December 2, 2025
Swiss-Crafted Scoops Top Competition at 92nd Annual “ConeCon” Ice Cream Convention
By Gina Horan
Swiss-Crafted Scoops Top Competition at 92nd Annual “ConeCon” Ice Cream Convention
Sweet Alps Ice Cream in Summerfield earned national recognition last month, earning top honors from the National Ice Cream Competition, part of ConeCon, held November 9–11 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach.
Competing against dozens of ice cream makers from across North America, owners Chris and Cathrine Flury won a blue ribbon each for their strawberry and chocolate ice cream and a red ribbon for their vanilla.
“With over 1,000 ice cream shops from North America and beyond competing, we’re incredibly proud to have been recognized in such a competitive field,” Cathrine says.
Chris says that entering these basic flavors may seem easy, but they are the most competitive categories.
“Those are the standard flavors everyone submits,” he says. “They are so subtle and require near perfection. For example, if you can master vanilla, you’ve really accomplished something. Everyone makes it, so the competition is harder.”
Last year the couple earned a red ribbon for strawberry, so earning top honors this year was especially rewarding.
“Strawberry is one of the hardest flavors to perfect,” Chris says. “Every batch of fruit is different from diverse places and climates. Plus, they have so much water that one of our goals is to avoid ice crystals.”
This annual contest is no casual “county fair” tasting. Entries are judged blind by trained dairy scientists who evaluate texture, balance, mouthfeel, clean flavor, ingredient integrity and technical execution.
Winning in any category is difficult. Winning in the three most competitive categories is rare.
“Most people don’t realize how technical the process can be,” Cathrine says. “When you make a good ice cream, it has to taste exactly like what you write on the label. People think you just mix things together, but it is a very precise process.”
The competition also offered a chance to learn from others.
“We celebrated our wins with our fellow makers, who were so kind and supportive,” Chris says.
The couple grew up surrounded by Alpine dairy traditions, where quality is expected and precision is part of daily life. Their approach to ice cream follows that same standard and everything they sell is made in-house with natural ingredients and balanced flavor profiles.
The association recognized that dedication, noting that Sweet Alps stood out for its premium ingredients and authentic Swiss production approach.
And in true Swiss fashion, the Flury’s did celebrate with a tiny caveat.
“Of course we were so proud and excited to win,” Cathrine says. “And then we wondered how we can take that red vanilla ribbon and turn it blue.”
The award-winning flavors are available at all Sweet Alps locations.
Summerfield – 17860 SE 109th Av. #621 | 352.693.2563
Clermont (Yummi’s) – 650 8th St. | 352.243.4529
Inverness – 202 Tompkins St. | 352.423.1112
Photos by Gina Horan
Gina moved to Central Florida in August 2021 from the San Francisco Bay Area. She has a degree in linguistics and worked as a fashion editor, photo stylist lifestyle columnist and food writer for the Knight Ridder Newspaper Group. She also covered and photographed music festivals, fashion shows and sports throughout Northern California. In 2000, she joined KSAN radio as a morning show co-host and produced the news and sports content there for four years. She later covered travel, events and the restaurant scene for KRON-Bay TV. A veteran bartender, Gina has worked in hospitality on and off since high school. She has been with Akers Media since 2022 and hosts the Healthy Living Central Florida podcast. Her passions include travel, road trips, baseball, history books and podcasts, tasting menus and arriving in a new city without a map or guidebook.
