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The best ice cream makers in the world meet in Benidorm

 

 

• Toni Pérez underlines Benidorm's commitment to initiatives that "boost the city's projection as a first-class tourist and gastronomic destination"

• The best ice cream masters on the national and international scene have been taking part since yesterday in Benidorm, at the Melià Villaitana hotel, in the fourth edition of the Gran Premio del Helado 2025, a notable event that has consolidated the city in “four years” as “a benchmark in the promotion of gastronomy and quality tourism”. This was highlighted by the mayor, Toni Pérez, during the visit he made to learn, first-hand, the details of the exhibition that closes its doors this afternoon.

The ice cream maker and spokesperson for Abreca (Association of Bars, Restaurants and Cafeterias), Alex Fratini, from Gelateria Pinocchio, and participant in the competition, together with its director, Marco Levati, have accompanied the mayor on the tour of the different stands present.

The Benidorm Ice Cream Grand Prix is ​​a competition that combines creativity, technique and flavour, where 150 participants have competed to win the coveted title and exclusive awards, among which a Porsche Boxter stands out as first prize, a Vespa Piaggio for the second place and a Bravo machine for the third place.

The competition was attended by figures from the sector such as Paco Torreblanca, best pastry chef in the world in 2022 and Medal d'Or 9 d'Octubre of the Generalitat in 2024; 150 exhibiting companies and more than 4,500 operators from all over Europe. Among them, and representing Benidorm, Gelateria Pinocchio. Marco Levati pointed out that the total participation is around 6,000 specialists in 2025 and that, every year, the event has managed to double the number of participants.

With his presence, Toni Pérez wanted to underline Benidorm's commitment to initiatives that "boost the projection of the city as a first-class tourist and gastronomic destination." The mayor has highlighted the importance of this event for the town: "The Ice Cream Grand Prix not only highlights the talent of ice cream makers, but also reinforces the image of Benidorm as a place where excellence and innovation have a place." "An event - he has specified - that is the second most important in the world in a sector rooted and recognised in the province of Alicante.

The event has filled the Melià Villaitana hotel with aromas and flavours, with proposals that have delighted both the jury and the public. In anonymous tubs, the professionals have given the jury their chocolate and mango creations to taste. Of these, 12 have been selected who have subsequently made the typical cremino ice cream from Piedmont (Italy).

 

The day culminated with the awards ceremony, a highly anticipated moment that will put the finishing touch to two days of intense competition. With this new edition, the 2025 Ice Cream Grand Prix reaffirms its position as one of the sweetest and most anticipated events on the calendar, contributing to the The economic and cultural dynamism of Benidorm, a city that will be joined by other ice cream awards in Budapest (Hungary), Vienna (Austria) and Split (Croatia) throughout 2025.

On the other hand, the event organisers have already announced that next year the awards will be raised to a higher level and the winner will take home a Maser.