Berwick Pizza e Cucina owner Lou Maio proudly showed off his product at the Best of the Best Pizza Challenge in Sydney.By Melissa Grant
BERWICK’S Pizza e Cucina is looking to go one better next year after pulling off a top three finish at the Dairy Farmers Best of the Best Pizza Challenge national final.
Staff from the High Street restaurant flew up to Sydney two weeks ago in a bid to become the official home of Australia’s best pizza.
Delizioso Café in Subiaco, Western Australia, took out this year’s prestigious title, but Pizza e Cucina owner Lou Maio said the experience would prove valuable for next year’s competition.
“Overall, we’re rapt we got to compete,” Mr Maio said.
“No one has ever won in their first year of competing. We learnt a lot.”
Pizza e Cucina will compete in Melbourne next year, if it qualifies for the nationals, which will only improve the restaurant’s chances, Mr Maio said.
“It was a hard way of going about it (competing in Sydney),” he said.
“Next year will be our year.”
Although Pizza e Cucina missed out on the chance to compete in Las Vegas for the world title, it will still get to represent Australia internationally next year.
Mr Maio has been invited to join a team of four others from this year’s national pizza challenge to compete in Italy in March.
“Top three is great; to represent Australia now is awesome,” he said.
Mr Maio said the trip to Sydney has also inspired the Pizza e Cucina team to create a whole new pizza range.
The restaurant will soon introduce 10 to 15 gourmet pizzas, including low-fat varieties, as well as five dessert pizzas to its menu.
