The best pizzerias in the UK have been named.

The Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food Association (PAPA) revealed the restaurants, pizzerias and pizza delivery outlets in across the UK with restaurants in London, Northern Ireland and Edinburgh all getting a mention.

These hand-selected eateries are now hoping for success in the categories of Independent Italian Restaurant, Independent Pizza Restaurant, and Independent Pizza Delivery Awards, having been paid a visit by mystery shopping experts.

In the Northwest, La Locanda in Gisburn, West Yorkshire took them claim to the title of best in the region. 

The Italian restaurant was set up in 2003 by a husband-and-wife team and is in its twentieth year of trading. 

Its menu includes the chance to ‘eat like an Italian’ with aperitivo, antipasto, dolci and caffè to end the culinary experience.

Meanwhile the best pizza delivery in Scotland, according to PAPA, is Pirates Pizza Shack. 

The eatery, serves Neapolitan style pizza with cleverly named options from Cinderella to Cluck Norris, and a mission to evolve and improve as the business grows.

Owner Charlie began by selling pizza equipment while working on oil rigs. 

In 2022, he ventured into the world of mobile pizza trading, initially juggling it with his oil rig job. 

But his passion for pizza won out, and he eventually bid farewell to the oil industry, signing the lease for their very first pizza restaurant.

Northern Ireland gets a look-in too as Romeos in Londonderry struck gold with their nomination.

In the south, Pizza Metro based in London’s Battersea took the top spot.

The 30 year-old-business owned and run by Diego Palladino is proud to have ‘set the standard for Italian Pizza in London.’

In the south, Pizza Metro based in London’s Battersea took the top spot. The 30 year-old-business owned and run by Diego Palladino is proud to have ‘set the standard for Italian Pizza in London.’

Pizzaland in Bristol took the top spot for the south west 

Meanwhile, the top pizza restaurant in the east is Scott’s All Day in Cambridgeshire – which, unsurprisingly, sells pizzas all day and night.

The independent restaurant opened in 2019, six months before the Covid-19 pandemic, and is known for its dedication to local produce. 

Scott’s is all about local produce and sources beer around the corner, its meat across the road and flour, for its sourdough bases from just a few minutes away.

Each of the finalists have just a little while longer to find out who will claim the Platinum Award in each category.

Jim Winship, PAPA director said: ‘I look forward to welcoming the finalists to London this week and cannot wait to crown the winners and also truly celebrate the amazing independent entrepreneurs behind these bustling businesses.

‘Huge congratulations to all of our gold award winners. 

‘Competition this year has been fierce, and we received an unprecedented number of entries from across the UK and Ireland, making it an even more impressive achievement to make it to the final.

Michele Pascarella, who runs Napoli on the Road in Chiswick, west London, was named the best pizza maker in the world by ‘Michelin guide for pizzas’

‘The PAPA Awards is always a highlight in the calendar, and it is also a precursor to the annual National Pizza Week, a seven-day celebration aiming to support the industry and celebrate the nation’s love of pizza. 

‘With all the events at this time of year, some say it’s pizza season in the industry. 

‘Yet, we like to think that pizza is in season no matter the time of year!

‘We know that these and many other independent and chain retailers up and down the country will be getting involved in National Pizza Week, so why not support the industry then by trying out one of their tasty creations.’

The list comes as Michele Pascarella, who runs Napoli on the Road in Chiswick, west London, was named the best pizza maker in the world by ‘Michelin guide for pizzas’.

Mr Pascarella, who was born in Caserta, near Naples, before moving to the UK when he was 19 picked up the prestigious title  at the  50 Top Pizza awards in September.

The 50 Top Pizza Awards is an annual event that recognises the best pizzerias and chefs in the world, based on a rigorous selection process involving anonymous visits by experienced pizza critics. 

Mr Pascarella started his business by wandering around with his three-wheeler Ape Piaggio making wood fire pizzas all over London .

Mr Pascarella started his business by wandering around with his three-wheeler Ape Piaggio making wood fire pizzas all over London. 

Recognised as the first pizzaiolo to bring contemporary high-crust pizza to the UK, Michele is now considered a ‘pioneer of contemporary pizza’. 

Since starting out, his focus has always been to deliver the finest quality dishes using exclusively seasonal ingredients. 

For this reason, the menu evolves every three months to respect the environment and what nature offers.

The pizzeria’s focus is on experimentation and innovation, utilising high-quality, locally sourced ingredients to create distinctively delicious flavour combinations. 

The innovative dishes on Napoli on the Road’s seasonal menu are thoughtfully designed to highlight the unique characteristics of each ingredient.   

‘When I joined the guide of the best pizzerias in Europe by 50TopPizza, first of all I thanked my team, as I strongly believe that without them I would not have been able to be the top in Europe and be elected the best pizza chef of the year 2023 in Europe. 

‘I also believe that we do an incredible job on the seasonality of the products, by researching the best products to integrate into our pizzeria.

‘We are the first pizzeria in UK to use seasonal ingredients and to change our menu almost entirely, every three months, to respect the course of nature, as is strongly believe using seasonal products not only benefits the restaurant’s bottom line but also adds to the overall dining experience, attracting more customers and fostering a sustainable and community-oriented approach to the culinary business.

‘Also, being seasonal can be an advantage for a restaurant, for various important things like, freshness and flavour – seasonal products are often harvested at the right time, resulting in better taste and quality.

‘By using seasonal ingredients, a restaurant can support local farms and reduce the need for long distance transport.

‘Seasonal ingredients are generally abundant and this reduces the cost.

‘Another important thing about being seasonal is the menu diversity, that allows restaurant and chefs to change their menu regularly and offer different plates to customers.