Gelaterie that produce homemade gelato are booming all over Tuscany.
The region currently counts 564 homemade gelato shops, an increase of 26% over 2007. Florence gelaterie (both city and province) had the best showing - they continued their 2005-2006 trend (+27.4% in 2005 and +27.59% in 2006), which was sharply interrupted last year (-27%), but saw a 24% increase (134 shops total) this year.
Florence is followed by Lucca (78 shops), Livorno (61), Arezzo (49), Grosseto (48), Pisa (46), Prato (45), Pistoia (40), Massa Carrara (34) and Siena (29).
Sandro Lazzeri, president of the gelaterie of Confartigiano Imprese Firenze, explains, ''The data released by our office demonstrate that focusing on quality is a winning entrepreneurial strategy. In order to help the consumer who is looking for a quality product (often confused by nebulous marketing) and to certify the homemade genuineness of what they are tasting, we have created the brand ''Vero gelato artiginale'' (Real Homemade Gelato)''.
To obtain the brand, the gelaterie must respect a list of rules including using only quality ingredients, free of OGM and preferably purchased locally (in order to better guarantee freshness and simplify tracking, in addition to giving incentives to local producers); easily accessible information on products and the production process; the right balance between tradition
(Tuscan gelaterie are the heirs of Ruggeri, the brilliant Florentine chef and first modern homemade gelato makers, who introduced it to the French court following the marriage of Catherine de' Medici to Enrico d'Orleans) and technological innovation in the production process.
According to a study by Confartigiano on a sampling of gelaterie in the Florence province, dark chocolate is the flavour of summer 2008 (22%), followed by cream (17%), chocolate (12%), strawberry (8%), hazelnut (7%), pistachio (7%), fiordilatte (7%), yogurt (5%), lemon (3%) and coconut (3%).
Prices have remained stable since last summer (from 14 to 18 euro/kg depending on flavour).
Sales are down slightly from last year, likely due to the poor weather so far this season, but Lazzeri insists that they ''still trust that the next few months will be profitable, given that all conditions for a good year are there''. The average Florentine family spent nearly 80 euro on homemade and industrial gelato in 2007. Couples with children spent 135 euro/year, while young childless couples spent roughly 100 euro/year.
