Greece proudly celebrates two world finalists in the Gelato Festival World Masters who can boast the title of the best gelato makers in the country. They are, in order of ranking:

(Charalampos Marantidis of Marantidis in Kavala with the flavor “Exotic Greek Cheese” – Anthotyro gelato with mango and lemon toffee & crunchy sesam)

(Dimitrios Charalambous of Gelato Palladion in Rhodes with the flavor “Yoghurt Orange” – Yoghurt gelato with infusion of bergamot)

Marantidis and Charalambous have overcome four years of local and international selections to represent their country in the World Final of the Gelato Festival World Masters, to be held in 2026.

THE EUROPEAN FINALS IN ITALY: OCTOBER 30–31, 2025

Two days of competition featuring 74 participants from 13 European countries completed the lineup of European gelato makers advancing to the World Final of Gelato Festival World Masters. On October 30 and 31, the headquarters of Carpigiani Gelato University in Anzola Emilia (Bologna – Italy) turned into the world capital of gelato, hosting the European Finals of the five-year Gelato Festival World Masters championship. The international competition is organized in collaboration with Carpigiani and Sigep – Italian Exhibition Group. Sponsors of these selection days include IFI (Main Sponsor), Hiber, and Pregel, with Filicori Zecchini supporting the event.

The World Final will take place in 2026, with the dates to be announced during the 47th edition of Sigep World, scheduled in Rimini from January 16 to 21, 2026.

The challenging task of judging, based on criteria of technical preparation, flavor, and presentation, was entrusted to an international Technical Jury composed of: Cinzia Otri, master gelato maker and owner of Gelateria della Passera in Florence; Marco Venturino, master gelato maker, member of the Gelato Festival World Ranking Hall of Fame, and owner of I Giardini di Marzo in Varazze (SV); Eugenio Morrone, master gelato maker, member of the Gelato Festival World Ranking Hall of Fame, and member of Team Italy, winner of the 2020 Gelato World Cup; Ciro Chiummo, master pastry chef and member of Team Italy, winner of the 2020 Gelato World Cup; Marco De Vivo, owner of Pasticceria De Vivo in Pompei (NA); Vincenzo Pennestrì, President of Associazione Italiana Gelatieri.

With the 2022–2025 edition, the Gelato Festival World Masters reaches its sixteenth year of activity, having debuted in Florence in 2010, inspired by the creation of the first gelato recipe by the multifaceted architect Bernardo Buontalenti in 1559. Since then, the event has expanded beyond Italy, first throughout Europe and – since 2017 – to the United States, before embracing the entire globe with the world championship Gelato Festival World Masters, which in its 2017–2021 edition involved over 3,500 gelato makers.