Belgium opened the 2023 European calendar of the new Gelato Festival World Masters tour. On 7 February, Carpigiani Benelux hosted the Carpigiani Challenge in Zandhoven, with more than 25 gelato artisans from across the country competing with their best flavour.

How the competition worked

The 2022-2025 championship is organised by Gelato Festival with Carpigiani Gelato University and Sigep – Italian Exhibition Group, the leading B2B show for artisan gelato, pastry, bakery and coffee. Competitors made their gelato in the organisers’ laboratory. Industry experts, local chefs and food journalists then tasted and scored each entry.

The three top flavours go through to the European finals of Gelato Festival World Masters in the coming years.

A thirteen-year story

Gelato Festival began in Florence in 2010 as a local contest inspired by Bernardo Buontalenti’s first gelato recipe of 1559. It expanded across Italy, then Europe, and reached the United States in 2017. The 2017-2021 world championship involved more than 3,500 gelato makers.

Bring it to your business in New Zealand

If these competitions inspire you to level up your own gelato, we can help. Explore Carpigiani gelato machines, build your flavour range with Rubicone ingredients, or learn through Carpigiani Gelato University.

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