Mike Guerriero from Gelotti (Caldwell, Montclair, Paterson) was crowned first place at Gelato Festival American last week. The festival was created to spread the culture of artisanal Italian gelato throughout the United States — it visited seven cities this past summer.

His Blueberry Basil flavor wowed the judges once again — it’s crafted using fresh, sweet Jersey blueberries, garden-grown Genovese basil, and fresh squeezed lemon juice.

He’s got some time off to prepare, but next up is Italy for the Gelato Festival World Masters in 2021, as the win qualifies Guerriero as one of three to represent America in two years.

For more information on Gelotti and to see when the award winning gelato is available, visit gelottiessex.com.