In Bologna, in a micro gelato shop where every flavour is a limited edition, Alessandro Cesari treats gelato as living matter: he starts from the ingredient, not the recipe. Infusions, botanicals, teas, crafted cacao and fully traceable supply chains become the base for gelati and sorbets. In 2023 he was named “Emerging Gelato Maker” by Gambero Rosso’s Gelaterie d’Italia guide.
His story begins between Bologna and Ferrara, in a family rooted in the world of breadmaking: grandparents and parents were bakers, and he learned early the rhythm of production and respect for time. His training, however, moved toward pastry: he studied as a pastry chef and also worked in London, in bakeries. Then an unexpected event changed his path: an allergy to flour forced him away from large doughs and pushed him to look for another technical language.
The move to gelato was neither immediate nor linear: he took a course in Bologna, yet felt dissatisfied with what he describes as a “standardised” production model. At the same time, he drew closer to chocolate and the cocoa-bean supply chain, working on small bean-to-bar batches as a personal research exercise—a training ground of tastings, roasts and ageing that would permanently shape his approach to flavour.
In 2020 he opened Sablé in Bologna, on Via dei Mille 3/a, as the synthesis of this journey: a micro gelato shop conceived as an essential lab. Small batches, non-fixed flavours, daily production. The point is not to “replicate” a result, but to accept that milk, fruit, temperatures and aromatics change—and therefore the gelato changes too. He sums it up with a guiding question: “What is the story I want to tell?”
His technical philosophy translates into clear choices: no powdered milk, no artificial flavourings or pre-made bases; and, above all, a refusal of thickeners, emulsifiers and preservatives. Research moves from infusions of herbs, berries and roots to work on cacao, with constant attention to flavour “readability” and to how air is managed during churning, to keep aromas crisp and structure precise. Supplier selection is part of the narrative as well: seasonal ingredients, small producers, direct exploration of the territory and targeted collaborations.
Awards arrive as a consequence of this coherence, not as the goal. In 2023 he received the title of Emerging Gelato Maker in Gambero Rosso’s Gelaterie d’Italia guide. In the same competitive sphere, he was among the 8 Italian finalists selected in 2023 for the Gelato Festival World Masters (an international industry competition), with the flavour “Favo e Fiori” presented on that occasion. In 2024 he appeared in the Gelato Festival World Ranking at No. 48 as one of the world’s best gelato chefs (72 points).
