Matthew Lee is going toe-to-toe with about 20 other international gelato makers in three weeks but, fortunately for the Austin business owner, he has got a few tricks up his sleeve.
Lee opened Teo Espresso, Gelato and Bella Vita 12 years ago in Austin after training in the art of making gelato in Italy. He is the only American gelato maker to make the final stage of competition.
"It's a huge accolade," Lee said. "It's an endorsement of our quality and all our hard work and passion for great ingredients. When I started this business 12 years ago, what I wanted is to provide great product with great ingredients and offer Austinites a delicious product."
The flavor that helped Lee qualify is called Nut, a peanut butter and Nutella-tasting treat. However, Italians do not really care for peanut butter, he said, so Lee is changing up his strategy with a new flavor called Texas Pecan Pie.
