The prestigious Gelato Festival World has officially unveiled the world’s top-ranked gelato for 2024. After the festival’s complex ranking system analyzed 8,000+ gelato artisans representing 1,278 shops, San Franciscan Savannah G. Lee managed to snag the #3 spot. Lee, of Savannah’s Gelato Kitchen, is a top-ranked gelato chef with numerous accolades under her belt.
The 2024 Gelato Festival World ranking was announced at the Stampa Estera headquarters in Rome, Italy on June 19, 2024. In past years the top spots were often dominated by Italians, but 2024 brought some more international chefs to the top three. First place went to Adám Fazekas of Fazekas Cukraszda in Budapest, Hungary with 227 points; second place went to Giovanna Bonazzi of La Parona del Gelato in Parona, Italy with 214 points; and third place, of course, went to Savannah G. Lee of Savannah’s Gelato Kitchen in San Francisco, CA with 208 points.
The Gelato Festival is a 13-year summer tradition presented by the Gelato Festival World Masters, gelato machine company Carpigiani, and Sigep Italian Exhibition Group. A spot on this list is akin to a Michelin star in the restaurant world, and competition has grown stiffer in recent years. The festival ranks gelato artisans based on their performance in previous competitions and evaluations by hundreds of gelato experts, and the qualifying pool has more than doubled since 2022.
This isn’t the first time that Lee has claimed such a prestigious award. She took home the #1 spot at the Gelato Festival America in 2021. Her flavor, “The All American,” made with slow-cooked apples, caramel, and pink salt, was an absolute hit.
Several other American gelato artisans made the esteemed 2024 world ranking: they include #11 Mike Guerriero of Guerriero Gelato in New Jersey; #16 Giuseppe Lollino of Vero Gelato in Franklin Park, Illinois; #17 Diego Comparin of Paciugo Gelato in Dallas; and #25 Maria Liliana Biondo of uGOgelato in Cincinnati.
“Summing up after 13 years of competitions, what emerges is an ever-increasing commitment of gelato artisans to researching ingredients, studying balancing techniques, and creating their own unique style,” said Giulia Rossi, Carpigiani Project Manager. “…this international ranking is a reliable and current snapshot of a phenomenon that we can call global.”
Although Savannah’s Gelato Kitchen does not have a physical storefront in San Francisco, you can keep up with her on Instagram at @savannahs_gelato_kitchen. The Gelato Festival itself is known to sell flavors inspired by recipes from award-winning artisans, and you can visit their Hollywood brick-and-mortar location or keep an eye on their website to see what’s coming.