Weston-Super-Mare restaurant wins ‘best Italian' title
Il Michelangelo in Weston-Super-Mare has claimed the title of best Independent Italian Restaurant in the UK, as the Pasta Pizza and Italian Food Association (PAPA) revealed its annual award winners.
The best Independent Pizza Restaurant title went to Suffolk Stonehouse in Bungay, Suffolk, while the award for Best Pizza Restaurant Chain went to PizzaExpress. ASK Italian scooped the Italian restaurant chain award.
These were just some of the awards given out at last night's 25th Anniversary PAPA Awards at the Lancaster London hotel, Hyde Park, attended by some 450 people from the industry.
Guest host Aldo Zilli, said: "The PAPA Awards are the premier awards for Italian food - I should know, I won a few for my restaurants! It's great to have won them and even better now to be hosting the main awards and judging the Pizza and Pasta Chef competitions. I have always had a passion for my food and it's great that all of you [everyone present at the awards] do too."
The full list of award winners were:
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: PizzaExpress
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: 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
Frozen Pizza Multiple Retailer of the Year: Aldi
Convenience Store Pizza Retailer of the Year: The Co-operative
Chilled Pizza Multiple Retailer of the Year: Waitrose
Pasta Retailer Award: Aldi
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.