8 teams competing on 18 and 19 January 2025 at Sigep

Gelato Arena – Pad. A7

Rimini – The Gelato Europe Cup returns in January 2025 during the SIGEP in Rimini, bringing with it great news that reflects the growing attention to sustainability in the artisanal gelato sector. For the first time, the competition introduces the “Upcycled Gelato” tab test, a challenge designed to transform waste ingredients into authentic creations of excellence.

According to estimates, around 10% of the food available to EU consumers is at risk of going to waste. At the same time, over 37 million people in the EU cannot afford a quality meal every two days. These alarming data underline the urgent need for action to reduce food waste and food losses, key objectives for the EU in achieving a circular economy by 2050.

For Sergio Colalucci, president of the Gelato World Cup, this innovation represents a fundamental step towards greater environmental awareness: “With the Upcycled Gelato we want to demonstrate that the creativity of gealto makers can marry with sustainability, transforming food waste into precious resources. It is a challenge that looks to the future, combining technical excellence and social responsibility.”

The competition will see 8 teams from as many European countries competing, made up of 40 of the best gelato and pastry chefs and a team manager. The teams will compete in six technical and creative tests: in addition to the novelty of the “Upcycled Gelato” tab, the protagonists will be the Gelato Cake: a combination of technique and design to create spectacular desserts, the Single Portions in Glass Cup: elegance and innovation in individual format, the Mystery Box – Cream and Fruit: technical challenges based on surprise ingredients and Gelato Sticks: creativity and precision in making ice cream on a stick.

Participating teams:  Italy lead by Alessandro Racca, Germany Stefano Lucchini, Albania Rosilda Collaku, Poland Aleksander Pitura, UK Taseer Ahmad, France Dartois Herve, Romania Oana Gabriela Nita e Belgium Fabio Marasti.

The Gelato Europe Cup is an event that celebrates artisanal excellence, preparing the ground for the biennial appointment of the Gelato World Cup, a historic and culminating event where 12 teams from around the world will compete for the world title in January 2026 at Sigep in Rimini. Only four teams from the Gelato Europe Cup semi-final will enter the prestigious international competition which brings together the best talents from around the world, offering a unique platform to present new trends and innovations.

These will be joined by the 3 teams selected last October at the Gelato Asia Cup and another 5 who will be selected respectively 1 at the Gelato China Cup at Sigep China from 24 to 26 April 2025 and 4 at the Gelato America Cup at FITHEP Buenos Aires from 9 to 12 June 2025.

See you at the Gelato Europe Cup from the 18th to the 19th of January 2025 al SIGEP The World Expo for Foodservice Excellence di IEG Exhibition Group in Rimini, Italy. The competition is organised by Gelato e Cultura srl with Sigep.

The Gelato Europe Cup is supported by the sponsors: Anselmi, Babbi, Electrolux e Valrhona platinum sponsor, Adamance e Carpigiani golden sponsor. Silver sponsor sono Frascheri, Medac e Team System; sponsor tecnici Ico Cialde, IFI, Karel, Paperlynen, Reire, Sara Creazioni, Selmi, Sosa, Caffé Toraldo.

Mistery sponsor, featured in the mistery box test, will be Anselmi, Frascheri, Babbi e Norohy.