the O.G. Cookie Pie Kit. For $44 you get a deep-dish cookie pie stuffed with milk and dark Messina chocolate chunks plus a one-litre tub of vanilla gelato. There’ll also be 500ml gelato tubs filled with with strawberries and cream, Gianduia, salted caramel and white choc, ‘cone-ception, and cookies and cream flavours for $15.50.

The warehouse will be open for all your essential gelato needs from 12pm–9pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and from 12pm–4pm on Sundays, for the rest of the month.

Related food news: Gelato Messina has launched a glorious Golden Gaytime Viennetta mash-up