Juniores Pastry World Cup: young talent, boundless passion

Honorary President of the Juniores Pastry World Cup and of the jury

Talent, passion, dedication and discipline have made Iginio Massari the greatest Italian master pastry chef in the world, elevating the culture of pastry-making to its highest expression. After training in Switzerland with Claude Gerber and gaining experience as a consultant, he opened Pasticceria Veneto in 1971, encouraged by his wife and a simple philosophy: “Strive for perfection and never stop”. His career has been studded with successes: over 400 awards, including Gambero Rosso's Tre Torte d'Oro, and he was the first Italian member of Relais Dessert. His creations combine art and science, artisan roots, creativity, selected raw materials and attention to detail, engaging all the senses. His panettone is famous, a symbol of tradition and innovation. Massari is a benchmark for haute patisserie and beloved by the public, but he remains faithful to his goal: to affirm Italian pastry excellence in the world, because pastry is ‘the luxury you can afford’. 

President of the Juniores Pastry World Cup and of the jury 

Dream creator, dessert designer, visionary of contemporary pastry-making.
This is how Roberto Rinaldini is described, but behind these titles there is much more: a professional who has built a unique career based on discipline, practicality and a vision capable of redefining the image of Italian haute patisserie around the world.

At a very young age, already an “enfant prodige” with French style and attention to image, he combined technique and refinement in an unmistakable aesthetic. His journey began in the kitchens of the Romagna Riviera and gained momentum in 1996, inspired by the World Pastry Championship. From there, his career was studded with firsts: in 1998, his “Venere Nera” (Black Venus) earned him first prize worldwide and the title of Italian Junior Champion; followed by international successes such as World Gelato Champion (2006), coach in 2008, AMPI Pastry Chef of the Year (2014) and winner of the Mondial des Arts Sucrés (2016).

Alongside competitions, he brings pastry-making to the general public through TV programmes: judge on Il Più Grande Pasticcere, host of A scuola con Roberto Rinaldini, guest on MasterChef Italia and star of programmes such as Detto Fatto, La Vita in Diretta and Maurizio Costanzo Show.

Not just creativity: rigour, method and management transform innovation into solid production models. He combines his passion for competition with his passion for training, founding international competitions such as the Juniores Pastry World Cup and The Pastry Queen to promote young talent.

In 2018, Rinaldini Pastry S.p.A. was founded, the synthesis of his entrepreneurial vision: boutiques in strategic locations and Casa Rinaldini in Rimini, 3,600 square metres dedicated to production and research. His style is glamorous, contemporary, influenced by fashion and design: each dessert is a work of art, from the raw ingredients to the packaging.

With over 230,000 followers on Instagram, he is an international reference point and member of Relais Desserts, the world's elite pastry chefs. His story demonstrates how rigour and vision transform passion into global excellence, inspiring new generations and consolidating his role as ambassador of Italian pastry-making around the world.

Technical coordinator

Born in 1993, his passion for pastry began as a child in his family kitchen with his mother Maria Grazia. This passion has required and continues to require commitment and dedication, constantly striving for excellence and a harmonious and creative balance between taste and aesthetics, between storytelling and suggestion.

The road to gold at the 2021 Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie is studded with successes: 
In 2016, he won the Italian senior pastry championship.   
In 2018, he won the selection for the Coupe du Monde gelato category. 
In 2019, he won the bronze medal at the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie with Lorenzo Puca and Mattia Cortinovis. 
In 2020, he won the Italian senior pastry championship again and received the Special Press Award.

Today, he works as a trainer and consultant for companies and specialised schools.

Commissioner

Vincenzo Daloiso, born in Barletta in 1996, grew up in his family's historic pastry shop, Venezuela 1963, where he developed a deep passion for the art of confectionery from a very young age. After studying at hotel school, he began his professional career in his family's workshop, cultivating technique, dedication and curiosity.
From the early years of his career, he developed a strong interest in chocolate, a material that fascinated him for its complexity, elegance and creative possibilities. This passion drove him to explore techniques, processes and contemporary interpretations, becoming one of the cornerstones of his professional career.
Determined to improve, over the years he participated in numerous advanced courses that broadened his creative vision. In 2016, he decided to test himself abroad: he spent a year in China (2016–2017), where he discovered new gastronomic cultures, and then moved to London, where he remained until 2021. In the British capital, he worked in Michelin-starred restaurants and five-star luxury hotels, culminating in the prestigious Savoy Hotel, an experience that brought his intense international period to a close.

2023 was a crucial year for his career: he won the Italian Senior Pastry Championship and, in the same year, triumphed in the national selections for the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie, qualifying as a candidate for the Chocolate category. This marked the start of a rigorous two-year training programme that led him to compete in the European Cup in Paris in 2024 and then in the world final in Lyon in 2025, where he represented Italy in the role that has always defined him.
Today, Vincenzo has returned to the family pastry shop, enriched by a unique wealth of international experience, high-level competitions and a modern vision of the craft. He continues to pursue an idea of pastry-making that combines respect for tradition and innovative spirit, with an eye always turned towards new worlds, stimuli and possibilities—with chocolate remaining the common thread 
of his creative expression.

Commissioner

Raimondo Esposito is a pastry chef known for his methodical and precise approach, developed over a long career characterised by a deep knowledge of raw materials, doughs and processing techniques. Driven by a strong passion for pastry making, he has participated in numerous national and international pastry and artistic pastry competitions over the years.

His list of achievements includes important awards, such as the silver medal at the World Culinary Cup in Luxembourg (2014), the gold medal and the title of Italian Champion at the FIC Italian Championships (2018), the silver medal at the Stuttgart Olympics (2020) and second place overall at the European du Sucre d'Art in Lyon (2023).

In 2023, he joined the Italian National Pastry Team, with which he won the silver medal at the Coupe d'Europe de la Pâtisserie in Paris (2024), gaining access to the final of the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie, where he achieved a prestigious sixth place in 2025.

Commissioner

Davide Pisano, born in Como in 1985, is a pastry chef and entrepreneur with solid experience in the world of artisan pastry making. After training at the ‘De Filippi’ Hotel School in Varese, he perfected his skills through professional courses at Boscolo Etoile and the Aroma Academy, developing a strong specialisation in innovative techniques in the sector. His meeting with master chef Agostino Patti was fundamental to his growth.

In 2007, he opened his first workshop in Venegono Superiore, followed in 2010 by the opening of La Pasticceria di Davide, now flanked by a production workshop that also serves numerous local pastry shops on behalf of third parties. In 2013, he co-founded Erica Catering, a company dedicated to events and catering.

Throughout his career, he has received important national and international awards, including the Oscar alla Pasticceria as Male Personality of the Year in Cake Design (2014) and the Gold Medal at the world competition The Star of Sugar (2020).

Also active in training, he is a technical demonstrator for companies in the sector and a consultant for pastry and ice cream laboratories. He also collaborates with hotel schools and professional courses, contributing to the growth of new generations of pastry chefs.