Dedicato a Francesco Procopio Cutò, il siciliano che nel 1686 aprì a Parigi il Café Procope e insegnò all'Europa cos'è un sorbetto. Tema libero, un gusto inedito per ogni maestro, doppio cieco e una Giuria Tecnica d'eccezione.
Il Premio
L'eccellenza del gelato artigianale, premiata ogni anno.
Il Premio Procopio Cutò è il riconoscimento che ogni anno premia l'eccellenza dei maestri gelatieri allo Sherbeth Festival: celebra qualità, creatività e innovazione nel gelato artigianale.
La selezione passa attraverso il Comitato Tecnico di Sherbeth; i gelatieri in gara propongono un gusto inedito, pensato appositamente per il premio, assegnato da una Giuria Tecnica d'eccezione.
Partecipare significa essere protagonisti di un evento unico, che valorizza la tradizione e insieme favorisce l'innovazione, spingendo sempre oltre i confini del gelato artigianale. Il tema è libero: in gara i classici, ma anche sorprese frutto di pensieri creativi e di materie prime di alta qualità, molto diverse tra loro.
Come funziona
Conta solo il gusto. Per regolamento.
Doppio cieco
I giudici non sanno chi ha prodotto cosa: ogni gusto arriva anonimo, identificato solo da un codice.
Due giurie
La Giuria Tecnica internazionale e la Giuria Critica dei giornalisti, ciascuna con la propria urna.
Verbale notarile
Ogni fase è verbalizzata da notaio: un risultato che si può esaminare riga per riga.
Premio Procopio Cutò 2026
Palermo, 16 novembre 2026
La finale al Teatro Massimo chiude la 18ª edizione: scopri le giurie, il regolamento e i vincitori delle scorse edizioni.
La Giuria Tecnica di Sherbeth è composta da esperti selezionati per la competenza nella valutazione sensoriale e nella conoscenza approfondita delle materie prime e dei processi produttivi. Ogni gusto viene analizzato secondo parametri tecnici precisi e condivisi: è il cuore scientifico del Premio, che garantisce rigore, trasparenza e coerenza con i valori dell'eccellenza artigianale. Gli assaggi restano in doppio cieco.
Amanda Dupas De Matos
Senior researcher, Massey University (New Zealand) — sensory and consumer science, sommelier
Dr Amanda Dupas is a senior researcher at Massey University, New Zealand, specialising in sensory and consumer science, as well as a qualified sommelier. She has over 10 years of experience in consumer-centric research across a wide range of food and beverage categories. Her work focuses on understanding cultural differences, consumer choices and preferences, and emotional responses to food and beverages. Alongside her research, Amanda works closely with industry partners, particularly in the food and beverage sector, to understand their challenges and provide advanced sensory and consumer insights that support more informed business decisions. Passionate about wine, verjuice, and all kinds of food — including gelato — Amanda lived in Italy for almost five years, where she completed her PhD at the University of Padova in Conegliano and obtained her Sommelier certification with FISAR Treviso. She is strongly committed to advancing knowledge and fostering innovation across research, industry, and education.
Sylvia Chao
Founder of Mountain in Blue, Lukang (Taiwan) — winner of the Procopio Cutò Prize 2025
I founded Mountain in Blue in Lukang, my hometown, in 2018. Eight years on, it is still a small shop, and I am still the one making the gelato every day. I won the Procopio Cutò in 2025 with “Luce d’Oolong”, a gelato built around Taitung red oolong. The prize had never gone to Taiwan before, which made it especially meaningful to me. That was not a finish line, and it did not change the gelato. It changed what I owe the craft. I want to turn that attention toward the people who grow what I use, and to make sure the next generation of Taiwanese gelatieri has somewhere to learn properly.
Stella Lignou
Associate Professor in Sensory and Consumer Science, University of Reading
Stella is a flavour and sensory scientist and Associate Professor in Sensory and Consumer Science at the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Reading, with extensive experience in evaluating consumer perception, sensory quality, and product acceptability across a range of food products. Her research focuses on understanding how flavour and sensory characteristics influence consumer preferences, enabling evidence-based assessment of product quality and innovation. She is delighted to bring her expertise to the judging panel and celebrate creativity, quality and sensory excellence during the Sherbeth festival this year.
Massimiliano Magli
Italian National Research Council (CNR) — sensory and consumer science
Massimiliano Magli works at the Italian National Research Council (CNR) in sensory and consumer science, with experience in the design, running, statistical analysis and interpretation of sensory and consumer studies. He has specific expertise in descriptive and discriminative analysis and in managing sensory panels for the characterisation and valorisation of food and non-food products. His particular interest lies in confectionery, both artisanal and industrial, and in the study of sensory perception and of the characteristics that shape the consumer’s experience. He also researches the factors influencing food preferences and behaviour, with particular attention to the transition towards healthier and more sustainable diets and to the acceptance of innovative products. He has solid experience in applying advanced statistical methods and in developing procedures and tools for data analysis with dedicated statistical software. He has developed particular expertise in the integrated interpretation of sensory and consumer data, with the aim of turning research results into concrete information supporting product development, optimisation and valorisation.
