Roberto Galligani entered the world of gelato almost by chance. In 1988 he accepted a seasonal job in a lab, without imagining that experience would become his profession and a fundamental part of his life.

Just one year later he opened Casa del Gelato in Albenga, turning a newly discovered passion into a family business he has run since 1989 with his wife Anna, their children and collaborators.

In more than thirty-five years Roberto has developed a precise idea of artisan gelato: a product must be technically balanced and pleasant, but it must also have its own identity, recognizable through ingredients, territory and the choices the gelato maker makes every day.

His research starts from selecting raw materials and working directly with small producers and artisans. Roberto does not expect nature to return identical fruit every year: he accepts variability, studies it and adapts recipes to make the most of what each season offers.

For this reason, in his gelateria seasonality is not a slogan but a concrete choice. Flavors follow nature’s calendar and also become a way to tell customers about ingredient origins, producers’ work and the research behind every tub.

His ability to interpret the territory also emerges in more original creations. From Ingauno, a macadamia cream with berries, to the gastronomic gelato with Albenga spiny artichoke, Roberto uses gelato to create new links between local tradition, cuisine and experimentation.

During his career he has earned important awards: in 2014 he won “Mille idee per un nuovo gusto – Gelato of the Year” with Etrusco; in 2017 he took third place at the Sherbeth Festival with Ingauno; and in 2021 he finished second at the 51st Coppa d’Oro della Gelateria with lemon. Casa del Gelato also earned Two Cones from Gambero Rosso for seven consecutive years.

Despite his experience, Roberto keeps the desire to compare, experiment and keep learning. He sees the gelato maker’s craft as a profession with strong social value: work that builds relationships, tells a territory’s story and gives people a moment of serenity.

Within Gelato 51, Roberto brings his deep knowledge of raw materials, sensitivity to seasonality and the ability to turn an ingredient into a flavor with a precise identity.

Because truly artisan gelato does not come from an immutable formula, but from the ability to observe, taste and understand what nature provides.