Have you ever wondered how ice cream flavours are created?

Well, we are about to expose Norco's secret ingredient.

It is not overly scientific or produced by new technology like AI. The secret is two local ladies, Debbie Pirlo and Carolyn Ross.

Debbie has been happily living in South Lismore for 23 years, and Carolyn, who hails from Lismore, continues to live there with her husband and three children; they would both never live or work anywhere else.

Debbie Pirlo remembers her first day at Australia’s oldest and largest dairy co-operative, Norco Co-operative, like it was just yesterday. She recalls it was a moment she realised that she had found her place to work. The young, twenty something was nervous and daunted at the prospect of working in a factory, but she shrugged it off, popped on her boots and has never looked back.

Working first inside the factory, Debbie learnt a lot about packaging and making sure all ice cream tubs were neatly stored and presented before dispatch, and it wasn’t long before she was promoted into operations. Debbie has been working with Norco for more than 36 years and it’s where she met her work best friend and ice cream aficionado, Carolyn Ross.

The meeting of the pair was at a time to get serious – about ice cream. And the pair were a recipe made in heaven. With an equal dash of passion for food and spoonfuls of excellent taste buds, together they have created over 5,000 different ice cream flavours spanning over a lifetime.

"We tend to research recipes. The old ones often have the best flavour combinations. We will also look at confectionery, bakery and what is trending overseas in new product releases. We take these ideas, look at all the different ingredients and brainstorm together for possible combinations."

“You take inspiration from dessert menus and even from trending foods. You have so many ideas in your head, just waiting for a brief where you can apply those ideas,” stated Carolyn.

When asked about what their most unique ice cream flavours are, the ice cream queens fondly recall the Australiana range, which launched for the 2000 Olympic Games, and a popular breakfast spread as their proudest.

“My favourite and most memorable flavour in the Australiana range was by far the Wattle Seed, and the fact it was created for such a prestigious moment for our country was the icing on the cake,” said Debbie.

When it comes to their all-time favourites, they have developed over their long and prosperous careers, there was no hesitation.

“My favourite flavour is a peanut butter ice cream with choc ripple and salted peanuts, and out of Norco’s current ranges, it’s Choc Lava Brownie and Chocolate Choc Cookie,” said Debbie.

“My all-time favourite is a mango passionfruit ripple with coconut ice cream, and you can’t go past the Cape Byron Ultimate Vanilla,” said Carolyn.

As for the recipes that didn't work?

"Watermelon sorbet, Chilli Chocolate, Peaches & Cream, Caramelised Pear and Carrot Cake are just a couple of flavours that didn't work and were never developed in commercial quantities."

Although both Carolyn and Debbie never imagined they would be working in ice cream, developing new concepts and flavours, they both wouldn’t be anywhere else.

“Working for Norco is great, and you can’t complain; over the years, we have seen people leave and then come back because they are so great to work for,” states both Debbie and Carolyn.

Who could complain about creating ice cream recipes?