Netherlands’ 3 Best Gelato Artisans Named in Breda

Gelato Festival World Masters made its first Dutch stop of the 2022-2025 cycle in Breda, where three artisans won places in the 2025 European Finals.

The Breda round

Twenty-two gelato artisans competed on 7 November 2023 at the Curio Praktijkschool in Breda, in collaboration with the Carpigiani Benelux headquarters. The championship runs with partners Carpigiani and Sigep – Italian Exhibition Group. Entries were scored on flavour, structure, creativity and presentation, looking at ingredient choice, the craft behind each recipe and the visual impact of the gelato.

The winners

• First place: Kees Baars of IJssalon IJsie Prima, Callantsoog, with “Seaside Delight”: a refined mascarpone gelato with sea buckthorn variegate, salted almond crunch and a samphire and seaweed meringue on top.
• Second place: Stefan Beerens of Kennis van IJs, Duizel, with “Imagi”: fresh pineapple and yuzu paired with basil-infused coconut gelato. “Imagi” means “imagine” in Japanese.
• Third place: Peter ter Laak of Van der Poel ijsmakers, Hengelo, with “Rose and Raspberry Fool”: a delicate rose-flavoured Greek yoghurt gelato with raspberry variegate, roasted almonds, coconut flakes and a touch of lime.

The three go on to the European Finals of Gelato Festival World Masters in 2025.

The jury was Marcel Janssen (owner of IJssalon Florance in Weert and winner of this year’s best gelateria in the Netherlands), Peter Remmelzwaal (pastry chef and member of the Dutch Pastry Team), Nelson Tanate (owner and chef of the three-starred De Librije in Zwolle) and Remco Dekker (chocolatier and chef patissier at Atelier Maré, Breda).

All the participants

• Menno Uringa, Sjamaan, Culemborg: “Vrede: bannaan-saffraan”
• Geert Willems, IJssalon Il Circo, Helmond: “Van Duynhovens nougatine”
• Beate Bikara, Icepoint Susteren, Susteren: “Coffee Break”
• Niek Bogers, Scoop ice-cream, Etten-Leur: “Sicilian wedding/matrimonio siciliano”
• Marc Bierkens, ‘T ijsboerinneke, Moergestel: “Tira-miso”
• Jacinta Wijkhuys, De Koehoorn ijsboerderij, Mariekerke: “Zeeuws goud”
• Max Alkemade, Ijscomax, Noordwijk: “Max-a-damia”
• Coco Strijbosch, IJssalon Pisa, Zevenaar: “Spicy Cosy Orange Christophe”
• Allan Horst, Restaurant de Groene Lantaarn, Staphorst: “Zuring”
• Lorenz, Groot of Lorenzo’s Ijssalon, Utrecht: “Tonka Wonka”
• Matthijs Bollen, IJs van Matthijs, Leiden: “Spicey Caffeine Kiss”
• Arjan Nijenhuis, Nijenhuis ijs, Lemele: “Suprice”
• David Zilli, Gelateria Davide, Den Bosch: “Pavlova”
• Peter ter Laak, Van der Poel ijsmakers, Hengelo: “Rose and Raspberry Fool”
• Rian Fabrie, Ijsboerderij Fabor, Reusel: “Fram-Gusto”
• Yoes Vossen, IJskeuken Kennis van IJs, Duizel: “The Goosebump”
• Stefan Beerens, Kennis van IJs, Duizel: “Imagi”
• Marten Riedstra, IIskald, Lemmer: “Verde e Giallo”
• Jean-Pierre Bax, Luciano Ice Cream Factory B.V., Wassenaar: “Homage to Ferrero Rocher”
• Kees Baars, IJssalon IJsie Prima, Callantsoog: “Seaside Delight”
• Jan Nagelkerke, Maddey’s ijs, Etten Leur: “Crompouce”
• Domingo Tol, Ijs Van Do, Volendam: “A Chocwork Orange”

About Gelato Festival

Gelato Festival debuted in Florence in 2010, inspired by the first gelato recipe, created by the architect Bernardo Buontalenti in 1559. It expanded across Italy, Europe and, from 2017, the United States, with 80 festivals held, before going global with the 2021 Gelato Festival World Masters. That edition 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

Fine-tuned flavours like these rely on precise equipment and technique. Majors Group helps makers in Australia with Carpigiani gelato machines, Rubicone ingredients and Carpigiani Gelato University training.

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