Gelato Festival World Masters, the world championship organized with strategic partners Carpigiani and Sigep - Italian Exhibition Group, came back to Switzerland in search of the best gelato of the country! On Tuesday, March 11, at the headquarters of Carpigiani dealer Ti-Gel Arreda in Stabio, 13 Swiss gelato makers took part in the sweet-est competition of the year.

The winner of the competition was:

•    Paolo Ammendolia of Gelateria Pizzeria Italia in Solothurn with the flavor “Fior di Passione”
Description: fior di latte-based gelato with meringues, passion fruit and milk chocolate

The gelato maker will take part in the next European Finals to be held in October 2025.

Given the high quality of the flavors in the competition, it was decided to give special men-tion to the second and third place winners:

•    Carlo Ceccato of La Bottega di Carletto in S. Antonino with the flavor “Biscotto Läckerli”
Description: custard-base spiced gelato with Läckerli, a traditional Basel biscuit

•    Zaher Bou Aram of Cedar Land in Ziefen with the flavor “Zimt”
Description: fresh organic milk-based gelato with pistachios, roasted almonds with caramel and salt, sahlab and mystica

Taste, texture, creativity, and verbal and aesthetic presentation are the four parameters by which the artisanal gelatos were evaluated by promoting the choice of ingredients, the ar-tisans' craftsmanship in developing the recipe, the ability to communicate the taste brought to the competition, and the overall result evaluated through sight, taste and smell (see list of all participants on the last page).

The jury was composed of:
•    Dany Stauffacher – CEO & Founder of S. Pellegrino Sapori Ticino
•    Francesco Jatosti - Foodblogger
•    Alessandro Garzillo - Chef
•    Tiziano Bonacina – Pastry Chef

Gelato Festival debuted in Florence in 2010, inspired by the creation of the first gelato recipe by the versatile architect Bernardo Buontalenti in 1559. Since then, the event has expanded its borders, first to the rest of Italy, then to Europe and – starting in 2017 – the United States, with a total of 80 Festivals held, before embracing the entire planet with the world championship of Gelato Festival World Masters 2021, which concluded in December 2021 - with the victory of Adam Fazekas from Budapest - and saw a record of 3,500 gelato artisans judged by international juries.

GELATO FESTIVAL WORLD MASTERS
Local selection
March 11, 2025
Stabio, Switzerland
Location: Ti-Gel Arreda

Winner
•    Paolo Ammendolia of Gelateria Pizzeria Italia in Solothurn with the flavor “Fior di Passione”

Full list of participants:
•    Marco Landoni of Armonia del Gusto in Morbio Inferiore with the flavor “Birramisù”;
•    Giulia Missiaglia of Gelatiamo in Savosa with the flavor “Bowser”;
•    Claudio Bignotti of Gelatomania in Les Acacias with the flavor “Citron Lactée”;
•    Carlo Ceccato of La Bottega di Carletto in St. Antonino with the flavor “Biscotto Läckerli”;
•    Marco Carletto of Vera Gelateria in Muralto with the flavor “Terra di Sicilia”;
•    Corinna Steffen of DoppioGusto in Pregassona with the flavor “Dubai Chocolate”;
•    Julien Golano of La Bise in Lausanne with the flavor “Saffron-Orange Blossom”;
•    Vincenzo Saraco of RDC Gelato in Rapperswil-Jona with the flavor “Jersey, Cookies powder, variegated with Dulce de Leche”;
•    Sara Leandra Troncoso of Gelateria Pandito in Basel with the flavor “Chocotorta”;
•    Zaher Bou Aram of Cedar Land in Ziefen with the flavor “Zimt” flavor;
•    Ihsan Cokluk of Baci di Berna in Bern with the flavor “Kulfi”;
•    Massimiliano Lanzafame of Maxsimo-Gelateria Naturale in Düdingen with the flavor “Überrashung!”