One Milton business grew from a career change that led its founder to study gelato-making in Sicily. Another built its Railway Terrace venue around the Danish idea of comfort and cosiness. Both have now earned category wins at the 2026 Cooper Small Business Awards.
ALIA Gelato, on Park Road, won the New Business category, while Freya Café and Wine Bar, at 33 Railway Terrace, received the Bars and Breweries award.
The awards were presented by Ms Jonty Bush, at Warehouse 25 in Milton on Thursday, 21 May 2026. About 100 local small business owners attended the event.
From Humanitarian Work To Gelato
ALIA Gelato founder Alessia Anibaldi entered the gelato industry after working in international development and humanitarian fields.
Her Italian and Australian backgrounds helped shape the idea for the business. She later studied the art and science of gelato under Maestro Nino in Sicily before opening the Park Road shop.
ALIA combines traditional Italian production methods with flavours influenced by Brisbane. Its gelato is made in small batches using local produce and speciality ingredients, with dairy-based varieties and fruit sorbets included in its rotating range.
The business aims to balance established techniques with seasonal ingredients and new flavour combinations. It also works with producers whose practices align with its focus on quality, ethical production and care for the land.
ALIA has described the shop as a neighbourhood meeting place where customers can stop for a scoop, share dessert or spend time with others. Its planned activities include collaborations with schools, Milton businesses, artists and community organisations.
The New Business award added formal recognition to a venture built around Anibaldi’s shift into a different field and her training in traditional gelato-making.
Danish Comfort On Railway Terrace
Freya Café and Wine Bar followed a different path to its category win.
The Milton venue is inspired by hygge, the Danish concept associated with comfort and cosiness. Its name comes from Freyja, the Norse goddess linked with love, fertility and beauty, with those influences carried through the venue’s decor and design.
Freya operates across both café and bar service. Its menu includes bagels, pastries, toasties, brunch dishes, coffee, fresh juices and smoothies, alongside wine, beer, cider and cocktails.
Bar snacks and oysters also form part of its offering, while the venue promotes weekday drink specials and Sunday sessions with live music.
The combination of daytime café service and an evening drinks menu placed Freya within the Bars and Breweries category, where it finished ahead of runners-up Blind Tiger at The Gap and Franks Social at Paddington.
Two Milton Concepts On One Winners List
The wider awards covered businesses in health, retail, professional services, social enterprise, fitness, beauty, hospitality, trades and creative arts across Milton, The Gap, Paddington and Ashgrove.
For Milton, the result brought together two businesses shaped by different influences: ALIA’s Italian methods and Brisbane-inspired flavours on Park Road, and Freya’s Danish-influenced café and wine bar concept on Railway Terrace.
Their respective New Business and Bars and Breweries awards placed both venues on the same Cooper Small Business Awards winners list.
Published 15-July-2026
