Fuengirola business scoops trophy for best chocolate ice cream in Spain

The best chocolate ice cream in Spain is made and sold in Fuengirola. The Caramelo ice cream parlour has just won first prize in a contest organised by the specialist magazine Helado Artesano in which more than 150 professionals from all over Spain took part.

The product made by the artisan Matias Kuyumdjian was crowned the best in the country during an event held at the end of February at the Atalaya Park hotel in Estepona. The professional won with a recipe that he had been working on for four months and that he had only just included in his business offering. "It is a mixture of pure chocolates from different origins," he revealed without giving further details about its preparation.

With the trophy in hand, he explained that the contest had two different phases: on the first day, the judges marked the contestants on an ice cream of their choice, between mango and dulce de leche. Matías was second with his dulce de leche and therefore went through to the final. In the last round, the chosen flavour was chocolate, and his came out the winner.

"There was a high level of competition and just reaching the final was a source of pride," he admitted. However, being judged the winner "is a massive prestige on a personal level, beating so many renowned people."

Living on the coast since 2008, Matias Kuyumdjian has his business on Calle Boquetillo in Fuengirola. In addition to being an ice cream parlour, the establishment also works as a bakery and a pizzeria and the businessman boasts of making all the products in an artisanal way and in full view of the customers.

The business opened in April 2019, just before the pandemic, and despite this it has made a name for itself in the neighbourhood. After winning the award, both the chocolate flavour and the dulce de leche flavour ice creams have been incorporated into the menu (previously other recipes were used) and they are both going down well with the customers.

Coming from the world of pastry, Matias got hooked on making ice cream after doing some tests. "My secret is that I always listen to everyone because you never stop learning," he said.