SOUTH AFRICA – Italian restaurant chain Bardelli’s, located in Kenilworth, Cape Town has clinched the top spot in the 2024 edition of the Porcupine Ridge Pizzeria Challenge.
The organizers of the event highlighted that the victory marked a remarkable return for Bardelli’s, a restaurant that had to withdraw from last year’s competition following a devastating fire that damaged part of its building.
This fire led to a nine-month closure, during which time the eatery underwent extensive rebuilding and refurbishing.
Grant Hawkins, the owner of Bardelli’s, expressed immense joy over the win, emphasizing that both he and his team were elated by the outcome.
Bardelli’s is known for its signature Roman pizza, which features a thin, crispy base.
Hawkins shared, “After the challenges of last year, we entered the competition with strong belief that this would be our year, and we were determined to win. We are thrilled to have achieved that.”
According to Hawkins, the restaurant’s success can be attributed to its unwavering consistency, meticulous attention to detail, and the generous use of high-quality ingredients.
These include premium mozzarella and the finest Italian tomato pulp. He also explained that the pizza’s dough is a thinner, yeast-based recipe made in-house, offering a lighter experience that allows guests to comfortably finish an entire pizza without feeling overly full or bloated.
In second place was Ferdinando’s Pizza in Observatory, Cape Town. This restaurant had previously claimed the top spot in 2022.
Oukraal Restaurant in Potchefstroom secured third place. Lynton Kaiser, Sales & Marketing Manager for Porcupine Ridge Wines, expressed his delight for Hawkins and his team, particularly given the adversity they faced after being forced to withdraw from the competition last year.
He remarked, “This victory is a testament to both Bardelli’s exceptional pizzas and the unwavering loyalty of its patrons, who have voted it the country’s favorite pizzeria.”
Bardelli’s had previously earned recognition as the fourth-favorite pizzeria in the 2021 competition, rising to third place in 2022.
Established in 1992, the restaurant began as a small eatery in the southern suburbs, with the proprietor living on-site. Hawkins, who has owned the business for the past 17 years, has transformed it into a beloved neighborhood institution.
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