Frozen delight...
The sun's rays fall mercilessly on the city, congested by that suffocating atmosphere typical of the month of August . In the background, the hum of the fan provides a soundtrack at nap time, impregnated with small droplets of sweat.
It seems that at any moment the asphalt is going to crack, letting out the flames of hell between the cracks.
One moment, in the distance we glimpse an ice cream parlor and our mouths begin to water. Will it be a mirage? Nope! It is real!
And besides, it's not just any ice cream shop, it's San Telesforo, the oldest marzipan workshop in Spain, which has just opened its first ice cream parlor in Madrid With more than 40 flavors, each one more appetizing!
Here, classics like vanilla, stracciatella or mint and chocolate duo coexist with other surprising flavors –and must-taste– such as the mille-feuille with strawberries, the roscón de Reyes or the San Telesforo marzipan.
In short, plenty of delicious excuses to visit this temple of artisan ice cream again and again.
San Telesforo lands in the capital with its delicious frozen delicacies
SAN TELESFORO, SINCE 1806
"San Telesforo is a family business, the oldest in the world in the good work of Artisan Supreme Marzipan, the authentic one, made in our workshop in Toledo”, this is how this emblematic workshop is presented on its website.
To know the origins of this mythical workshop we have to go back to no less than the year 1806, when Juan Sánchez Aguilera bought a house in Plaza de Zocodover in Toledo that consisted of “Sótano envovedado, store; Main room, second and third; Rooftop and on it the confectionery workshop”, according to the public deed.
Three generations later, in 1907, Telesforo de la Fuente carried out a reform, locating the workshop at the back of the store, which came to occupy the entire façade that overlooks the square. From then on, the company was renamed Casa Telesforo.
At the end of the Civil War, in 1939, Pablo Junquera and Julio Sánchez, heirs of Telesforo, converted the company into a limited company.
The workshop was changing hands but not families: Joaquín Sánchez replaced his father Julio in 1958 and in 1974 Pablo Junquera Martínez replaced his father.
In 2006, coinciding with his bicentennial, they moved to the Cuesta del Alcázar, opposite the lively Zocodover, thus occupying an entire building. Later, the opening of a new workshop in Olías del Rey (Toledo) would come. Her latest conquest of him? Madrid!
The San Telesforo workshop opens an ice cream parlor in Madrid
THE BLAME WAS THE MARZIPAN
“Starting from our origins as producers of artisan marzipan in Toledo, throughout our history we have been growing and also making confectionery and pastry specialties, in addition to marzipan and nougat”, says Juanma, manager of San Telesforo.
"Until a few years ago we only marketed our products in Toledo and mainly in the physical store in Plaza de Zocodover”, Juanma tells Traveler.es
Currently, it is the sixth generation of the family that is in charge of the business: “A few years ago we started a strategy of diversification (keeping our DNA intact) betting on marketing in gourmet shops and high-end restaurants (we have relevant clients in almost the entire Spanish geography and especially in Madrid)”, says Juanma.
In addition, in San Telesforo they also bet on online sales through their website “and, lastly, as the third pillar of that diversification, in this case of product, we bet on artisan ice cream”, says Juanma.
In recent years, San Telesforo has opened three new stores in Toledo and its arrival in Madrid in the form of an ice cream parlor could not excite us (and refresh us) more.
Over 40 flavors!
FROM TOLEDO TO HEAVEN, PASSING THROUGH MADRID
The first ice cream parlor and confectionery in San Telesforo in Madrid is located at number 6 of Avenida del General Perón and its ice creams are made by hand with natural ingredients.
The presence of San Telesforo in the capital had been increasing in recent years and the expansion arose naturally: “Because we have customers in Madrid, we have daily logistics for the supply of products, so we decided to create our own store to establish proximity with 'customers at street level', which has been part of our DNA for more than two centuries of dealing directly with the client”, explains Juanma.
“We are ice cream masters who formulate each of our products with great care and dedication. so that the experience of our customers when consuming them is exceptional and leaves no one indifferent”, underlines the manager of San Telesforo.
What differentiates an ice cream from San Telesforo from any other? Many things, but technical issues aside, Juanma exposes some of the most important: "In the preparation of our ice creams we use whole milk, 35% fat cream and the best balanced ingredients that make the nutritional values stand out compared to other ice creams that use other fats, flavorings and colorants" Juanma clarifies.
San Telesforo, at Avenida General Perón 6
MILLEFEUILLE AND ROSCÓN: THE FROSTED STARS OF SAN TELESFORO
"In addition, we have taken many of our traditional marzipan and confectionery specialties to ice cream, such as the artisan marzipan and nougat ice cream, the roscón de reyes ice cream and the strawberry mille-feuille ice cream (specialties for which we have been recognized in Toledo for many years)” says Juanma.
“Every season we have about 50 different flavors between ice cream, sorbets and sugar free. The best seller and, therefore, one of the most appreciated by our customers, is the one mentioned strawberry millefeuille”.
And we can attest: the mille-feuille has become one of our favorites on its own merits! Although Valentina, who attends us at the General Perón restaurant, advises us not to stop trying the one with roscón de Reyes (which is, literally, like taking a piece of roscón in the form of ice cream), the one with Tonka caramel and biscuit, the one with cinnamon shortbread or, of course, the one with marzipan.
Also have cheesecake, San Telesforo nougat, amarena cherry, dark Belgian chocolate with orange, banana with dulce de leche, Irish coffee... and so on up to almost fifty flavors.
"The sorbets are also having a lot of success, like the one in red fruits with Madrid vermouth ”, adds Juanma.
In addition, they also have a large confectionery section where we find almond tiles, bayonesas, quemaditos, lazos, puff pastries, palm trees and cakes”.
They also have flavor of the week and you can also take half-liter and one-liter containers.
The best? They serve home orders! You can do them both by phone and in their online store.
Strudel and roscón: the frozen stars of San Telesforo
FUTURE PLANS
“We are delighted with the reception in the neighborhood. The opening was going to be in March and I don't have to tell you everything that has happened and has delayed us until July…”, Juanma tells us.
“During the conditioning of the premises, people did not stop asking and as soon as we open, the whole neighborhood is visiting us and trying our products with amazing comments. Just this week we are finalizing the home delivery of the ice cream and we are sure it will be a success”, she continues telling us.
When we ask if they plan to open more stores in the capital or in the rest of Spain, Juanma underlines the growth of the business in recent years and her plan to continue with that strategy, although "calmly and if the times are right" she indicates.
“Of course, for now it will be in the surroundings of Toledo because we want to handle our artisan ice cream and pastry products with our own logistics. as they are very delicate. Marzipan travels well, but pastry doesn't… We are going to keep it 'close' to our new bakery in Toledo for the time being”, concludes Juanma.
He stayed a good afternoon to take a frozen Do not you think?
craft tradition
Address: Avenida del General Perón 6, 28020 Madrid See map
Telephone: 91 932 79 58 / Orders: 722 709 052
Schedule: From Tuesday to Sunday from 11 in the morning to 12 at night (Saturdays until 1)