THE COUNTDOWN TO THEELEVENTH EDITION OF THE EUROPEAN ARTISANAL GELATO DAY, THAT THE 24 MARCH EVERY YEAR IT CELEBRATES ONE OF THE MOST BELOVED PRODUCTS OF ALL TIME, AS WELL AS ABLE TO MOVE A RAPIDLY GROWING TURNOVER AND TO SUPPORT THE SUPPLY CHAINS OF EXCELLENCE AND ALL OVER THE OLD CONTINENT.
It will start at 44th edition of SIGEP-The Dolce World Expo, the International Exhibition of Artisan Gelato, Pastry, Bakery and Coffee of Italian Exhibition Group, scheduled from 21 to 25 January at the Rimini exhibition center, the countdown to the eleventh edition of the European Day of Artisanal Gelato, the only Day that the European Parliament has ever dedicated to a food, celebrated throughout the Old Continent (and beyond) on March 24 of each year with events, meetings and initiatives to contribute to the enhancement of this A product loved all over the world and its important supply chain. And it is a love, the one for artisanal ice cream, that knows no crisis.
NUMBERS IN EUROPE
After the months of the pandemic, 2022 saw a record sales of artisanal ice cream in Europe, with a turnover of almost €10 billion, on the rise by 13% compared to the previous year (€9.83 billion in 2022 compared to €8.7 billion in 2021). The growth, to which inflationary dynamics certainly contributed, was mainly fueled by a particularly favorable climate and the recovery of tourist flows which, in some areas, made it possible to reach peaks of over +20% in sales trends. And despite the increase in the costs of energy and raw materials keeping the profitability of artisan businesses under pressure, the presence of ice cream parlors in Europe remains stable, which is confirmed as the absolute protagonist in the world when it comes to artisanal ice cream. The Old Continent is in fact in the front row both for the presence of ice cream parlors (more than 65,000 points of sale and 300,000 employees), with Germany (9,000), Spain (2,200), Poland (2,000), England (1,100) and Austria (900), followed by Greece (680) and France (450), both in terms of Artisanal consumption, with Italy, Germany, Spain and Poland at the helm, without forgetting the role of countries such as theAustria – protagonist of the 2023 edition of Gelato Day with the Flavour of the Year, Apfelstrudel -, as well as France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
THE NUMBERS IN ITALY
Even more important are the growth trends in Italy, where the artisanal ice cream supply chain has a total turnover of 3.8 billion euros and employs over 100 thousand people. In 2022, artisanal ice cream sales reached €2.7 billion between ice cream parlours, pastry shops and ice cream bars, in 16% growth compared to 2021 (2.3 billion in 2021 and 1.85 billion in 2020). Also increasing is the Number of ice cream parlors on the national territory (+139 points of sale), with Lombardy, Sicily and Campania on the podium of the regions with the greater presence of artisanal production workshops. The impact of the purchase by companies of Foodstuffs, from milk (230 thousand tons) to sugar, from fresh to dried fruit, such as Bronte pistachio (1,650) and Piedmontese hazelnuts (1,900), two of the most loved and sold flavors. And that's not all: once again this year, Italy confirms its world leader in the field of ingredients and semi-finished products (65 companies involved and a turnover of €1 billion) and its leading role in the Machinery, showcases and equipment (with a turnover of about 700 million euros and exports equal to 70% of production).
GELATO DAY 2023 AT SIGEP
In order to support and enhance artisanal ice cream and its entire important supply chain, Gelato Day will land at SIGEP, one of the most important meetings between operators in the sector. The protagonists were the Taste of the Year 2023, the Apfelstrudel chosen by Austria, and the winners of the second edition of the video contest that put master ice cream makers from all over Europe to the test grappling with the Taste of the Year 2022, Sweet Symphony. After the announcement during the MIG – International Gelato Exhibition in Longarone last November, the winners will be awarded at SIGEP: Silvia Chirico of Tenuta Chirico (Ascea, Salerno), Kairet Denis of Place Docteur Jacques Anthee (Onhaye, Belgium), Maria Chiara Sanna of L’arte del gelato (Anzio, Rome).
And that's not all. During the SIGEP, presentations will be made to the Two new important collaborations that will animate the eleventh edition of the European Day of Artisanal Gelato: the one with the Red Shrimp, which will involve the best Italian ice cream parlours, and the one with “Gelato a Primavera”, the historic event of the’Italian Association of Gelato Makers.
All updates on the eleventh edition of Gelato Day are available on the site www.gelato-day.com and on the Gelato Day's official pages on Facebook (@24MarzoEuropeanGelatoDay), Instagram (@Gelato_Day) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/GelatoDay).
All ice cream parlors in Italy and Europe are invited to join the 2023 edition of Gelato Day by registering on the website www.gelato-day.com and reporting all the initiatives scheduled for March 24, 2023.