In short: Annie has been nominated for the Gran Premio del Gelato Naturale 2026, an award from the Gelato Naturale Academy in Grosseto, Italy, celebrating gelato professionals who've helped grow the culture of natural gelato. The ceremony takes place on 8–9 November 2026.
We weren't expecting this one. An email landed from Brigitte Canins and Chef Manuele Presenti at the Gelato Naturale Academy in Grosseto, saying Annie had been nominated for the Gran Premio del Gelato Naturale 2026 — an award that celebrates gelato professionals around the world who, through their work and philosophy, have helped grow and promote the culture of natural gelato.
Grosseto isn't just any town to us, either. It's about as serious as gelato gets — the kind of place where people take flavour balancing and ingredient integrity genuinely seriously, rather than as a marketing line. Being nominated by people who spend their lives thinking about this stuff properly means a great deal more to us than a trophy would.
What happens in Grosseto
The nomination comes with two days in November, under the patronage of the Province of Grosseto:
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8 November — a day at the Gelato Naturale Academy itself, meeting the other nominees from Italy and around the world, swapping notes, and tasting a lot of gelato
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9 November — the official ceremony at Sala Pegaso, where the GNA Honours are presented, followed by a celebratory lunch
The whole thing is being livestreamed internationally, so the wider natural gelato community can watch along even if they can't be in the room.
What we still have to decide
Part of the nomination process means choosing a signature flavour to represent Annie, her philosophy, and the gelateria — the flavour that sums up everything Baboo stands for in one scoop. That's a genuinely difficult question when you've got a whole range to choose from, and it's Annie's decision alone to make. We'll let you know when Annie decides.
Why this matters to us
We've always made gelato the slightly harder way — real ingredients, proper sourcing, nothing standing in for flavour that didn't earn its place. It's nice, every so often, to have that noticed by people on the other side of the world who care about exactly the same thing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Gran Premio del Gelato Naturale? It's an award from the Gelato Naturale Academy in Grosseto, Italy, celebrating gelato professionals who have contributed to the growth and promotion of natural gelato culture worldwide.
When is the Gran Premio del Gelato Naturale 2026? The event runs over two days, 8–9 November 2026, in Grosseto, Italy, under the patronage of the Province of Grosseto.
Who is representing Baboo Gelato at the award? Annie Hanbury, co-founder of Baboo Gelato, has been nominated and will attend in person.
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