European Artisanal Gelato Day to be discussed in a perfect setting the 40th Sigep, the Global Hand-Crafted Desserts Expo

European Artisanal Gelato Day  to be discussed in a perfect setting the 40th Sigep, the Global Hand-Crafted Desserts Expo

Gelato Day, when the EU Parliament on March 24th will be celebrating the food that unites Europe – a wealth of flavours and a supply chain employing 300 thousand staff, with sales of over 9 billion euros, is set to land at SIGEP.

Rimini, 14th January 2019 - As we await the great celebrations that will be the 7th European Artisanal Gelato Day, which will be taking place on 24th March, Gelato Day is stopping off at Sigep, the International Hand-crafted Gelato, Pastry, Chocolate, Bakery and Coffee Fair, to be held at the Italian Exhibition Group’s Rimini Exhibition Centre from 19th to 23rd January.

Now in its 40th edition, SIGEP is a key event on the calendar for all professionals in the sector, helping to anticipate trends and innovations in all five supply chains that will be exhibiting. This makes it equally unmissable for Gelato Day, the European Artisanal Gelato Day, the brainchild of Longarone Fiere and Artglace which the European Parliament dedicates exclusively to a foodstuff recognized as a great asset for the whole supply chain.

Gelato unites Europe, as the figures show – gelato sales have reached 9 billion euros, i.e. 60% of the world market, with average annual growth of 4%, employing 300,000 staff. The number of hand-crafted gelato parlours is on the increase not only in Italy (about 39,000 outlets), but also in the rest of Europe. Germany alone has 9,000 (including 3,300 exclusive gelato parlours, and over 4,500 owned by Italians) giving work to 20,000 people, half of whom are of Italian origin. And Spain is just as dynamic (2,000 gelaterias), as are Poland (1,800) and the United Kingdom (1,000), followed by Austria (900), Greece (650) and France (400). Not only that: whereas the season used to go from March to October, today things have changed. You can enjoy an excellent hand-crafted gelato for 10 months out of 12 and by February staff have been hired for the whole season. It’s a wonder food not only for the palate but also for the economy.

So, at Sigep, there will be a glimpse of what is in store for us at the long-awaited European Artisanal Gelato Day. In the southern hall at the Rimini exhibition centre there will be an Artglace stand which will be distributing information and material about Gelato Day, with posters and postcards in various languages. You will also be able to taste the flavour of the year: tiramisù, made by Thomas Infanti, the young winner of the Tiramisù Gelato Italian Cup. As tradition has it, every edition has its own flavour and in 2019 the proposal came from Italy – the famous gelato that has conquered the hearts of food lovers of all ages, in a magical blend of coffee, ladyfingers, mascarpone cream and cocoa. And to get the most out of Italy’s numerous gelato parlours, many of which will be participating with a whole host of other European parlours at Gelato Day, take a look at the Guide to Italian Gelaterias, by Gambero Rosso. A useful introduction to help you discover some of the most interesting producers of hand-crafted gelato, each of which has been awarded one, two or three cones, according to the quality of the product.

All this because gelato truly brings Europe together. A product of excellence in terms of food quality and safety, capable of raising the profile of agri-food products in each individual Member State.

European Artisanal Gelato Day  to be discussed in a perfect setting the 40th Sigep, the Global Hand-Crafted Desserts Expo
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