Costa del Sol ice cream maker scoops top honour in Italy

The owner of a Torre del Mar ice cream parlour, Sicilia Gelati, has been honoured in Rome with the title of Cavaliere del Gelato by the main association of gelato makers. This is the highest distinction awarded by the Italian Gelato Association for creators of their traditional product.

Having just arrived back from Rome with the award in hand, Juanma Guerrero told SUR that he was the only Spanish candidate for the title and that it is a very important accolade for his business, as the competition only judges those who maintain the artisan craft and make their own ice cream.

Sicilia Gelati opened two years ago on the Paseo de Larios in the eastern Costa del Sol; it had previously been in Mezquitilla. The businessman's love affair with ice cream began in La Arrocería restaurant, an establishment he also runs, where he began to try flavours and preparations. "Our offer was very popular and that's why we started to grow," he recalled.

Achieving a distinction of this kind was not easy. The professional himself explained that initially he had to send in some videos where he could be seen formulating and making the ice creams and that he has had a year's follow-up. Finally, at the event held in Rome, he had to prepare a nougat ice cream as did the other participants.

The competition was held at the Olympic stadium and also served to award the World Cup of Ice Cream Makers. In this edition, the artisans Taizo Shibano, Eugenio Morrone, Cristian Monaco, Mario Serani, Francesco Mastroianni and Vicenzo Pennestri were honoured.

Guerrero emphasised that his products are 100 per cent natural, additive and gluten-free. Unlike other establishments, he uses the Sicilian formula and makes them in a kitchen which is open to the public. Its star products include pistachio, which it makes with nuts from Bronte in Sicily, and coconut, which is vegan. Among the most original flavours are rice with lemon essence, Sicilian cassata (a typical Easter sweet on the Italian island) and gianduiotto (with hazelnut and chocolate).

Juanma Guerrero confirmed that customers are becoming more and more knowledgeable about ice cream, although they still find it difficult to understand texture or to distinguish 100 per cent natural ice creams like the ones he makes. Guerrero says many people let themselves be carried away by products which only contain sugar and which are like "putting sauce on a steak". He recommends that consumers pay attention to the creaminess of the ice cream and not to get carried away by bright colours, as these are an indication that it contains a lot of additives.

Regarding the consumption of ice cream nowadays, the professional ice cream maker said that while it continues to be a seasonal product, it is being consumed for a longer season each year, especially in Malaga city. With the weather in the province, it can be "consumed all year round," Guerrero added.