Articles

Gelato Challenge

Gelato Challenge Details

Presented by Carpigiani and The World Masters Gelato Festival
Join the world's most renowned festival celebrating the finest gelato flavors and the chefs who create them! The top two flavors will earn a spot at the USA Semi-Finals. Winners advance to the North American Finals and may be selected to represent North America in the Worldwide Finale in Italy. The full Gelato Challenge Chef Guide is available for download under the documents section of our website (look for the gelato icon).

ARRIVAL

Competitors must arrive 30 minutes before their shift

UNIFORM

Competitors are encouraged to wear the official challenge chef uniform

REQUIREMENTS

Bring at least five liters of mix (pasteurized or ready to be frozen)

CHALLENGE RULES

30 minutes to batch-freeze your mix
Present your gelato in:

ACF National Membership Update

An email sent by ACF National to all ACF Members on December 9, 2024:

Dear ACF Members,

We are excited to share some important updates to ACF membership, which will go into effect in early 2025. These changes, approved by your Board of Directors and Chapter Presidents, are designed to streamline membership options, enhance inclusivity, and ensure that ACF continues to serve and represent our diverse culinary community effectively.

What's Changing and Why?
These updates reflect our commitment to empowering all culinary professionals, attracting the next generation of chefs, and providing new opportunities for engagement.

Professional Membership:
We are combining the former Professional Culinarian and Allied memberships into a single Professional category. Professional members will receive one full vote, ensuring that more voices in the industry are heard.

Vendor Membership:
Our former Associate members will now be called Vendors, and they will also receive one full vote, recognizing the importance of those who provide products and services to our field.

Associate Membership:
The new Associate category brings together previous Culinarian, Student Culinarian, and Junior Culinarian levels. It includes chefs under the age of 25 and students of any age in ACF-accredited schools, and it grants members half a vote. This change reflects our goal of fostering leadership and engagement among emerging culinary professionals.

Gastronomy Membership:
Formerly known as Culinary Enthusiast, this category has been renamed Gastronomy Member. With a lower price point and exciting new competitions, this category will welcome food lovers who want to learn from and support our industry. Gastronomy members will not have voting rights.

Why These Changes Matter

More Inclusive Representation:
These updates ensure that more members have a say in ACF’s future, making our organization stronger and more representative of the entire culinary field.

Opportunities for Growth:
With new competitions and a broadened appeal, we look forward to growing our Gastronomy membership and engaging a wider audience.

Empowering the Next Generation:
By streamlining student and culinarian memberships into the Associate category, we are setting the stage for the next generation to thrive and lead within ACF.

Membership Dues Update
To continue delivering value while managing increasing operational costs, we will implement a slight dues adjustment in 2025. This is the first increase since 2020 and it reflects the rising costs of software, staffing, and services that support your membership experience.

What You Need to Do
You don’t need to take any action. Your membership will automatically transition to the appropriate category in your member portal.

We are thrilled about these updates and confident they will make your ACF membership more meaningful and impactful. Thank you for your continued support and engagement as we shape the future of the culinary industry together.

If you have any questions about these changes, please feel free to contact the ACF National Offices at [email protected].