Our story starts back in 2010 in Florence, Italy. Being proud (and curious) Italians, we began to study the history of gelato–which dates back more than 500 years to the renaissance–and its inventor Bernardo Buontalenti (whose name literally translates to "good talents" -- of course!) Gelato is a combination of simple ingredients, but it is very hard to make perfectly. True gelato is an art that requires inspiration, innovation, the right ingredients and equipment, and the dedicated passion of the most skilled gelato masters. No wonder it was once a delicacy reserved only for royalty and the elite! This filled us with intense imagination and respect for the art of gelato, and so we set out on a mission to find out who is creating the world's best gelato today, so we could share it with everyone. And that's why we held the first Gelato Festival competition, local to Italy, more than ten years ago. Since then, Gelato Festival has grown into the world's most prestigious gelato tournament, with competitions in over 22 countries. Here the world's most passionate gelato chefs dream up mind-blowing gelato recipes in pursuit of the title of World Master. Now Gelato Festival brings these creations to you–the best of the best from our competitions–whether you visit one of our shops, buy a pint at your local store, order a collab at some of the best restaurants across the country, or even get a special selection of award-winning gelato shipped to your home or office. But how many World's Best Gelato can there possibly be? Well, since gelato is art that you can see, taste and feel, it can spring from endless inspiration and craft. So we don't trouble ourselves with questions about limits. We just grab a spoon and say, "Buon Appetito!"