Purezza, the UK’s first vegan pizzeria, which has restaurants in Brighton and London, has won a top prize at the World Pizza Championships, it took place between 9-11 April. It’s the first time a vegan pizzeria has entered the prestigious competition; it attracted over 6,500 independent pizzerias from around the world.
The Campionato Mondiale Della Pizza, or World Pizza Championship as it’s more commonly known, is held in Parma, Italy, and has been running annually since 1991. Purezza entered the Pizza Classica category, which gives competitors up to 12 minutes to prepare and cook their traditional Italian style pizzas using pre-selected ingredients, before presenting it to the judges.
Purezza’s entry was named ‘The Promised Land’. It uses Brewdog Punk IPA-infused whole grain pizza dough, topped with stir-fried cavolo nero, Italian-style marinated tempeh, pioppini mushrooms, and a borlotti bean sauce. It uses two different cheeses; Purezza’s own signature vegan cheese, dubbed Mozzarella 2.0, and a fermented cashew cheese with sun-dried cruschi peppers. The pizza was finished with a garnish of ginger puree, agave syrup, and vegan caviar.
‘Vegan pizza isn’t just possible – it’s the future’
This is not the first major award that Purezza has gained; in 2018 the Pizzeria also won ‘The National Pizza of the Year’, in the UK and The PizzAward, 2018 in Naples for the Best International Pizza.
Purezza’s head chef, Filippo Rosato, who cooked for the judges said: “The Campionato Mondiale Della Pizza is the gold standard of awards for pizzerias and pizza chefs around the world. It’s the competition that every pizzaiolo aspires to compete in. To even be there as the first vegan pizzeria was an incredible experience, but to have come away with one of the awards for the Pizza Classica category is more than I could ever have hoped for, and shows that vegan pizza isn’t just possible – it’s the future.”
