Ayrshire woman scoops top European ice cream award

AN Ayrshire woman has been crowned Best Gelato Scooper in Europe.

Jen MacKenzie, Sales and Customer Care Executive for Equi’s Ice Cream, was awarded the top prize for her ice cream scooping skills.

The 27-year-old, from Kilwinning, represented the UK in the competition at the European Gelato Festival in Florence, Italy.

Jen saw off 12 Gelato World Tour European Finalists to be awarded super scooper status in front of a live audience, creating the perfect 60 grams gelato cup during the Tonda Challenge.

The highly skilled practise sees professionals compete to perfectly serve 60 grams of the Italian style ice cream, with one flavour and then two.

Jen won with 60g on her first try with one flavour then 59g on the second with two flavours.

She said: “It’s a huge honour to be awarded this title at the most prestigious gelato competition in the industry.  I have worked for Equi’s for three years and practise really does make perfect.

“I’m so fortunate to have had the opportunity to put my ice cream skills to the test in the home of gelato.  I’m looking forward to getting back to serving customers in the parlour and sharing my good news.”

David Equi, managing director of the award-winning Lanarkshire ice cream company, said: ‘It’s brilliant to see such gelato talent from Scotland being recognised as the cream of the crop in the very home of gelato.

“We have over 95 years of experience in the ice cream industry and to see this knowledge passed down through the generations of scoopers that have worked in our parlour is amazing.  Jen has done Scotland, and the UK, proud.”