Bella Gelateria Wins 2 Awards at World's Largest Gelato Competition

Those, like myself, that frequent Bella Gelateria (at the corner of Burrard and Cordova) know that it is something special. In a city full of great gelato spots, this one rises above. Now it’s known to the rest of the world as owner James Coleridge’s Bella Gelateria has been awarded both the public choice award and the technical award at the Firenze Gelato Festival 2012. The competition competes gelato masters from around the world in the art of hand-crafted gelato according to tradition.

Snippets from the email press release:

Coleridge’s creation “Noce Pecan e Sciroppo d’Acero Canadese” (Pecan and Canadian Maple Syrup) was awarded first prize by the technical panel, as the best among the 30 master gelato makers. In addition, more than 200,000 visitors attended the Festival and were given the opportunity to vote for the best gelato. The people voted for Coleridge’s gelato and he was awarded with the “people’s choice award” in the competition in Florence, Italy from May 23 to 27.

Bella Gelateria offers 30 flavours of hand-made gelato daily. In-store flavours change according to the weather and the season ranging from white truffle with black caviar, raspberry and beet sorbetto, or the famous 85 per cent dark chocolate gelato. Bella Gelateria offers more than eight different types of chocolate gelato daily.

Bella Gelateria is the first in North America to use classic gelato machinery advocating slow process and small artisanal batches. Every in-store item is made from scratch using local and in-season ingredients. Coleridge can be seen daily preparing the day’s fresh flavours at his store at 1001 West Cordova Street.

Image: SmokySweet