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Italian restaurants aren’t the most inclusive of the bunch. If you’re gluten-intolerant or coeliac, you can’t enjoy the delicious carb-filled pizzas and pastas. If you’re lactose-intolerant or vegan, you can’t indulge in creamy pasta sauces or cheesy pizzas. Or if you don’t eat meat, well, you might as well pick a different cuisine. But Shop 225 – one of the world’s top 50 pizzerias – is trying to change that, and have just won an Excellence in Inclusive Dining Award at the 25th World Spicy Pizza Championships to show for their efforts.
Held in Calabria – the Italian region known for its fiery cooking – from October 12-14, the World Spicy Pizza Championships invites professionals and amateurs alike to showcase their skills. Shop 225’s co-founder Lorenzo Tron was invited to sit on the judging panel alongside other impressive chefs and pizzaiolos like Maestro Luciano Sorbillo, Maestro Giorgio Riggio, and the president of the championship, Francesco Matellicani.
"Being recognised for our inclusive menu is something we carry with pride, but judging the colleagues and pizzaiolos I look up to is a tough spot to be in,” Lorenzo said.
“It's an honour to sit on the panel, and I'm proud that SHOP 225 is flying the flag for Australian pizza here in Calabria.”
This most recent title is the latest on a long list of accolades, including consistently being recognised as the best pizzeria in Melbourne, Australia, and one of the best in the world. Shop 225 was also the first pizzeria in Australia certified by Vegan Australia, and is also Coeliac Australia certified – meaning vegan and gluten-free diners can order with confidence.
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