Aline Vieira and Guilherme Geraldini Pereira are Brazil’s top gelato artisans and have secured places in the 2026 World Final of Gelato Festival World Masters, the global tournament organised in collaboration with Carpigiani and Sigep by Italian Exhibition Group. On July 22 and 23, 2025, 15 gelato masters, chosen in local selections in 2023 and 2024, competed at the FIPAN trade show in São Paulo.

The winning flavours

• Aline Vieira, Flor do Ingá, Maringá (PR): “Doce Encontro”, a blue cheese gelato with rangpur lime jam.
• Guilherme Geraldini Pereira, Biju Mani, São Francisco (SP): “Appia”, a cream gelato made with wheat and honey Appia beer, topped with lime zest, toasted macadamia and salted caramel.

Entries were judged on flavour, structure, creativity and presentation, from ingredient selection to the artisan process and visual impact. The jury was chef and TV host Claude Troisgros, Saiko Izawa (Executive Pastry Chef at Hotel Rosewood São Paulo) and food journalist Patrícia Ferraz.

Visitors to the Gelato Arena at FIPAN tasted all 15 flavours and voted for their favourite. The People’s Choice Award went to Gabriela A. Maretto Zorzal of Blu Gelatos in Domingos Martins (ES) for “Sabores da Mata”, a sorbet of giant gabiroba, Atlantic Forest nuts, red berries and uruçu bee honey.

The other participants

• Alex Souza, Amollis Gelato, São Paulo (SP): “Infusão Amollis”
• Ana Paula Hiroka, Papito’s Gelateria, Londrina (PR): “Gelato Pé Vermelho”
• André Luis Moreira Pinha, Sorveteria Villa Branca, Jacareí (SP): “Cambuqueijo”
• Dario Hideki Higa Mei, ÀMei Gelato e Doces, São Paulo (SP): “3 Canas”
• Guilherme Barutti, Gelateria Barutti, Vitória (ES): “Nonna Barutti”
• Henrique Consone, Ilgiorno Gelato, Brasília (DF): “Harmonia Mediterrânea”
• Jenny Okuda, Julie & Emilie Gelatos Artesanais, São Paulo (SP): “Amor à Jasmin”
• Jonathan Martins Costa, Obelisco Gelato, Holambra (SP): “Fior de Holambra”
• Neztor Beltrand Rojas Ugarte, MOOI MOOI, São Paulo (SP): “Milho, migas e toffee de alho negro”
• Rodrigo Xavier Oliveira, Lovve Gelato, Jardim Mimar (SP): “Infância Brasileira”
• Stella Andrade Coelho, H2Life Sorvetes Artesanais, Lavras (MG): “Briga da Sogra”
• Vinicius Bortoli Buffon, Così Gelato, Bento Gonçalves (RS): “La Cucagna”

The Brazilian Final was organised in collaboration with Carpigiani Gelato University, the renowned school for gelato entrepreneurs, and Sigep, the leading global B2B show for artisan gelato, pastry, baking and coffee.

About Gelato Festival

Gelato Festival launched in Florence in 2010, inspired by the first gelato recipe, created by architect Bernardo Buontalenti in 1559. It spread across Italy and Europe and reached the United States in 2017 (80 festivals in total) before becoming the World Masters championship. The 2021 edition ended in December 2021 with a win for Adam Fazekas of Budapest, after a record 3,500 gelato artisans were judged by international juries.

What this means for gelato makers in New Zealand

Local ingredients such as lime, macadamia and honey show how a flavour can reflect its home region, and gelato makers here have plenty of the same to draw on. Majors Group can help with Carpigiani gelato machines, Rubicone gelato ingredients and Carpigiani Gelato University.

Source: Carpigiani news. Rewritten for New Zealand by Majors Group.