The Gelato Festival World Masters came to Ovation Hollywood in Hollywood, California on 2 and 3 September 2023. Carpigiani and Sigep (Italian Exhibition Group) were strategic partners and Los Angeles magazine was the official media partner. The programme was announced with a guest-chef lineup on the main stage.

What the festival offered

Twelve gelato masters competed for the title of Best Gelato Master in North America 2023 in the Tasting Village. Around them, the festival ran live demonstrations by Los Angeles chefs, a business course from Carpigiani, a flagship store with gelato samples (including gluten-free and lactose-free options), live entertainment and more.

The festival also offered a worldwide exclusive, a Lemon Ricotta gelato from the Giadzy x Gelato Festival collaboration with Giada De Laurentiis, sold by the pint at the flagship store.

Main stage show-cooking schedule

Saturday 2 September

• 10:30 am: Riccardo Menicucci, executive pastry chef at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel, with “A Nostalgic Journey”, a take on the old-fashioned flavours of a PB&J sandwich
• 11:30 am: Natalie Alcaraz, executive pastry chef at Wally’s Wine & Spirits, with “Natalie’s Sweets”, a sesame and hazelnut sundae
• 12:30 pm: Charly Houegban, executive chef at Loews Hollywood Hotel, with a strawberry caprese salad finished with hibiscus-ginger sorbet
• 3:00 pm: Daniele Palazzoni of Gelato Festival with “Vanilla Gelato Zero”, a new low-calorie formulation available dairy or plant-based
• 4:00 pm: J.P. Amateau, executive chef at Musso & Frank, with “The 1919 Sundae”, a Bananas Foster-style dessert over vanilla gelato

Sunday 3 September

• 12:00 pm: Silikomart and chef Alberto Facchin with “Gelato as you’ve never seen it”, on gelato and semifreddo making and below-zero pastry
• 1:30 pm: Giuseppe Gentile, corporate executive chef at L’antica Pizzeria da Michele, with “Gnocco fritto alla gianduia”, a sweet fried dough served with an oat-based gianduia stracciatella gelato
• 2:30 pm: Diana Briscoe, executive chef at Gracias Madre, with churros, chipotle-spiked Mexican chocolate sauce and vegan vanilla oat gelato
• 3:30 pm: Daniele Palazzoni with “Chocolate Gelato Zero”, the chocolate version of the low-calorie formulation

Both days: Carpigiani presented an introductory course for all attendees, “Frozen Dessert Business: Transform Your Life with Sweet Success”, giving entrepreneurs essential tips on building and growing a frozen dessert business.

The 12 competitors and their flavours

The 12 finalists had earned top marks at earlier Gelato Festival World Masters events in New York, Toronto, Chicago and Los Angeles. A technical panel and festival visitors judged each flavour, and the competition also served as a core qualifier for the road to the World Finals in 2025.

• Giuseppe Lollino, Vero Gelato (Franklin Park, IL): “Tribute to Setteveli”
• Maria Liliana Biondo, uGOgelato (Cincinnati, OH): “Mandorland”
• Lauren Brock, Butterfat Gelato (Pittsburgh, PA): “Carrot Cake”
• James Coleridge, Gelato by James (Vancouver, Canada): “Texas Pecan with Italian Soul”
• Gisella Zomparelli-Chung, Gelato North (Toronto, Canada): “Yuzu Cheesecake”
• Gabriele di Marco, Oretta Restaurant Toronto (Toronto, Canada): “Sapori di Sicilia”
• Patrizia Pasqualetti, Gelato by Patrizia Pasqualetti (Santa Clara, CA): “California Blossom”
• Jose Alvarez, Gelato Go El Segundo (El Segundo, CA): “Red Velvet”
• Simona Vacca, Il Gusto (West Covina, CA): “Saffron Rosegarden”
• Melanie Wolf, Pompelmo Gelateria (Westerly, RI): “Taste the Tropics”
• Francia Michelle Magsaysay, Francy’s Artisanal Ice Cream (Bergenfield, NJ): “Purple yam and Cheese with Craquantes”
• Golan Chetrit, Noi Due Gelato (New York City): “Halva Nagila”

What this means for gelato makers in New Zealand

Events like this show how far a gelato business can go with fresh ideas, from low-calorie and plant-based recipes to gelato on restaurant menus. Majors Group can help you build that capability in New Zealand with Carpigiani gelato machines, Silikomart moulds for below-zero pastry, and Carpigiani Gelato University courses.

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