The second Semifinal of Gelato Festival World Masters took place on May 6 and 7 at Carpigiani North America’s headquarters in High Point, North Carolina. Twenty-four gelato makers who had come through the 2024 and 2025 selection rounds, which drew more than 100 entrants, competed over two days.

What was at stake

At the close on May 7, the top five were named, completing the line-up for the North American Finals of Gelato Festival World Masters, the premier international gelato competition backed by Carpigiani and Sigep by Italian Exhibition Group. The Finals were set for Los Angeles in August 2025.

Participants came from three countries:

• United States: Florida (3), Georgia (1), Missouri (1), New Jersey (1), Pennsylvania (3), Texas (3)
• Canada: Ontario (5), British Columbia (1)
• Mexico: Mexico City (5), Veracruz (1)

The participants, state by state

USA

• Antonio Carrozza, Latteria Italiana, Miami, FL: “Amarantine” (4th at the Miami Lakes Challenge, December 10, 2024)
• Miguel Lopez, Naranja Piña Gelato, Miami, FL: “Chocolate”, a 71% chocolate gelato made with Ecuadorian cacao, Cuzco salt and chocolate infused with Andean rose (5th, Miami Lakes Challenge)
• Carlotta Orrico, Delicious, Weston, FL: “Delizioso”, lemon gelato with Grandma’s cake and white chocolate (1st, Miami Lakes Challenge)
• Karyn Pumphrey, Gelato Queen, Monroe, GA: “Caramel Apple Bourbon”, caramel bourbon gelato with apple pie and toasted pecan (2nd at the St. Louis Challenge, February 11, 2025)
• Tassia Vicentin Rezende, Tre Cuori Gelateria & Açaí, Ellisville, MO: “Arachidi”, peanut butter gelato with crunchy peanuts, dulce de leche and Belgian chocolate (1st, St. Louis Challenge)
• Francia Magsaysay, Francy’s Artisanal Ice Cream, Bergenfield, NJ: “Passion Fruit, Yuzu and White Chocolate” (1st at the Texas Challenge, April 11, 2024)
• Justine MacNeil, Fiore, Philadelphia, PA: “S’mores”, burnt marshmallow gelato with milk chocolate fudge swirl and crushed house-made graham crackers (3rd at the King of Prussia Challenge, February 26, 2024)
• Anna Crucitt, Mercurio’s, Pittsburgh, PA: “Caramel Coffee Crunch”, caramel gelato with chocolate coffee sauce, brownie brittle, almonds and hazelnuts (4th, King of Prussia Challenge)
• Vincenzo Tettamanti, Gemelli Artisan Gelato, West Chester, PA: “Fresh Ricotta, Rosemary & Raw Honey”, fresh Pennsylvania ricotta gelato with rosemary and raw wildflower honey (2nd, King of Prussia Challenge)
• Maria Florencia Mansile, La Argentina, Katy, TX: “The Queen of Pies”, lemon curd gelato with orange zest, tropical fruit Italian meringue and olive oil crumbs (2nd, Texas Challenge)
• Mohammad Alqawasmi, Bazaria, Plano, TX: “Fig Krokan”, almond gelato with caramelised figs and almonds (3rd, St. Louis Challenge)
• Dora Posada, Casa Morgana Gelatos, San Antonio, TX: “Morgana’s Goat Spell”, goat cheese gelato with orange zest, figs, toasted pecans and honey (3rd, Texas Challenge)

Canada

• James Coleridge, Gelato by James, Vancouver, BC: “Almond Wild Cherry”, made with buffalo milk, Sicilian almond oil and extract, house-made amaretti and wild cherry (4th at the Mississauga Challenge, April 16, 2024)
• Parry Sohi, Nani’s Gelato, Mississauga, ON: “Diavola”, Diavola pizza-infused gelato with candied prosciutto and pecorino romano (3rd at the Ontario Challenge, February 20, 2025)
• Stefania Pede, Cocoa 40 Inc., Newmarket, ON: “Sea Turtle” (5th, Mississauga Challenge)
• Kaya Ogruce, Death in Venice, Toronto, ON: “Rich Bitch”, gelato infused with wild candy cap mushrooms, topped with Canadian caviar and olive oil (1st, Mississauga Challenge)
• Onur Yimaz, Ice Creamonology, Toronto, ON: “Mastic & Passion”, mastic gelato with homemade honeycomb and fresh passion fruit (2nd, Ontario Challenge)
• Gisella Zomparelli Chung, Gelato North, Toronto, ON: “Dubai Chocolate”, pistachio gelato with semi-sweet chocolate and toasted kataifi pastry (5th, Ontario Challenge)

Mexico

• Jose Ignacio Castillo Remirez, Gelateria La Romana, Mexico City: “Sorbete de Aceite de Oliva Virgen Extra & Limón Eureka y Albahaca”, an extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil and Eureka lemon sorbet (3rd at the Mexico City Challenge, March 19, 2024)
• Juan Antonio Coyoli Maciel, Super Creamy, Mexico City: “Lisi”, sweet pumpkin gelato with a swirl of coffee, cinnamon, butter and rum, topped with pumpkin seeds (2nd, Mexico City Challenge, March 13, 2025)
• Anna Rose Lim, Amorcita Gelateria, Mexico City: “Coffee Cardamomo & Orange Blossom”, with honeycomb, rose petals and roasted coffee bean (2nd, Mexico City Challenge, March 19, 2024)
• Alfonso Jarero, Ozio, Mexico City: “Alicia”, Greek yoghurt gelato with lychee and a raspberry sauce flavoured with rum and Grand Marnier (1st, Mexico City Challenge, March 19, 2024)
• Irvin Jiménez, Cuina, Mexico City: “Bocado de Flores”, low-sugar natural yoghurt gelato with light passion fruit paste and jasmine green tea (1st, Mexico City Challenge, March 13, 2025)
• María De Los Ángeles Morales, Gelato Shop, Xalapa, Veracruz: “Besos de Fresa”, strawberry gelato with baked cardamom and honey and a strawberry, cardamom, honey and Grand Marnier jelly (3rd, Mexico City Challenge, March 13, 2025)

The 2022 to 2025 edition marks the sixteenth year of the competition, which debuted in Florence in 2010, spread across Italy and Europe, reached the United States in 2017 and then went global. Its 2018 to 2021 edition involved more than 3,500 gelato makers.

What this means for gelato makers in New Zealand

This line-up shows how far flavour creativity can go. For gelato makers in New Zealand, Majors Group offers Carpigiani gelato machines, Rubicone gelato ingredients and Carpigiani Gelato University courses to help turn big ideas into consistent products.

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