Carpigiani announced the top three winners of its New York Gelato Festival World Masters challenge, held at GTI Designs in Ronkonkoma, New York, on 25 April. Twelve gelato makers from the eastern United States prepared their own flavours and presented them to a technical jury.

The winners

• First place: Golan Chetrit of Noi Due Gelato, New York City, with “Halva Nagila”, a halva gelato with tahini and roasted crispy rice
• Second place: Francia Magsaysay of Francy’s Artisanal Ice Cream, Bergenfield (NJ), with “Purple yam and Cheese with Craquantes”, a purple yam and cheese gelato with white chocolate pearls
• Third place: Melanie Wolf of Pompelmo Gelateria, Westerly (RI), with “Taste the Tropics Sorbet”, a blend of passion fruit, dragon fruit, pineapple, mango and a hint of ginger

Road to the semifinals

New York was the fourth and last North America regional challenge of 2023. Three winners from each regional challenge advanced to the North American semifinals in Los Angeles in September 2023. The Gelato Festival World Masters, backed by Carpigiani and Sigep (Italian Exhibition Group), is a four-year series of competitions ending with a global final in Italy in 2025.

Entries were scored on ingredient choice, technical structure, craftsmanship and visual impact. The New York judges were:

• Victoria Jordan Rodriguez, director of special projects, James Beard Foundation
• Melissa Walnock, associate professor of baking and pastry arts, CIA
• Dylan Lemay, owner of Catch’n Ice Cream NY
• Andrea Zanin, president and CEO, Andrea Zanin Group Corp New York

Other contestants

• Justin Gilbert, Gelato Gilberto (Louisville, KY): “Kentucky Bourbon Ball”
• Marion Kempf Manderville, Marion’s Gelato (Mt. Pleasant, SC): “Salted Caramel Pecan”
• Micheal Rocca, Gelato Envy (Rockaway, NJ): “Nutty Truffle Razzle Dazzle”
• Beth Richardson, Spotz Gelato (Georgetown, KY): “Banana Pudding”
• Anna Franchi, Viale Gelateria (Lynbrook, NY): “La mia Pastiera”
• Esad Lekic, Avrililillys (New York City): “Jewels of the Caribbean”
• Marsha Benson, Iorio’s Gelato (Ann Arbor, MI): “Hazelnut Coffee Crunch”
• Emanuele Catalano, Julietta Gelato (New York City): “Julietta”
• Lindsey Verardo, Licks Italian Gelato (Sunnyside, NY): “Redskin Peanut Gelato”

About Gelato Festival

Gelato Festival began in Florence in 2010 and spread through Italy and the rest of Europe. The first North American challenge was held in Colorado in 2017. After more than 80 regional festivals and more than 3,500 gelato artisans, the most recent winner was Ádám Fazekas of Budapest, Hungary, in 2021 with his Frutta di Pistacchio (Pistachio Fruit) gelato.

What this means for gelato makers in New Zealand

Flavours that mix ideas, like halva and tahini or tropical fruit and ginger, start with sound technique. Majors Group can help you in New Zealand with Carpigiani gelato machines and Rubicone ingredients, and Carpigiani Gelato University courses cover recipe balancing.

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