Connoisseur Gourmet Ice Cream has hosted a week long a pop up gallery in Sydney’s Surry Hills, giving consumers free samples of its new flavour range, the Empire Collection.

The new collection includes four new flavours inspired by historical characters, all of which had a connection to the origins of ice cream – as displayed on packaging designed by Melbourne-based artist, Steve Cross.

Emma-Jane Collins, head of marketing at Connoisseur, said the brand wanted to bring the Empire Collection story and artwork to life in an experience which was decadent, new, and exciting, combining the taste of ice cream with the visual pleasure of art.

“The pop up gallery brought the artwork on pack to life, and as Surry Hills is one of Sydney’s most artistically vibrant neighbourhoods, we couldn’t think of a better place to launch our new collection,” she said.

Flavours include coffee hazelnut with chocolate coated hazelnuts, and hazelnut liqueur sauce; French vanilla with choc flakes and Armagnac sauce; red bean with coconut; and pistachio with cinnamon, honey, and date sauce.

Each packaging design was hand painted on canvas then photographed, and features icons and elements of each character’s life and achievements.

“The flavours have been inspired by famous tastemakers from different empires: Emperor Nero, Emperor Jing Zong, King Cyrus of Persia and King Louis XIV,” said artist, Cross.

“It’s a tale of four men connected by ice cream and I really wanted to bring them to life through the packaging and design to create something truly unique.

“These flavour combinations are distinctive and I was inspired both by the ingredients used and the historic figures with their rich back stories. It’s a great acknowledgment to history, bringing these legends alive today – a beautiful demonstration of the blending of two eras.”

The Empire Collection Pop Up Gallery was designed in collaboration with Connoisseur and Cross, to bring the collection to life at the Blank Space gallery, Surry Hills.