Will Stefan Beerens (33) from Baarle-Nassau become the best ice cream maker in the world? Now that he has qualified for the European finals of the Gelato Festival World Masters in Rimini, Italy, on Friday, that could easily happen: “It really feels unreal.”
“There were so many great ice cream makers present, so to be among the best four in Europe is really a dream come true,” says Stefan on Saturday the morning after the win. He barely slept: “But it was nice to experience.”
His artisanal ice cream Imagi convinced both the jury and the audience. The Imagi is a combination of pineapple, Japanese yuzu, Thai basil and coconut. With this ice cream he previously came second during the Dutch preliminary round. He got his inspiration from a profiterole from pastry chef Serena van Breukelen, who was named Best Pastry Chef in the Netherlands in March.
“Sometimes you come across flavor combinations that make you think: that sounds nice with ice cream. Then you try to make ice cream from it,” he says. That is not easy, says Beerens. “It’s a world of difference: with us everything is below zero degrees.” By tasting a lot, making adjustments, working with the best ingredients and maintaining the structure, the Imagi.
Tropical island
“I want to take people to another world,” he says about his creation. “By using your imagination you not only taste the flavors, but you also feel the story behind it, which allows you to escape to another world. That really brings Imagi to life.” With his ice cream he also wants to show that good ice cream does not necessarily need ‘a lot of fuss’. “I just want one smoothmaking smooth ice cream of four flavors. A kind of adventure or journey in your mouth.”
He says he won’t change anything about the ice cream itself before the World Cup. Maybe the presentation. During the European final he had to give his pitch in English, which was then translated by an interpreter for the Italian jury. “I wanted to take them on a journey in one minute, as if they were on a tropical island. But the translation caused many pauses, which made the story lose some of its power.”
He even considered doing the presentation in Italian, a language he does not yet speak. “I think they can appreciate that, because most of them don’t speak English.”
World level
His colleagues at Kennis van IJs are proud of him and the team. “Stefan may be the one behind the ice cream machine in Italy, but behind him is a team that works with the same dedication and love for the profession,” says owner Gijs Kennis. “The fact that we can now shine together at world level is more than deserved.” Stefan himself also emphasizes this. “You are the creator yourself, but there is a whole team behind it. I certainly couldn’t have done it on my own.”
The ice cream maker was also allowed to participate in the European competition in 2019, but it was canceled due to corona. The world championship will be in the spring of 2026. Stefan is not the only Dutchman participating in the World Cup. Kees Baars from Callantsoog is also through.