AT SIGEP, GELATO DAY, THE DAY WITH WHICH EUROPE ON MARCH 24 WILL CELEBRATE A HERITAGE OF TASTE AND SUPPLY CHAIN THAT, IN THE OLD CONTINENT ALONE, HAS OVER 65,000 STORES, 315,000 EMPLOYEES AND 9.5 BILLION EUROS IN TURNOVER.
18 – 22 January 2020
Rimini Exhibition Centre
Rimini, 8 January 2020 – A true gastronomic excellence, an emblem of creativity and artisan professionalism, which, in Europe alone, has a turnover of 9.5 billion euros, 315,000 employees and over 65,000 points of sale. It is artisanal ice cream, the only food to which the European Union has so far dedicated a day, as it is capable of enhancing the agri-food products of each individual member state.
And, waiting to celebrate the eighth edition of the European Artisan Gelato Day, scheduled for March 24th, Gelato Day 2020 will be presented at SIGEP, the world exhibition of artisan confectionery of Italian Exhibition Group, which will be held at the Rimini exhibition center from 18 to 22 January. Anticipating trends and innovations in Artisan Gelato, Pastry and Bakery and Coffee, the event is a point of reference for all professionals in these sectors and its 41st edition promises to be the richest ever. Therefore, Gelato Day cannot be missed, created to celebrate and promote artisanal gelato, a food that not only represents excellence in terms of quality and food safety, but is also a real asset for the entire supply chain, capable of moving billions all over the planet.
THE NUMBERS OF ARTISANAL ICE CREAM. In fact, it is estimated that the 108,000 ice cream parlors in 76 different countries around the world generated a total turnover of 16 billion euros in 2018, with a growth of +6% compared to 2017, improving the already positive trend of recent years.
60% of the turnover is made in the Old Continent, where the main markets are concentrated in terms of the presence of ice cream parlors and the consumption of artisanal ice cream. Of the best European performers, Spain and Poland are the countries that have recorded the highest growth rates – respectively of +4% and +6% -, with Poland confirming itself as the most dynamic market at the moment. But it is Italy that continues to hold the world leadership both in terms of number of points of sale and turnover, thanks to the 39,000 ice cream parlors (10,000 specialized and 29,000 bars and pastry shops with artisanal ice cream) that employ about 150,000 people and achieve a turnover of 2.8 billion euros, equal to about 30% of the European market. This is followed by Germany, where there are 9,000 ice cream parlors (of which 3,300 are pure ice cream parlors): of these, about half (4,500) are ice cream parlors owned by Italians, which employ over 20,000 people, half of whom are of Italian origin. There are 2,200 seasonal ice cream parlors and, if once the season ran from March to October, today the times have been extended: a season goes from 9 to 10 months and as early as February the staff is recruited for the entire season. Also important are the numbers of artisanal ice cream parlors in Spain (2,200), Poland (2,000), England (1,100) and Austria (900), followed by Greece (680) and France (450).
As for the rest of the world, excluding Europe, there are about 43,000 ice cream parlors, led by markets such as Argentina, the United States, Brazil, and there is a growing importance in the markets of the Far East such as China, Korea, Malaysia and Australia, where a strong presence of citizens of Italian origin has led to a great diffusion of ice cream produced with artisanal methods.
ITALIAN LEADERSHIP. What determines such a far-reaching success is the ability demonstrated by the Italian artisanal ice cream supply chain in knowing how to combine tradition with innovation, creativity with technique, quality ingredients with the latest generation equipment. In fact, Italy is also a world leader in the sector of ingredients and semi-finished products for ice cream, in which 65 companies operate that generate a total turnover of 1.8 billion euros, of which 800 million are semi-finished products for ice cream. Not to mention the significant impact of the supply chain on the purchase of agri-food products. Finally, Italy is a world leader in the production of machines and display cases for ice cream parlours. It is an industrial system that has 13 machinery companies that control almost 90% of the world market with a turnover of 229 million euros, to which are added 11 showcase companies for a turnover of 252 million euros.
GELATO DAY AT SIGEP. The eighth edition of Gelato Day will be held right next to the beating heart of Sigep, in the South Hall, in the dedicated space inside the stand of Artglace, the association that, with Longarone Fiere, was the creator of the European Day of Artisanal Gelato. An opportunity for all gelato makers to find out how to actively participate in Gelato Day – the "Gelato Day kit" is also available for them with 250 cups, spoons, napkins, napkin rings and a window sticker, to be picked up directly at the stand – and for all visitors to taste the yogurt ice cream variegated with strawberries, the flavor of the year chosen by the Netherlands for the 2020 edition. As per tradition, in fact, each edition has its own taste and, after a 2019 in the name of Italianness with authentic tiramisu, this year it is the turn of the Land of Windmills, which has chosen a taste capable of combining both its long dairy tradition and the extraordinary quality recognized to its strawberries.
And that's not all: on Sunday 19, Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 January, again at 11 a.m., in the Yellow Room, there will be presentations of the European Day of Artisanal Gelato, which, since its establishment, has represented a unique opportunity to communicate and promote throughout Europe the merits and virtues of artisanal productions, which have always been an expression of quality, of authenticity and territoriality, through initiatives and events, which will also run on the web and social networks thanks to the www.gelato-day.it website and the official Gelato Day accounts on Twitter and Facebook (www.facebook.com/24MarzoEuropeanGelatoDay).
The European Day of Artisanal Gelato is the only day that the European Parliament has so far dedicated to a food. Celebrated on March 24 of each year in all European countries, with events, meetings and initiatives aimed at spreading the culture of artisanal gelato, "Gelato Day" is a unique opportunity to contribute to the enhancement of this product, the promotion of artisan knowledge and the development of the gastronomic tradition of the sector. A peculiarity of the "Gelato Day" is the "Flavor of the Year", chosen every year by one of the participating countries: for the eighth edition of Gelato Day on March 24, 2020 it will be the variegated yogurt with strawberries, chosen by the Netherlands.
Alongside its creators, Longarone Fiere and Artglace, Gelato Day sees as partners of the 2020 edition: ACOMAG – National Association of Manufacturers of Machinery, Furnishings and Equipment for Gelato, Italian Association of Gelato Makers, CNA, Campania Gelato Makers Committee, Confartigianato, Italian Federation of Gelato Makers, G.A. – National Committee for the Defence and Diffusion of Artisanal and Home-made Gelato, G.A.T. – Artisanal Gelato Makers of Triveneto, Masters of Italian Gelateria, SIGEP – International Exhibition of Artisan Gelato, Pastry, Bakery and Coffee of Italian Exhibition Group, and UIF – Italian Food Union.
Creators and partners invite all ice cream parlors in Italy and Europe to join the 2020 edition of Gelato Day by registering on the www.gelato-day.it website and reporting the initiatives scheduled for March 24th.
Press Office