UK's best Italian pizza and pasta eateries unveiled

The UK’s best Italian pizza and pasta restaurants have been honoured this week.

The 18th annual Pizza, Pasta and Italian Food Industry Awards, held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel on Wednesday 1 November, named Bottelinos in Bristol’s Bedminster as independent pizza restaurant of the year.

Chain Zizzi’s, part of Gondola Holdings, won the group pizza restaurant of the year title.

Italian food restaurant of the year awards went to Firenze in Kibworth Beauchamp, Leicestershire, as best independent and Richard Caring’s Strada for best group.

Domino’s Pizza won the chain pizza delivery operator of the year award, and its chief executive Stephen Hemsley, accepted the prize for overall operator of the year.

Jim Winship, director of the Pizza and Pasta Association, said: “The standard has been very high this year and it was best ever in terms of quality of products and pizza design. There’s a lot of new and interesting things happening in this market again, which is great.”

Full awards listing

Pasta Chef of the Year Award
(Sponsored by Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Magazine)
Winner: Lucio Cerullo, Bottelino’s, Manchester for his Regina Dell Mare pasta dish

New Product (Equipment) of the Year Award
(Sponsored by Dansco Great British Cheese)
Winner: Equipline, for BOFI XLT Conveyor Pizza Oven

Italian Food Restaurant of the Year Award
(Sponsored by Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Magazine)
Independent Winner: Firenze, Kibworth Beauchamp, Leicestershire
Chain Winner:  Strada

Pizza Restaurant of the Year Award
(Sponsored by Equipline)
Independent Winner:  Bottelino’s, Bedminster
Chain Winner: Zizzi

Pasta Food Service Award
(Sponsored by Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Magazine)
Independent Winner: L’Aperitif, Stranraer
Chain Winner: Piccolino, Chester & Manchester

Independent Pizza Delivery Operator of the Year Award
(Sponsored by Cooktek)
Winner: Pizza Pioneer

Chain Pizza Delivery Operator of the Year Award
(Sponsored by Integer)
Winner: Domino’s Pizza

Pizza & Pasta Catering Award
(sponsored by Pasta King)
Winner: Scolarest

New Retail Italian-Style Food To Go Product Award
Winner: Pasta King
For:  Hot Pasta to Go

Overall Operator of the Year Award
(sponsored by Stateside Foods)
Winner:  Stephen Hemsley, Chief Executive of Domino’s Pizza

By Emily Manson

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