Gelato Festival America 2019: The Miami Finals
The Gelato Festival returned to the United States in 2019. Following the success of its 2018 tour, the Gelato Festival America team and the 2017-2018 qualifying chefs headed to the North American Finals in Miami on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 March, from 3pm to 11pm each day.
A different kind of final
The festival is organised with Carpigiani and Sigep – Italian Exhibition Group, and shares real Italian artisan gelato through a contest where chefs present original flavours. The 2019 Miami edition had a twist: only chefs who had already won a festival were invited to compete for the golden cup made by Florentine goldsmith Paolo Penko.
The two top-scoring chefs in Miami would become two of the three Americans eligible for the Gelato Festival World Masters in Italy in 2021. The third would be the strongest artisan from the four 2019 American festivals that followed Miami (Boston, Chicago, Washington DC and Los Angeles) and the 2020 Gelato Festival America tour. Air Italy was the Global Partner of the Gelato Festival.
The finalists and their flavours
- Giacomo d’Alessandro (Polosud Gelato Coffee Pastries, New York, New York): Dark Chocolate Surprise
- Bella Gelateria (Vancouver, Canada): Salted B.C. Cherry Cheesecake
- Maria Liliana Biondo (uGOgelato, Miami, Florida): Trinacrium
- Mike Guerriero (Gelotti Essex, Caldwell, New Jersey): Blueberry Basil
- Diego Comparin (Paciugo Gelato, Texas): Texas Pecan Sea Salt Caramel
- Daniela Zomparelli (Lola’s Gelato, Toronto, Canada): Sassy Sea Turtle
- Nazario Melchionda (Frost, a Gelato Shoppe, Tucson, Arizona): Bagigi Peanut
- Gianluigi Dellaccio (Dolci Gelati, Washington, D.C.): Honey, Mascarpone and Fig Gelato
- Maurizio Melani (Veneta Gelato Italiano, Valencia, Spain): Sicily Orange Sunrise
- Walter Bergamaschi (Gelato Dolce Vita, Phoenix, Arizona): Stupefy
- Eugenia Sardelli (Gelateria Sardelli, Tuscany, Italy): Fior d’Arancia
What this means for gelato makers in Australia
These finalists show how far original flavour ideas can go. If you want to develop signature gelato of your own, explore our artisan gelato machines and training through Carpigiani Gelato University, both available through Majors Group.
Carpigiani in Australia — Majors Group
Majors Group is the official Carpigiani distributor in Australia: machines, Rubicone ingredients, ISA cabinets, Techfrost blast freezers, packaging, Carpigiani Gelato University training, finance and a national service team.
Source: Carpigiani news. Rewritten for Australia by Majors Group.