Il gelato like it more and more, especially if crafts: a multisensory experience common to all lovers, regardless of age, cultural and geographical conditions and seasons. On the occasion of the 44th edition of Sigep -The Dolce World Expo, the International Exhibition of Gelato, Pastry, Artisanal Bakery and Coffee of Italian Exhibition Group – scheduled 21 25 from January to at the Rimini exhibition center -, the countdown will start for the most gluttonous day of the year: la European Giornata of Gelato Artigianale, this year in its eleventh edition. Celebrated throughout the Old Continent (and beyond) on March 24 of each year with a calendar full of events. il Gelato Day was created with the aim of enhancing this product and its important supply chain.
Obviously the season in which there is a greater consumption is the summer in which the production increases and we find it in a thousand flavours. But eating it in winter helps reduce the feeling of cold. Furthermore, its refreshing action almost acts as a natural analgesic, relieving sore throats and coughs. There is always only one rule: eat ice cream away from meals.
Sigep – The Dolce world Expo from 21 January
With the 2023 edition, the major international competitions hosted in the Sweet Arena, new entry of the opening edition. Here will also take place Europe Cup ice cream, which will select the European teams for the 10th Gelato World Cup, organized by Sigep, in collaboration with Con.pa.It, the Confederation of Italian Confectioners and promoted by the Organizing Committee of the Gelato World Cup, chaired by Giancarlo Timballo.
12 pavilions to be discovered, but the beating heart of the event is the Arena ice cream. It is here that the great masters and champions will be involved in the demonstration sessions to enhance the mastery of the gelato stars and the technological and product innovations. During the 5 days, there will also be training and information sessions, with international speakers invited to inspire visiting operators. The second selection dedicated to the German master gelato makers of the circuit is scheduled for Sunday 22 January Ice Cream Festival World Masters, the winners of which will qualify for the 2024 final to represent Germany in the world competition. The following day (January 23) the same stage will host Gambero Rosso who will present the Guide to ice cream parlors 2023 with the best artisan workshops in the country, while on the 24th the CNA Agroalimentare award ceremony will be held for its members, divided into three categories: career, innovation, young promise and ice cream parlor with a female business owner.
Many initiatives also organized in the exhibition stands: the best ice cream maker of the year will be decreed during the homonymous competition promoted by the Italian Gelato Association.
Artglace, association promoting the Gelato Day, will present at the event the taste 2023 dedicated to Austria: theapfelstrudel, and will propose for the five days of the fair an intense calendar of demonstration sessions, with gelato makers who are members of the national committee, including the award-winning Thomas Infanti, Guido Zardonà and Alberto Gobbi.
And it doesn't end there. Don't miss it Sicilian granita world competition, Dust of Stars Trophy to establish which is the best lemon-flavored granita, as well as the international competition. The cart of gold (January 23), this year centered on the theme of hazelnut ice cream, will instead be held at the stand of the Federazione Italiana Gelatieri (in hall C4), which also takes care of the organisation.
Finally, in its space, Confartigianato will give ample visibility to the confederate masters, protagonists of two demos a day during which traditional recipes will be reworked in the light of contemporary taste trends.
Love for homemade ice cream knows no crisis and breaks records in Europe
After the months of the pandemic, 2022 has in fact seen a sales records of artisan gelato in Europe, with a turnover of almost 10 billion euros, up 13% on the previous year (9,83 billion euros in 2022 against 8,7 in 2021). The growth was mainly fueled by a particularly favorable climate and by the recovery of tourist flows, which in some areas made it possible to reach peaks of over +20% in sales trends.
And although the increases in energy and raw material costs are keeping the profitability of artisan businesses under pressure, the presence of ice cream parlors in Europe remains stable. Indeed, the Old Continent is in the front row both for the presence of ice cream parlors (over 65 points of sale and 300 employees), with Germany (9.000) Spain (2.200) Poland (2.000) England (1.100) and Austria (900), to which they follow Greece (680) and France (450), both for artisanal consumption, with Italy, Germany, Spain and Poland at the helm, without forgetting the role of countries such as Austria – protagonist of the 2023 edition of Gelato Day with the Flavor of the Year, Apfelstrudel -, as well as there France, Belgium e the Netherlands.
Record-breaking artisan gelato, a business worth almost 4 billion in Italy
Even more important are the growth trends in Italy, where the artisan gelato supply chain generates a turnover overall from 3,8 billion euros and employs over 100 people. In 2022, sales of artisanal gelato reached 2,7 billion euros among ice cream shops, pastry shops and ice cream bars, up 16% compared to 2021 (2,3 billion in 2021 and 1,85 billion in 2020). The number of ice cream parlors on the national territory is also increasing (+139 points of sale), with Lombardy, Sicily and Campania on the podium. And that's not all: once again this year Italy confirms its world leadership in the sector of ingredients and semi-finished products (65 companies involved and a turnover of 1 billion euro), and its leading role in the sector of machines, showcases and equipment (with a turnover of around 700 million euros and exports equal to 70% of production).
