Torre del Mar ice-cream maker wins prestigious European prize

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Juanma Guerrero from Sicilia Gelati in Torre del Mar won the Gelato Day 2026 championship of Italian gelato with a creation called 'Melody,' which is designed to "make Europe sing"

Eugenio Cabezas

Tuesday, 7 April 2026, 17:30

Master ice cream maker Juanma Guerrero from Torre del Mar on the eastern Costa del Sol has achieved one of the highest accolades in the European artisanal sector by winning Gelato Day 2026, the continental championship of Italian gelato, with a creation called 'Melody,' designed to "make Europe sing."

Guerrero, 51, manager of the Sicilia Gelati ice cream parlour on Paseo de Larios in Torre del Mar, is behind the winning flavour for the competition which forms part of the Sigep World international trade fair in Rimini, Italy, one of the world's leading showcases for the sector. There, he competed against master gelato makers from all over Europe, including Salvatore Ravese, the current world champion.

Guerrero's creation, inspired by this year's theme – 'The ice cream that makes Europe sing,' in connection with the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest – is a creamy base of sheep's milk ricotta, accompanied by pistachio nuts and a natural orange syrup as a nod to Mediterranean tradition and Valencia.

"It's an idea that was born like a musical score, where each ingredient acts as a note that has to fit together harmoniously," Guerrero explained to SUR on Monday 6 April, adding that the goal was "to create a flavour that would evoke emotion and be understood in any country."

This recognition places the ice cream maker among the international elite of artisan gelato, consolidating his upward trajectory in recent years. In 2023 he was awarded the title of Cavaliere del Gelato in Rome, the highest distinction of the Italian association and in 2024 came 14th at the Longarone International Gelato Exhibition, considered the 'Oscars' of the industry.

In April 2025 Guerrero was named ambassador of Italian gelato worldwide, the only Spaniard to hold this title alongside a Japanese professional, which reinforces his international profile. Gelato Day takes place on 24 March each year and is recognised by the European Parliament. This year it brought together thousands of ice cream makers from across Europe with some 400 from Spain.

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The president of Artglace, Domenico Belmonte, said that "this competition represents one of the highest points of creativity in the sector" and highlighted that Guerrero's recipe "perfectly embodies the idea of a Europe united in diversity, as is the case with music." Beyond international recognition, Guerrero's success once again places the Axarquía on the European gastronomic map, at a time when artisanal gelato is experiencing a sustained boom and is increasingly linked to the quality of raw materials and innovation in flavours.

At its shop on Paseo de Larios in Torre del Mar, Sicilia Gelati has already begun the new season after a "very good" Easter, offering more than twenty flavours, including new creations such as macadamia and white chocolate biscotti or a vegan pistachio with green tea infusion.

Guerrero insists on the importance of maintaining the artisanal essence of Italian gelato. “Ice cream isn’t just a dessert; it’s culture, technique, and product,” he asserted in an interview with this newspaper, where he championed the use of natural ingredients and additive-free production as the hallmarks of his project.

His professional career began in the local hospitality industry in 2018 before specialising in gelato after an international stint in countries such as Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States, where he worked in sports nutrition and gym management.

Juanma Guerrero is a clear reflection of the growing influence of the Axarquía and Malaga's gastronomy on the international stage. This coming week, he has an event planned in Alicante with Michelin-starred chef Rafa Soler to create “gastronomic ice creams” based on dishes from the restaurant’s menu.