Giapo ice cream Cher

Cher and her close friend Paulette Howell with Giapo ice cream.

You won’t Believe it… Cher came to Giapo!

Cher came to our shores in New Zealand for her Here We Go Again tour – the first time in 13 years! And it has been 13 years too long since she played in the sold-out Auckland North Harbour Stadium and Christchurch’s Westpac Centre as part of her three-year Farewell tour. Kiwis’ demand for the Pop Goddess proved insatiable once again. After her only planned show sold out rapidly, a second show was added in Auckland’s Spark Arena for September 22nd. The show was a hit, complete with flamboyant costumes and hit after hit – including Believe, If I Could Turn Back Time, and Strong Enough.

It was after that second show that the Goddess of Pop herself visited our downtown Auckland store on Gore Street. She was focused on one thing only… ice cream!

Cher ice cream
Timeesha and Giselle were among the lucky staff working during her visit, and say it was a surreal and incredible experience.

“I knew instantly it was Cher, but seeing her in Giapo caught me off guard! I had to work up the courage to go back out the front without seeming red and starstruck, which was a hard thing to do!” said Giselle.

Cher ice cream

Giselle with Cher

Cher walked in with a small group of three and very calmly said to Timeesha that she was here for ice cream. She knew she wanted chocolate but chose her second flavour, coconut chocolate chip, by sampling a few flavours. At Giapo, we make a habit of letting our customers sample our flavours without letting them see it. Our front of house team guides you through our menu, ensuring your flavour choices are informed by nothing more than your taste buds.

Cher at Giapo

Cher’s close friend Paulette Howell posted a photo on Instagram of Cher in Giapo.

Cher stayed in the store for about 20 minutes, long enough for customers and staff in the store to take photos with her.

“She was very elegant and everything she did had class,” said Timeesha. “She is such an icon in the LGBTQ+ community and has produced some of the most inspirational music since the late 60’s! How could you not be a fan!”

What really topped it off was hearing that Cher thought New Zealand ice cream was better than Australia’s! After visiting us in Auckland, Cher jetted off to complete the Australian leg of her tour. On Australia’s Sunrise breakfast show, she tried some ice cream and confirmed she liked Kiwi ice cream more!

Cher saying no to Aussie Ice Cream

I was in Texas at the time of Cher’s visit. But, when I heard she had come to visit our store, I was so amazed and humbled. I love Cher’s music and was in my best years when Believe came out, I remember dancing to it every time it came on.

Mama Mia! Here We Go Again has recently hit the big screens here in New Zealand, reigniting everyone’s love for Cher showcasing her many talents of singing, acting and performing. With a career spanning six decades, Cher shows no signs of stopping. Her contralto voice has stood the test of time, while her demeanour remains ever-so-sweet.

In fact, she returned in the morning for more ice cream!

Although our mission is to bring the world to New Zealand, for everyone to experience our ice cream, never in my wildest dreams did I think Cher would come to our little store! We all know she’s a superhuman diva, but I believe there is an intrinsic need to live a normal life; which means being able to go for ice cream exactly when you feel like ice cream!

I’m happy we were able to provide this and serve her our very own Giapo ice cream.