“We’re proud that the only place to get Gojé…is at Gojé.”
Gojé is not your average self-serve frozen yoghurt shop.
The petit Yarraville store is named after its two owners – locals Goran and Jelena Pajic – and they serve arguably Melbourne’s best frozen yoghurt. In fact, they can easily go through hundreds of litres of froyo a week, churning out of their six taps.
“What makes us different is that our frozen yoghurt and toppings are all handmade on-site and vegan, with refined sugar-free options,” explains Goran. “We use organic products where possible and don’t use any premixes, no artificial flavours or colours.”
While neither of them had worked in the food industry before, back in 2013 Goran and Jelena saw a gap in the market for a more wholesome, premium frozen yoghurt and decided to experiment.
It took them a while to learn everything about making frozen yoghurt, including figuring out the science of how to make their product deliciously creamy.
Once they nailed down their recipe, it was time to officially open Gojé in 2014.
“Jelena was only nineteen years old and still studying and I wasn’t that much older and working in logistics,” recalls Goran. “Looking back I can’t believe that we were brave enough to sign a lease and then open the shop. But failing wasn’t an option. We had a fire in our belly. We were going to do everything to make it a place that people wanted to come to.”
“Now I’m the froyo guy behind the wall while Jelena is at the front counter, preparing toppings. We’ve done that deliberately – people can’t resist the smell of the toppings when they’re freshly baked!”
Frozen yoghurt flavours rotate according to the season – summer sees passionfruit while in winter you might get pumpkin or orange cheesecake.
If you’re wondering where to start, go with their menu best-sellers – the chocolate hazelnut froyo topped with house-made peanut butter and date rolls (peanut butter batter and home-made date sauce dipped in chocolate).
The pair recently married and have been making big changes in the business as well. “We renovated and expanded our kitchen so that we can spend more time developing new flavours, toppings and products,” says Jelena.
“We’d also like to open up another store on the other side of town and bring on a pastry chef to create delicious flavours full time,” adds Goran.
In the meantime, the most important aspect of their business right now is to continue to introduce tasty vegan flavours to the community.
“We are proud that we have a fully plant-based business and people who aren’t necessarily vegan will still come in and enjoy it. Our made-from-scratch desserts mean that Gojé can satisfy your sweet tooth without hurting your health or the environment.”
