4th Grand Prix 

Despite the pitfalls of covid-19 and the cancellation of the tender in February 2022, our Director, also the creator of this successful format, did not want to give up repeating this important event.

The fourth edition of the Grand Prix Gelatissimo was then held in Stuttgart from 22 October to 25 October. We were hosted in a completely new location compared to the usual one (Intergastra, the leading trade fair for the hotel and gastronomy sector), namely the Sudback trade fair, a trend for the bakery and confectionery sector. Despite the absence of a pavilion specifically dedicated to ice cream, such as Gelatissimo, and despite the postponement of the event from February to October, the sponsoring companies have given full confidence in the project, making it possible to create a 2022 edition that has by far exceeded expectations.

The flow of ice cream makers, contrary to what was expected, was held in the wake of previous events, disproving the forecast of a sharp drop in participation by sector experts.

In fact, 240 ice cream makers competed during the four days of the competition, a number that allowed us to surpass the more than 2,000 entries totaled over the course of all four editions.

Index of appreciation and recognition of the validity of the format which, thanks to the guarantee system of anonymity, ensures compliance with maximum transparency. The attractive prize pool, consisting of three Piaggio Vespas and a Fiat 500 then did the rest.

The fourth edition opened with a long queue of competitors waiting to cream their pistachio blend inside the Frigogelo Icetech machines. The ice cream samples were tasted by a special panel made up of experts, who selected the best five pistachio ice creams to enter the final.

The wait for the judgment decreeing the winner was enlivened by a demo by Alessandro Romeo, who offered a demonstration of the use of one of the products offered by the Icam company, destined to trigger an important change within the ice cream shop windows: the chocoyo. The representative of the company Cecilia Casetta, in fact explained that thanks to this revolutionary article it is possible to make a white chocolate ice cream with the sour yoghurt tip, capable of breaking up the extreme sweetness of the white chocolate, all through a system of sustainable production.

The Chocoyo ice cream variegated with passion fruit was very successful among the public, who did not hesitate to ask for an encore.

Once the space dedicated to research and training was over, the pace of the competition resumed in order to decree the best ice cream maker for the pistachio flavor who would win the beautiful green Vespa.

The jury, made up of five judges representing some of the most authoritative companies in the sector, deemed the Asti ice cream maker, Matteo Caldara - Big Ben ice cream parlor - worthy of triumph, who defeated the competition of 70 participants, winning not only the Piaggio vespa, but also a fantastic cruise in the Mediterranean offered as a prize by the sponsor Babbi.

Even the second and third classified did not remain empty: the generosity of the Babbi company assigned each one the same cruise.

The main flavor of the second day of competition was instead yoghurt, and the best one to make it was Giuseppe Floris - Eiscafè Dolomiti - of Worrstadt, who conquered the beautiful white Vespa.

The third day, on the other hand, saw a welcome confirmation: the winner for the best strawberry flavour, after the suspense of an ex-equo and a second vote, was Alfiero Conte - Gelati Conte - from Friedrichshafen who, after winning the Coppa Gelatissimo 2016, collected a second red Vespa (as has already happened to Soren Pollich of Berlin and the Floris brothers, also protagonists of this edition).

On the same day, the three winners of the first three competitions competed in the preparation of the best coconut sorbet and once again Alfiero Conte excelled who, in addition to having enriched the number of Vespas, added another Super cup to his display case Gelatissimo and an ice cream machine offered as a prize by the Eis Fountain.

We have thus arrived at the long-awaited fourth day, the one that saw the assignment of the richest prize ever offered in the world of gelato: a splendid Fiat 500.

An important prize for an important competition, namely the prestigious Intercoppa competition, which only the best competitors of all previous editions of the Grand Prix Gelatissimo (2016-2018-2020-2022) were allowed to enter.

Very high levels of expertise, employed for the production of the best black cherry ice cream supplied for the occasion by the Fabbri company. In this case, among the 43 participants, the ice cream maker Giuseppe Papapietro, owner of the Sole e Luna ice cream parlor in Bad Windsheim, Germany (already finished second in the yogurt competition) had the upper hand.

Thus ended four days not only of competition, but above all of meeting between the most valid master gelato makers in Europe, and of in-depth analysis of the innovations that it is possible to offer within the sector.

A real conquest given the difficulties of the period, which returned great satisfaction to the organization and to the participating sponsors.

Further demonstration that collective efforts always pay off and a dutiful effort to get to Gelatissimo 2024 with the best race ever.