Brussels’ artisan glacier Pepe’s in top 100 best ice-creams in the world

Artisan ice-cream maker José Romero has reached the top 100 in an acclaimed Italian ice-cream competition, reports Bruzz.

Under the name Artisan Glacier Pepe’s, the manufacturer boasts three businesses in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert and Etterbeek, as well as Pepe’s Mobile, a retro tricycle (pictured) that plies city parks and streets.

The award comes from the Italian Gelato Festival World Master competition, launched in 2010 and staged every four years.

Claiming to be the most prestigious ice cream competition in the world, 22 countries participated this year.  

In 2019, Romero was awarded the title of 'best young Belgian', earning a place in the grand finale of the festival in Rome.

Exotic flavours

The awards were judged by enthusiasts and professionals. Romero was praised for his special flavours: cinnamon-caramel-pecan, litchi-raspberry, lemon-mint or vanilla with dalgona Korean candy pieces.

Drawing on its Latin American roots, the Belgian brand also offers unusual exotic fruits, such as guava and lulo.

But it was a mouth-watering combination of Sri Lankan cinnamon, caramelised pecans and sea salted caramel that propelled Pepe into the top 100.

"I had tasted a similar ice cream in Venice, but I tried to improve the taste," he told La Dernière Heure newspaper.

The use of home-made ingredients is also one of his trademarks. "When you roast the nuts yourself, you have 10 times as much flavour." He regrets that many ice cream parlours opt for ready-made ingredients out of convenience.