Two days of competition and 74 participants from 13 European countries marked the final stage in selecting the European gelato makers who will advance to the World Final of the Gelato Festival World Masters. On October 30 and 31, the Carpigiani Gelato University headquarters in Anzola Emilia became the world capital of gelato, hosting the European Finals of the five-year championship. The international competition is organized in collaboration with Carpigiani and Sigep – Italian Exhibition Group. Event sponsors: IFI (Main Sponsor), Hiber, and Pregel. Event supported by Filicori Zecchini.

The World Final will take place in 2026, with dates to be announced during the 47th edition of Sigep World, scheduled in Rimini from January 16–21, 2026.

The challenging task of judging, based on technical preparation, flavor, and presentation, was entrusted to an international Technical Jury composed of: Cinzia Otri, gelato master and owner of Gelateria della Passera in Florence; Marco Venturino, gelato master included in the Gelato Festival World Ranking Hall of Fame and owner of I Giardini di Marzo in Varazze (SV); Eugenio Morrone, gelato master, Hall of Fame member, and part of Team Italy — winner of the Gelato World Cup 2020; Ciro Chiummo, pastry chef and Team Italy member, winner of the Gelato World Cup 2020; Marco De Vivo, owner of Pasticceria De Vivo in Pompei (NA); Vincenzo Pennestrì, President of the Associazione Gelatieri Italiani.

The 17 European Finalists (in alphabetical order by country):

BULGARIA
•    Velislava Kostova, Gelavito (Saedinenie) – "Farm Cheese Saedinenie"

BELGIUM
•    Fabio Marasti, La Gourmand'Ice (Heusy) – "Nessun Dorma"
•    Christian Wu, Gelateria Giotto (Jette) – "Il Bosco dei Cento Acri"

CZECH REPUBLIC
•    Jakub Gavor, Ještě jednu (Brno) – "Bacio Cake"
•    Lukáš Pohnán, Zmrzlina Senomaty (Senomaty) – "Tarte Tatin"

GREECE
•    Dimitrios Charalambous, Gelato Palladion (Rhodes) – "Yoghurt Orange"
•    Charalampos Marantidis, Marantidis Gelateria (Kavala) – "Exotic Greek Cheese"

HUNGARY
•    János Somodi, Florida Fagyizó (Balatonmáriafürdő) – "Torta della nonna"
•    Dávid Wilheim, DaCrema Fagyizó (Nagykanizsa) – "Il Re del Piemonte"

NETHERLANDS
•    Kees Baars, IJsie Prima (Callantsoog) – "Seaside Delight"
•    Stefan Beerens, Kennis van IJs (Duizel) – "Jmagi"

POLAND
•    Wioletta Gbiorczyk, Lodziarnia Mleczna (Radom) – Almond Biscuit
•    Tomasz Szypuła, Szypuła – 1974 (Baborów) – HYĆKA – Elderflower and Berry

SPAIN
•    Carlo Guerriero, La Cremeria Gelato Italiano (Cádiz) – "Sherrymisu³"
•    Alfredo José Marrero Páez, Menester (Puerto de la Cruz) – "Origén Cacao"
•    Bernardo Vicente Schenoni Siberta, Deleite Heladería Artesanal (Madrid) – "Caprichio Persa"

SWITZERLAND
•    Massimiliano Lanzafame, Maxsimo – Gelateria Naturale (Düdingen) – "Dedicato a te"

PRESS SPECIAL AWARD
A Special Press Award for “Best Storytelling” was given by the international press to Julien Loeuil of Meyer Chocolatier (Paisy) for the flavor Retour d’Alpage. The artisan received a Coolbox by IFI, the professional refrigerated suitcase that allows gelato to be transported anywhere. Note: Loeuil will not compete in the World Final — this award is based solely on the verbal presentation of the flavor.

The press jury included:
- Bernard Bedarida, journalist for Eurovision – European Broadcasting Union / TF1 (France)
- Teresa Bustelo, correspondent for Spain – Foreign Press Association in Italy
- Jasmine Thomas, Account Executive at EAT PR & Marketing (UK)
- Monika Soszyńska-Masny, Editor-in-Chief of Przegląd Piekarski i Cukierniczy (Poland)
- Jean-François Devineau, pastry chef and founder of Pâtissiers dans le Monde (France).

OTHER FINALISTS ALREADY SELECTED FOR THE WORLD FINAL
ARGENTINA
•    Emanuel Ratari, Heladería Lilo’s (Pergamino) – "Cafetín de Buenos Aires"

BRAZIL
•    Guilherme Geraldini Pereira, Biju Mani (São Francisco, SP) – "Appia"
•    Aline Vieira, Flor do Ingá (Maringá, PR) – "Doce Encontro"

CHINA
•    Jiang Jie, Peking Gelato (Beijing)

GERMANY
•    Rino Bernardi, Gran Café by Rino (Ochsenhausen) – "Red King"
•    Thomas Micolino, Eiscafé by Rino (Rottenburg am Neckar) – "Kamelatte"
•    Enrico Piccin, Artigiani Gelato (Berlin) – "Mediterraneo"

MEXICO
•    Juan Antonio Coyoli Maciel, Super Creamy (Mexico City) – "Lisi"

USA
•    Maria Liliana Biondo, uGOgelato (Cincinnati, OH) – "Mandorland"
•    Francia Magsaysay, Francy’s Artisanal Ice Cream (Bergenfield, NJ) – "Passionfruit Yuzu & White Chocolate"

With the 2022–2025 edition, Gelato Festival World Masters celebrates its 16th year, having debuted in Florence in 2010, inspired by the first documented gelato recipe created in 1559 by the multifaceted architect Bernardo Buontalenti. Since then, the event has expanded first across Italy, then Europe, and — since 2017 — also the United States, before embracing the entire world with the Gelato Festival World Masters global championship, which in the 2017–2021 edition involved over 3,500 gelato artisans.