Meet Jack of Jack’s Gelato fame

Ella McCartney talks to Jack Van Praag about why he founded Jack’s, how he comes up with his flavours, and which College is winning in Jack’s league table

Jack's Gelato is located on both Bene't Street and All Saints Passage in CambridgeScott Grummett with permission for Varsity

by Ella McCartney

Saturday September 30 2023, 10:54am

Name: Jack Van Praag

Jack’s founding date: Summer 2010

Hometown: Cambridge

Amount of gelato made per week: 10,000 – 30,000 scoops

What did you do before setting up Jack’s?

Cooked in restaurants around the world.

What made you want to open your own gelato shop?

Cambridge didn’t have much to boast about when it came to world-class food at an affordable level – I wanted to change that.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

A cat!

Why did you pick Cambridge?

I didn’t, it picked me.

What is your favourite and least favourite part of the job?

Favourite – Developing new favours. Least favourite – Answering interview questions.

How do you come up with your many flavours?

I travel, I read, I run, I eat.

What is your best selling flavour?

Dark choc sea salt.

Most scoops eaten in one sitting?

17! (5 triples and 1 double). Just a regular looking guy. About to leave Cambridge and stood at the counter and chatted as he effortlessly and swiftly went through order after order. Incredible.

Have you had any celebrity customers?

Of course.

What is your favourite spot in Cambridge?

Stretch of River Cam between Grantchester Meadows and Newnham, very early in the morning.

What is your favourite food venue in Cambridge (excluding Jack’s)?

I’m not sure, but I had some great dimsum at Liutaio Music Cafe recently.

Cask ale and chickens in the bar: managing Cambridge's oldest pub

Which College is currently winning in Jack’s league table?

Peterhouse! A special prize is coming soon....

Do you notice a town-gown divide in your work?

The lines are more complicated than that. Cambridge is many different things to many different people. It is such a joy to serve so many different people from so many different backgrounds all under one roof.

Why do you think people love Jack’s so much?

We never sit still. We are always pushing. We are not focussed on the bottom line. We put a huge amount of time and effort into parts of the business that could easily be overlooked.

If you could send a message to all the students here, what would it be?

Be a force for good in this world!

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