The best independent pizza and Italian restaurants are not where you might expect and the best supermarket pasta might surprise you. The Pizza, Pasta and Italian Food Association (PAPA) Awards have recognised the best in the Italian Food industry.
The UK’s finest Independent Italian Restaurant is Il Michelangelo in Weston-Super-Mare and the best Independent Pizza Restaurant is Suffolk Stonehouse in Bungay. The Pizza Restaurant Chain Award went to Pizza Express; ASK Italian scooped the Italian Restaurant Chain Award and Co-Operative, Iceland and Aldi pick up two awards each.
These were just some of the awards given out at the 25th Anniversary PAPA Awards at the Lancaster London Hotel, Hyde Park.
The Award winners
Pizza Chef of the Year Paulo Crolla – Paolo’s Italian, Glasgow
Pasta Chef of the Year Peter Puntrello – Sub Xpress, Peterborough
Independent Italian Restaurant Award – Il Michelangelo, Weston-Super-Mare
Italian Restaurant Chain Award – ASK Italian
Independent Pizza Restaurant Award- Suffolk Stonehouse, Bungay
Pizza Restaurant Chain Award – Pizza Express
Independent Pizza Delivery Store – Stone Willy’s Kitchen, Birmingham
Pizza Delivery Chain Award
Regional Winner – Basilico
National Winner – Papa John’s
New Product/Ingredient Award –
Food Service Category – Taste of Sicily White Truffle Oil
Retail Category – Italia Formaggi Raspadura cheese
Innovative Food to Go Award – Winner: Project Pie UK, Dundee
The PAPA Marketing Award –
Regional Award – La Favorita, 10th Anniversary campaign
National Award – Iceland – Power of Frozen campaign
Manufactured Pizza Product Award
Everyday Category – Iceland – Pizza Pala range – ham, mushroom and mascarpone
Indulgent Category – Co-operative Truly Irresistible Kashmiri butter chicken, red onion and spinach pizza
Innovative Category – Goodfella’s gluten free pepperoni, chorizo and mushroom pizza
Manufactured Pasta Product Award
Retail Ambient Category – Morrisons Signature Lumaconi
Retail Chilled Category – La Tua Pasta – Tortelloni black truffle
Foodservice Category – Rondanini – hand made braised beef Tortelloni with Barolo wine
Frozen Pizza Multiple Retailer of the Year – Aldi
Convenience Store Pizza Retailer of the Year – The Co-operative for the second successive year.
Chilled Pizza Multiple Retailer of the Year – Waitrose
Pasta Retailer Award – Aldi (Last year’s joint winner alongside Waitrose)
The PAPA Industry Award – John Lucas, Managing Director of Stateside Foods who has been with the company more than 20 years and is responsible for many million pounds of investment, development and growth within Stateside and has influenced growth across the whole sector.
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