Founder of Ciokkolatte – Il Gelato che Meriti in Padua, Guido Zandonà shapes a gelato style focused on clean flavour definition and careful balance. Key milestones include the Sherbeth 2017 People’s Jury Prize, inclusion in Veneto’s Maestri Artigiani register (2022), and 2 Cones in Gambero Rosso’s Gelaterie d’Italia 2024.
He didn’t grow up in a family of gelato makers. His roots are in craftsmanship: his paternal grandfather was a carpenter, and that early familiarity with manual work—precision, respect for materials, attention to detail—later became method applied to the “cold” side of pastry.
In 2010, driven by a strong pull toward gelato, he begins to plan a different future: opening his own artisanal shop. A decisive step is meeting Maestro Arnaldo Conforto, under whom he trains, deepening technique, process, and product culture.
The project takes a concrete shape in 2013 with the opening of Ciokkolatte – Il Gelato che Meriti in Padua, Piazza dei Signori 27—an address that becomes the brand’s centre of gravity.
From the start, the philosophy is explicit: gelato with flavours that are clear, recognisable, and faithful to the raw material, built on a controlled balance between selected ingredients, artisanal processing and a personal point of view. Even “memory flavours” like tiramisù or the local Pazientina are approached as sensory reconstructions—texture, aroma, and persistence aligned with the original reference.
A defining point is accessibility. Ciokkolatte chooses a demanding route: making the shop a gluten-free environment, working only with gluten-free ingredients, wafers and cones, while developing a broad range of vegan, lactose-free and egg-free flavours. The goal is not an add-on line, but a coherent way of thinking about hospitality through product design.
Among the best-known flavours is Salted Caramel: in 2017 it wins the People’s Jury Prize at Sherbeth Festival (Palermo), a result also reported by industry media.
Over time, the biography collects further recognition: in 2022 Zandonà becomes the first gelato maker from Padua included in the Veneto Region’s Maestri Artigiani register; and in 2024 Ciokkolatte receives 2 Cones in Gambero Rosso’s Gelaterie d’Italia guide.
