Gelato Festival World Masters, the world's leading competition for gelato makers with partner Carpigiani and Sigep - Italian Exhibition Group, is in search of the world's best gelato for the period 2022-2025. After 49 stops in 18 months, it celebrated its 50th stop at Sigep in Rimini, the 45th International Exhibition of Artisanal Gelato, Confectionery, Bakery and Coffee, with the European & Middle East Challenge featuring 14 gelato makers from Austria, Switzerland, France, Portugal, Estonia, the UK and Egypt. 

The winning gelato artisans are:
-    First place: Sacha Copigneaux of Sacha Glace in Marseille (France) with the flavor "Néroli". 
Description: orange blossom water gelato with pistachio pieces and sauce.

-    Second place: Noah Bühler of Gelatissimo Gmbh in Hinteregg (Switzerland) with the flavor "Dalla natura per la natura". 
Description: Fior di latte gelato, figs with black tea, roasted walnuts.

-    Third place: Julie Flaven of Flazzi in Forcalquier (France) with the flavor "La Flazzita". 
Description: ricotta gelato, pistachios and roasted almonds, Corsican clementine gelatin and orange zest.

The selected gelato makers will compete in the semi-finals of their respective regions in 2025. Taste, texture, creativity and presentation were the four parameters used in the evaluation, which focused on the choice of ingredients, the quality of the recipe and the visual impact of the gelato (see below for the full list of participants). 

The jury was made up of master gelato makers Andrea Soban, Ciro Chiummo and Vincenzo Pennestrì.

Gelato Festival was born in Florence in 2010, inspired by the creation of the first gelato recipe by the multi-faceted architect Bernardo Buontalenti in 1559. Since then, the event has extended its borders, first to the rest of Italy, then to Europe and - as of 2017 - the United States, with a total of 80 festivals organized, before embracing the entire planet with the Gelato Festival World Masters 2021 championship, which concluded in December 2021 - with Budapest's Adam Fazekas winning - and saw a record 3,500 artisan gelato makers judged by international juries.

GELATO FESTIVAL WORLD MASTERS
European and Middle East Challenge at the 45th Sigep trade fair
January 21, 2024
Rimini, Italy

List of all participants:
1.    Dubravka Maestro by Eis Maestro in Vienna (Austria) with the flavor "Arhuaco Harmony";
Description: gelato 82% organic, vena chocolate with raspberry & raspberry crispy
2.    Josef Eisl, of Eisl Eis in Abersee (Austria), with the flavor "Lime - Curd - Blackberry";
Description: lime curd and blackberry gelato
3.    Celal Karaarsalan from Alpz Gelato & Cafe in Salzburg (Austria) with the flavor "L'esperienza "Piccola"”";
Description: gelato made with special hazelnuts grown in their own country and covered with bittersweet rosemary chocolate and white chocolate with a hint of cinnamon, accompanied by handmade waffles, white chocolate and dark chocolate with hazelnuts. 
4.    Marco Guidi of Gelateria Arnaldo in Martigues (France) with the flavor "Mariage des Noix";
Description: sorbet with Sorrento walnut, candied pears, pear crumble and Provence honey. 
5.    Karim Rahal of Glacier Aurile in Mouans Sartoux (France) with the flavor "Gelato Provençale";
Description: orange blossom gelato with walnuts, pine nuts, pistachios and raisins.
6.    Nelson Da Costa de Sao Gelados in Olhao, Algarve (Portugal) with the flavor "Con Una Rosa";
Description: raspberry, rose infusion and almond gelato. 
7.    Manuela Carabina de Fragoleto in Lisbon (Portugal) with the flavor "Alentejano";
Description: gelato inspired by two typical products from Alentejo (a region in southern Portugal) made with goat's cheese, candied plums and crunchy pistachio cream. 
8.    Kaire Saan from Gelato Ladies in Tallin (Estonia) with the flavor "Pear and Ginger Duet";
Description: sweet pear sorbet with a hint of spiciness from the ginger. 
9.    Diego Alfonso Celis of Bertotti Gelato in London (UK) with the flavor "Colombian Coffee and Bronte Pistachio";
Description: gelato with Mount Etna aroma’s pistachio, spiced with Persian saffron. 
10.    Noha Benis of Fresco Gelateria in Alexandria (Egypt) with the flavor "Thousand and One Nights" perfume;
Description: gelato with Mejdoul date, milk, roasted almonds. 
11.    Ramiz Huseynov of Ramelleeis in Vienna (Austria) with the flavor "Joghurt-Maracuja";
Description: yogurt and maracuja gelato