Head pizza chef at Pizza Nuova: Why consistent quality and responsiveness are key
Pizza Nuova jumped to 27th place in this year's 50 Top Europe competition. What have you changed or maintained to achieve this success?
We focus on continuing to push the pizza, working on the quality of the dough. Together with chef Tomas Neradil, we communicate with suppliers and look for the best possible ingredients. For example, we've been getting our flour from the Bongiovanni mill and now we're trying the Paolo Mariani brand. The fior di latte cheese is now being sourced from the Hole farm, from people who learned to make this cheese in Naples and now make it perfectly in the Czech Republic.
At the same time, Pizza Nuova has been part of the Vera Pizza Napoletana association since it opened, so we follow certain rules. They relate to the look, the texture of the dough, the size of the pizza and the edges.
When the judges from the 50 Top Pizza Europe competition came to you, did you know about it?
We didn't. They come anonymously, and as far as I know, they can be people from all over the world. And it's not just the pizza that they're judging, but the ambience and the overall experience, from the service to the cleanliness of the toilets.
Did you get any details from the judges at the announcement? Do you know what specifically earned you 27th place?
Not at all. Apparently, the judges have been coming to us all year. They tally up the points and decide the final number. We got an e-mail just a few weeks before the announcement that we'd been shortlisted. The pizzerias do not apply themselves, the commissioners select them on the basis of their parameters, which are not known to us.
How do you think the pizza at Nuova is different or better than elsewhere?
While the trend today is to make Neapolitan pizza with really high edges, we follow the practices of the Vera Pizza Napoletana association and I guess it works. I also think we're unique and offer tastingswhere guests can taste several pizzas and pasta varieties. And we're very careful about the quality of the ingredients.
This is the third time you've won the competition since Pandemic. Are more people coming to you because of this success?
I don't have the statistics in my hand, but in any case, it seems to me that after the announcement the attendance will increase. Some tourists are really interested in the competition and then taste the pizza in the awarded establishments, either in Europe or elsewhere in the world: there is also a global version of the competition).
Where do you see it going next? And what do you still need to move up in?
We'll see, I'm curious myself. We have a wood-burning furnace and its operation is more technical compared to an electric or gas furnace. At the moment, we have newcomers in the team who are learning the ropes, and I know from my own experience that it takes some time to get used to it. Some people take six months, some people take years. We get around 400-500 pizzas through our hands every day, a little less in the winter. Consistent quality is important in pizza, which is why we have inspectors come in several times a year.
Do you continue to educate yourself in the industry after work?
In October 2024, I took a baking course at the school run by the Vera Pizza Napoletana association, and under the guidance of the masters there, I tried making pizzas in several different types of ovens. I also watch a lot of videos and have professional books at home. And when I travel, I always visit pizzerias, ideally those that have also scored in the competition.
How did you actually become a chef pizza maker?
I joined Pizza Nuova in September 2021, uninitiated in gastronomy. Before that, I tried a lot of professions, for example I was a driver, I worked in a factory, but I also ran a business with my father-in-law. But then came Covid and it didn't work out. And since I like to cook, I gave it a try here at Pizza Nuova.
I had no idea what a Neapolitan pizza was back then. Ondra Lufinka and I've been taking his advice ever since. I was at the oven for a little over a year and then he let me get to the dough. Eventually, I started taking turns with Ondra on shifts. When he was leaving, I was offered his job.
However, when I went to try working in the gastro, I didn't know that I would enjoy making pizzas. I ended up buying a home pizza oven after the first few shifts and learning in my spare time.
What does your position entail?
I take care of the dough and its development, oversee the overall quality, come up with specials, and work with the chef to partner with new suppliers. I put together shift schedules and try to teach our craft to new people on the team.
You pizza guys spend all day in front of a 400-degree oven. How do you manage in the summer? What do you use to cool yourself down?
You get used to the heat after a while. In the summer, we keep a fan running and an iced drink handy.
What's your favourite pizza in Nuova? And where's the best pizza you've ever tasted?
I like our nduja pizza: traditional Calabrian fermented spicy sausage that can be spread). In Milan, I liked the pizzeria Confine and the best pizza I had was in Naples at the pizzeria Salvo. It had a classic tomato base, pulled pork and chipotle mayo. But when I get a craving for pizza on a normal day, I bake it at home.
Are there any ingredients you think don't belong on a pizza?
Pineapple and chicken.
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