Today when you enter a gelato shop you get the pleasant feeling that gelato is truly a treat for everyone, the dessert that can satisfy everyone's needs. There are all kinds of flavors, the beloved classics and the extravagant novelties, but above all gelato is suitable for those who can’t eat certain products but who don’t want to give up the pleasure of a cup of gelato.
Stefano Tarquinio, Senior Lecturer and Technical Advisor of Carpigiani Gelato University, curator of the school's innovative curriculum, tells us what's going on and helps us understand how and why the display cases of modern gelato shops are changing.
Stefano has identified
four main trends in this changing landscape: the introduction of complementary elements in the finished flavor, attention to alternatives with the rise of "free-from" options, the presence of gelato not only in gelato shops but also in other venues, and the spread of a new concept which sees artisanal shop no longer confined to a single location but rather with multiple outlets.
As Stefano explains it, the display case of the modern gelato shop is a reflection of the society around us. Today's customer has a more refined palate and is open to "combo" flavors, hence
the presence of complementary elements in gelato that were rarely seen before in a cup of gelato. Lemon curd with crumbled almond shortbread, raspberry sorbet with bits of meringue, chocolate with poached fruit, these are just a few examples of flavors that involve the combination of different elements. In this new world of combinations,
gelato artisans are starting to produce these complementary products in-house. The gelato shop makes its own meringue, poached fruit with seasonal fruits, and sponge cake, thus offering a mix of flavors and textures and making the gelato more pleasing.
"Good for everyone!" Thus continued Stefano Tarquinio as he explained gelato’s latest trends. Today gelato is the ultimate inclusive product: there isn't a customer who can't find a gelato flavor that satisfies their craving. Whether out of necessity or choice, there's a growing demand for lighter, healthier options, but above all there's a boom in "free-from" gelato: free from dairy derivatives, free from added sugars, free from additives, free from emulsifiers. In this situation a good gelato artisan has only one challenge to tackle: to continue making good gelato. The absence of ingredients like dairy derivatives or sugars should not make the gelato less tasty. The gelato artisan who accepts this challenge knows they must make a good product that is enjoyable, tasty, and indulgent. In this case the customer is attracted by alternatives, so the gelato artisan must create a product that will keep them coming back.
The third trend concerns the now well-established presence of gelato in commercial establishments other than the traditional gelato shop. Today gelato artisans can supply cafés, restaurants, pastry shops, and in some cases even bakeries and supermarkets. An artisanal gelato shop can produce not only the classic tub but also products such as cakes, single portions, jars, and sticks. In some cases the gelato artisan may even sell a liquid mix, offering it in bags to those who have a batch freezer in their establishment. This way artisanal gelato truly extends its reach everywhere.
Last but not least is the trend of multiple points of sale. What was once contemplated only for chains is becoming a reality for artisanal gelato shops thanks to the evolution of the gelato artisan's role and increasingly cutting-edge equipment. The entrepreneurial gelato artisan decides to reduce the initial investment by centralizing production in a single location, perhaps a bit remote, in an area with lower rents, from where the finished product is sold or in the form of a mix. The points of sale can thus be very small but in more central areas, prominent and expensive neighborhoods, where there’s a batch freezer if liquid mix is delivered, or a display case and freezers if finished product arrives, or in some cases there’s a batch freezer on the counter as a global solution.
In short, artisanal gelato today knows no bounds, reaching any customer in any setting in multiple locations, and undoubtedly remains the world's most beloved dessert. All that's left is to continue enjoying it wherever we want.
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