Gelato Roma wins top gelato spot at Ice Cream Awards

Nelson Tasman company Gelato Roma has scored the top gelato spot for its salted caramel gelato in the 2019 New Zealand Ice Cream Awards. In addition to the coveted Best in Category Gelato trophy win, Gelato Roma also won a Gold Award for its salted caramel gelato, Gold for its hazelnut gelato, Silver for its tiramisu gelato, and two Silver Awards for its raspberry and feijoa sorbets.

Announced on Wednesday night as part of New Zealand Ice Cream Week, the winners of this year’s New Zealand Ice Cream Awards reflect the overall quality and wide variety of ice cream, gelato and sorbet that is made in Aotearoa.

Run by the New Zealand Ice Cream Manufacturers Association (NZICMA), this year’s awards attracted more than 300 entries that were judged across 13 different categories by an independent panel of expert food industry judges using a blind judging process and strict criteria. Ice cream and gelato is judged on a range of criteria including its appearance, body, texture, melting properties, flavour and complexity.

Judging involves awarding points for a number of key attributes. Appearance is worth 10 points, Body and Texture 30 points, Flavour 50 points and Melting Properties 10 points. Gold Awards are given to entries with more than 95 points and Silver Awards are given to those between 90 and 95 points.

“We are delighted to receive the news of our success,” says Gelato Roma co-owner Daniela Burlando, “especially when we realised that we had won the top gelato award for our salted caramel gelato. Being acknowledged as best in the gelato category is the greatest reward we could receive for our hard work.”

“It’s great to be putting Nelson-made gelato in the national spotlight,” says Gelato Roma co-owner and gelato maker Yuri Aristarco. “We make our caramel ourselves, starting with a pot, sugar and water. We don’t use any pre-made caramel, artificial flavours or pre-mixed powders for our salted caramel gelato and we follow the same artisan process every time we make our caramel. We are so proud that our hard work and commitment to making real artisan gelato has been recognised in this way.”

Gelato Roma has experienced stellar success and multiple accolades since it was first produced in Nelson in 2015, and won eight Silver Awards at last year’s New Zealand Ice Cream Awards.

The New Zealand Ice Cream Awards were introduced in 1997 by the NZICMA to promote and publicise the high standard of New Zealand ice cream and gelato.

The annual New Zealand Ice Cream Awards were announced and presented at the NZICMA Conference Awards Dinner, on Wednesday 13 November 2019.

For more information go to www.gelatoroma.co.nz

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