Stefano Predieri
Food quality and sensory analysis expert — former CNR researcher, twice chair of the Premio Cutò jury
An expert in the quality of agri-food products, Stefano Predieri has devoted his career to sensory analysis and consumer science, developing sound protocols for assessment and for the training of judges. He has run numerous training courses, including several for gelato makers, focused on knowledge of raw materials and on the evaluation of the sensory attributes that determine quality. Within national and European projects he has developed working methods to capture consumers’ habits and preferences through appropriate testing, defining the hedonic aspects and liking drivers that support the creation of innovative products. Since 2021 he has been a member of the jury of the «Francesco Procopio Cutò» competition at Sherbeth, serving as its chair for two editions. His research interests cover the perception of tastes, textures and aromas in food, the development of nutraceutical and functional products — with particular attention to older and vulnerable people — and food education for younger generations. For over 40 years he was a researcher at the Italian National Research Council (CNR), with more than 200 scientific publications to his name. He retired in August 2026, with still more time to devote to the knowledge and valorisation of outstanding foods.
Maya Warren
The Ice Cream Scientist® — PhD in Food Science, founder of IC3 CRM Consulting
Dr. Maya Warren, The Ice Cream Scientist®, blends science, storytelling, and global exploration into a mission to make the world sweeter — one scoop at a time. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota and holds a Ph.D. in Food Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she specialized in the microstructure, sensory properties, and behavioral aspects of frozen aerated desserts. Her love for ice cream extends far beyond the lab. Whether unraveling the science of the perfect scoop or uncovering the global stories behind frozen desserts, Dr. Maya has made it her mission to elevate ice cream through knowledge and joy. Dr. Maya gained international recognition as one half of the winning team, the #SweetScientists, on Season 25 of the Emmy Award-winning show The Amazing Race, alongside fellow scientist and friend, Dr. Amy DeJong. As the founder of IC3 CRM Consulting LLC, Dr. Maya provides expert consulting in the art and science of frozen desserts. She collaborates with brands to develop innovative flavors, improve formulations, and optimize production — blending creativity with technical expertise. In addition to her scientific and entrepreneurial work, Dr. Maya is an author and a sought-after keynote speaker, inspiring audiences of all ages with her energy, storytelling, and deep love of the art and science of ice cream. Her mission? To spread joy — one scoop at a time.
Giuria Critica
Le voci che raccontano il Premio.
Firme del giornalismo enogastronomico e della critica, accanto alla Giuria Tecnica: uno sguardo sulla cultura del gelato e sul racconto di ogni edizione.
EPhoto coming soon
Eleonora Cozzella
Editor of Il Gusto — Repubblica
Erica Firpo
Journalist and writer
Erica Firpo is a journalist, podcaster and photographer specialising in travel and lifestyle. She is co-author of the National Geographic special edition Hidden Rome (2026) and has written more than 20 books. Her stories have appeared in AFAR, The Washington Post, Travel + Leisure, The Guardian and Condé Nast Traveler, among others. She is the creator of Ciao Bella and of the podcast of the same name, in which she explores contemporary Italy through conversations with chefs, artists, curators and leading cultural figures. Her photographs have been published by CNN, Mashable and Instagram’s official account. La Repubblica named her one of the 8 Italian digital influencers to follow.
Bruno Petronilli
Publisher, James Magazine
Born in 1966, a journalist with a degree in political science and a lifelong Inter supporter raised in Milan on bread and Beccalossi, he began his career in 1992 in Umbria, which is now his home. He started out as a film critic, but the call of the table soon took over and he turned to food and wine. For many years he contributed to the Guide de L’Espresso, and he has always worked with Identità Golose. In 2017 he founded and became editor of James Magazine, a bold and innovative periodical born of an editorial vision rooted in the pursuit of absolute quality and in long familiarity with the world of great champagnes, wines and chef-driven restaurants. Sparkling wines have always been central to his work: a passion that became a language and a way of telling stories. Since 2025 he has also edited Sparkling Life, a bimonthly devoted to the effervescent universe, and since May 2026 Portraits, the print magazine of Champagne Society, entirely dedicated to Champagne. He is also the editor of the first World Guide devoted to Roman pinsa.
Giuseppina Sozio
Gambero Rosso
A professional journalist and editor, born in 1981. Born and raised in Irpinia, she put down roots in Rome at a very young age to pursue her passion for news and for the audiovisual world. After an early working life in environmental and political newsrooms, she has been part of the Gambero Rosso team since 2009. She edits the guide Le Migliori Gelaterie d’Italia 2027 and other titles from the publishing house, and teaches food criticism on the postgraduate courses of the Gambero Rosso Academy.
L'uomo dietro il nome
Francesco Procopio Cutò — la storia
Nato in Sicilia nel Seicento, Francesco Procopio Cutò — a Parigi Procope dei Coltelli — portò in Francia l'arte siciliana del freddo. Nel 1686 aprì il Café Procope, uno dei primi caffè d'Europa: lì i sorbetti e i gelati, fino ad allora un lusso di corte, diventarono un piacere pubblico, serviti a scrittori, filosofi e curiosi.
È a lui che si deve, in gran parte, la diffusione del gelato in Europa. Il Premio che porta il suo nome raccoglie questa eredità: riconosce chi oggi spinge il gelato artigianale oltre i suoi confini, con la stessa mescolanza di tecnica, ingrediente e visione che tre secoli fa fece di un siciliano un padre del gelato europeo.
