If you want your gelato offering to be the ‘cream of the crop’, it’s important to invest in education.
Carpigiani, the undisputed world leader in the manufacture of gelato and ice cream equipment, has its own acclaimed ‘Gelato University’ in Bologna, Italy – and has recently launched a collection of online courses to help and inspire makers across the UK.
The courses are headed up by Joe Yates (pictured), development and training chef at Carpigiani, working from the company’s bases in Hereford and Park Royal, London, and have been tailored to suit all ability levels, from complete gelato novices to high-end chefs looking to expand their offering.
Joe explains: “We previously offered training courses at our development centres but the coronavirus pandemic accelerated our plans to take everything online and offer a safer and more convenient way for customers to access our training programmes.
“It’s exactly the same content that you would get at our Gelato University in Bologna but we have ‘anglicised’ it to make it more appropriate for the UK market.”
The training sessions are interactive and are limited to six people or less so that everyone gets the opportunity to talk and ask questions.
Each of the three levels (Basic, Intermediate and Advanced) has core content but can be adapted to suit specific business needs depending on who is attending.
Each level comprises of four sessions, lasting 3-4 hours, and topics include gelato balancing and substitutions; batch freezing; sorbet, slush and cremolata making; display advice; gelato confectionery and cakes, and allergens.
“Vegan and vegetarian is a big draw at the moment so we have a lot of content about that,” adds Joe. “It’s fast becoming a part of the gelato scene. Asian influences are also very popular.”
Course delegates come from a wide variety of backgrounds, from industrial backgrounds to operators who are opening one site or shop - and everything in between.
“We’re here to help people and we work with lots of different businesses to develop their recipes, from multiple-site fast food chains “such as McDonalds and KFC” to “Michelin-starred chefs” such as Michael Caines, Claude Bosi, Tom Kerridge and Sat Bains.
“There are good margins to be made on gelato and it’s a great opportunity to be creative and put your own stamp on it. It’s also a highly Instagram-able product and is getting a lot of exposure on social media, which is obviously a big win for businesses.”
For absolute beginners who are considering dipping their toe in the water (or gelato!), Carpigiani host ‘An introduction to gelato’ three-hour free course which lightly touches on all of the topics from gelato trends, basic preparations and information about machinery.
For more information, visit https://www. carpigiani.co.uk/carpigiani-university/ or Instagram @carpigianidessertclub and @ carpigianiuk.
Courses cost £599 each with discount if they book two or three courses:
Basic – £599.00
Basic and Intermediate – £1,099.00
Basic Intermediate and Advanced – £1,499.00
Special offer
50% of course fees will be returned if a company spends up to £14,999 and 100% of course fees returned if they spend £15,000+, within 12 months of course attendance.
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