Four chefs are representing Singapore at the Gelato World Cup, and they’re selling limited-edition gelatos to fund their journey
Going to the World Cup is but a dream for many an athlete, however the lack of funds usually turns out to be a major stumbling block for such aspirations.
Place another group into this category, as a foursome of professional chefs are facing monetary issues even as they look to represent Singapore at the 2026 Gelato World Cup, which takes place at the seaside city of Rimini, Italy, on Jan 16-20, 2026.
To help fund their journey, the group has partnered with gelato joint Tom’s Palette to produce four limited-time gelato flavours for public purchase.
We speak to team leader Chef Jason Tan, and Tom’s Palette general manager Faith Yap to find out more about what it takes to represent Singapore at the world’s stage of desserts.
Rehearsals have taken over their lives
The team, made up of Jason Tan; Dexter Lee; Loh Cheng Kit; and Chew Wei Lung, are all professional chefs who turn out for hotels and food distributors, and have taken this “national service” on top of their day jobs.
From left: Chefs Jason Tan, Dexter Lee, Loh Cheng Kit, Chew Wei Lung, and Tom’s Palette general manager Faith Yap./ Image credit: Tom’s Palette
“We just want to make our mark for Singapore,” says Jason.
As a result, they’ve taken to sacrificing their personal lives, spending their 7PM to midnights for weekday rehearsals, and taking 18-hour days on weekends, just making gelatos and other sweet treats.
At the World Cup, each team is expected to accomplish eight missions over two days, including creating a gelato from a mystery fruit, an edible live chocolate sculpture with a height of up to 145cm, and assembling a grand buffet, among others. Which is why the rehearsals take up so much time.
“When we do the rehearsals, we also practice whatever we will be doing over there for the whole stretch,” says Jason.
Four limited-time gelato flavours available
To secure the necessary financing for their venture, the members joined forces with Tom’s Palette to release a quartet of specially crafted, short-run flavours for consumers to buy.
Image credit: Tom’s Palette
The flavours are: Single Origin Dark Chocolate; The Better Sicilian Pistachio; Torch Ginger, Yuzu and Tahitian Vanilla; and Cookies & Cream, Redefined.
“These four flavours are quite a good balance, and a bit more familiar to people,” explains Jason.
To make it clear, these flavours will not be the ones served at the World Cup itself, as competitors are expected to make everything from scratch at the competition.
Nonetheless, premium ingredients are used for these gelatos, such as a specific type of French butter, or a single-origin cacao that allows diners to taste the fermentation process.
Faith reminds me that the use of these elevated ingredients means that these gelatos will only be available via online order, and will not be sold in-store.
“There’s no feasible way for me to sell these ingredients without going under.”
Team Singapore is aiming to finish on the podium this year
For the Gelato World Cup in 2024, the team spent about S$24,000 for logistics and other expenses, enabling them to come in fifth in the world. Based on the scores, the team was very close to finishing on the podium, according to Jason, but the difference in funding was telling.
Singapore’s team at the 2024 Gelato World Cup./ Image credit: Jason Tan
“It was a struggle in the sense that you can see the competitors spent a lot more in terms of buying the [dessert] moulds, [and] doing the buffet display.”
Therefore, the team is aiming to raise about S$30,000 to S$40,000 this year, and hoping to finish in the top three.
Logistics is expected to be the largest expenditure, as shipping materials and machinery to Italy will come with a large receipt.
Singapore’s submission at the 2024 Gelato World Cup was themed ‘Wild Catch’./ Image credit: Jason Tan
In fact, funding is more difficult this year, as the team was unable to secure all the sponsors from previous editions, due to the tough F&B climate in Singapore.
“We have some brands who are sponsoring us in terms of products,” reveals Jason, “and we are still looking for sponsors with some manufacturing companies to see if they are able to provide us with some funds.”
Doing it for the love of the game
With the mounting costs and countless hours in the kitchen, one might be tempted to ask: why does the team do this?
Turns out, Jason says all this work is purely for the love of the game.
“We don’t do this competition to earn more money in the future or something. We do it because we want to challenge ourselves. It’s just a pity that we still need to have money to be able to achieve something.”
How to buy the gelatos
A limited number of gelato tubs will go on sale at the Tom’s Palette website at 12PM on Nov 15, 22, and 29. Each tub ranges between S$45 and S$50, and a pack of each of the four flavours goes for S$145.
Featured Image Credit: Tom’s Palette
