The Gelato Festival Challenge stopped at the Horecava trade show in Amsterdam on 14 January 2020, where 27 gelato artisans competed in what organisers call the sweetest competition of the year. It was hosted by Carpigiani’s distributor for the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.

The winning flavours

• “Mapapa” by Lorenz De Groot of Rijnlaan 29 in Utrecht: yoghurt gelato with mango, passionfruit and papaya variegato, plus meringues.
• “Sweet & Happines” by Marten Riedstra of Ijsslalon Ijskald in Lemmer: Greek yoghurt with persimmon variegato and almonds roasted and coated in honey.
• “Hazelnut Meringue Pie Ice” by Jean Pierre Bax of Luciano Ijssalon in Wassenaar: hazelnut gelato with a meringue topping, hazelnut ganache and butterscotch crunchy hazelnuts.

Judging and what comes next

Winners move on to the European Finals of Gelato Festival, planned for 2021 in Italy at the Carpigiani Gelato University headquarters. Entries were scored on flavour, structure, creativity and presentation, which reflect the choice of ingredients, the craft behind the recipe and the visual impact. The jury was made up of Jan Boeren (maitre de cuisine), Bjorn Cocu (instructor at Ijscentrum), Bob Frie (meester ijsbereider) and Roger Van Damme (chef at the restaurant Het Gebaar).

Gelato Festival made its debut in Florence in 2010, inspired by the first gelato recipe by architect Bernardo Buontalenti in 1559. It has since spread through Italy and Europe and, from 2017, the United States, now heading towards the World Masters 2021 championship.

What this means for gelato makers in New Zealand

Great gelato starts with good technique and good ingredients. Majors Group supplies Carpigiani batch freezers and Rubicone gelato ingredients, and Carpigiani Gelato University courses can help refine your recipes.

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