Daniele Panunzio Wins the Hereford Gelato Challenge

The Gelato Festival World Masters, run with partners Carpigiani and Sigep – Italian Exhibition Group, has found its final UK finalist. On 14 November 2024, at the Carpigiani UK Head Office in Hereford, seven gelato chefs from England and Wales brought their signature flavours to the third UK competition of the year, organised by Carpigiani UK.

The winner and special mention

Daniele Panunzio of Panunzio’s Kitchen Gelati Italiani, Bristol, won with “Montebianco”. The gelato was inspired by his favourite childhood treat and combines White Lake goat’s cheese, caramelised salted pecans and fresh raspberry sauce.

He goes on to the European Finals in Italy, scheduled for 2025, where he will meet gelato chefs from across Europe, including the other two UK finalists. The jury also gave a special mention to Giorgio Lo Monte of Filippo’s Gelateria, Warwick, for “November Rain”, a home-made mascarpone gelato variegated with spiced pear compote, with cinnamon sponge Savoiardi soaked in coffee and Marsala liqueur.

Judging and participants

Taste, structure, creativity and presentation were the four criteria, looking at ingredient choice, recipe craftsmanship and visual impact. The jury was:

• Lauren Evans, managing director at Fablas Ice Cream
• Claire Bosi, editor at Chef & Restaurant Magazine, The Craft Guild and The Pastry Section
• Gary Ingram, owner and consultant, Ingram’s Cold Concepts

The other participants were:

• Lindsey Gravestock, Hoorays Gelato Kitchen, Stratford-upon-Avon: “Pistachio and Raspberry Cheesecake”
• Antonio De Vecchi, Gelato Village, Leicester: “Ricotta, Lemon and Coffee”
• Akram Alabed, Alfonso Gelateria, Witney: “Tahini Date Molasses”
• Sammi Rogers, Aran Hufen Ia Ice Cream, Bala: “Honeycomb Crunch”
• Zoe Glanville, Surfing Cow Gelato, Plymouth: “Masala Chai”

About the Gelato Festival World Masters

The championship began in Florence in 2010 and was inspired by the first documented gelato recipe, created by the architect Bernardo Buontalenti in 1559. It grew from a local contest into a tour across Italy, then Europe, and from 2017 into the United States. It went global with the Gelato Festival World Masters 2021 edition, which finished in December 2021 with a win for Adam Fazekas of Budapest and a record 3,500 gelato artisans judged by international juries.

What this means for gelato makers in Australia

Competitions like this show how far a well-balanced recipe, good technique and a confident story can take a gelato maker. If you are building your own flavour range, the right artisan gelato machines and a solid grounding from Carpigiani Gelato University are the place to start, and Majors Group can help with both in Australia. Our team can also talk you through Rubicone ingredients for your next signature flavour.

Source: Carpigiani news. Rewritten for Australia by Majors Group.