The final of Panettone Day took place in the splendid Sala Mengoni da Cracco in Galleria in Milan. The jury of experts, chaired by Maestro Gino Fabbri, nominated the best artisanal panettone in Italy for 2023. Congusto Institute, technical partner of the prestigious competition now in its eleventh edition, had hosted the first selection phase of the competition.
The Panettone Day jury
The leavened products of the winning artisans of each category stood out among the 25 finalists in the competition and were evaluated professionally and in total anonymity by the jury of experts led by the Maestro Gino Fabbri , together with Marco Pedron, Pastry Chef and Educational Director of the pastry area of Congusto Institute, to the Starred Chef Carlo Cracco , a Marta Boccanera , Pastry Chef awarded with Tre Torte in the 2023 Gambero Rosso Pastry & Pastry Shop guide, ad Adriano Del Mastro , one of the most interesting master bread makers in Italy awarded with the Tre Pani by the Gambero Rosso Guide; in addition to the winner of the Traditional category of the 2022 edition, Giordano Berettini . The artisans got involved by accepting the challenge of competing with the 158 participants of the 2023 edition, coming from all over the Peninsula, and who obtained the best score for all the evaluation criteria of the competition: from appearance to cooking, from the honeycomb to the aroma and taste.
The winners of Panettone Day
The names of the winners of the competing categories: Dominic Napoleon of the F.lli Napoleone pastry shop in Rieti (RI), Bartolo Carbè of the Antico Forno Carbè of Syracuse (SR), Francesco Bertolini of the Bertolini&Figli pastry shop in San Bonifacio (VR), respectively for the categories Traditional, Creative Sweet and Gold Chocolate . Furthermore, the special " Best Cube Leavened " award goes to Saint Giarrusso of the Pasubio pastry shop in Catania (CT) e Bartolo Carbè of the Antico Forno Carbè of Syracuse (SR) wins the "Best Panettone for Breakfast" award.
The Temporary Store from 3 to 28 October
The Panettone Day includes the opening of the Temporary Store in Corso Garibaldi 50 (corner of Via Palermo 21) from 3 to 28 October. In the heart of Brera all the Panettone Day finalists will have the opportunity to sell their creations and make themselves known to the public. A series of events and appointments are on the calendar to celebrate Italian excellence. Given the increasingly widespread habit of Italian consumers of combining panettone with coffee, as demonstrated by the research by Panettone Day in collaboration with Nielsen IQ, a selection of Specialty Coffee 1895 by Lavazza can also be purchased at the Temporary Store.
The competition, the longest running and among the most recognized in the world of Artisan Panettone, is promoted by two leading companies in excellent pastry making: Braims – which is part of the group CSM Ingredients – and Novacart . With the participation of sponsors Callebaut , Vitalfood and 1895 Coffee Designers by Lavazza .
By the editorial team
