After four weeks of battling it out for the public vote and a series of intense ‘regional eats’ across the nation, over 64,000 votes have been cast and the winner has been decided. Today sees 44-year-old father of two, Simon Pritchard, crowned as the winner of PizzaExpress’ Create Your Pizza Challenge and the first member of the public ever to earn a coveted spot on its menu.
Simon’s creation fuses creamy gorgonzola with sweet caramelised leeks for a mouth-watering flavour combination. His pizza Da Morire (Italian for To Die For) combines a light and crispy Romana base with a generous helping of gorgonzola, caramelised leeks, artichoke and streaky crispy pancetta, finished with a drizzle of spicy chilli oil and a sprinkling of finely chopped rosemary.
PizzaExpress Head Chef of 29 years, Antonio Romani comments: “When judging, we were ultimately looking for a new pizza that challenged and excited our taste buds. Simon has created a unique combination of flavours that work really well together. He’s brought back an old favourite to the menu with the gorgonzola but for the first time we’ll be introducing caramelised leeks and finishing with a delicate infusion of rosemary for a mouth watering finish.”
Winner Simon Pritchard, from Sutton Coldfield, says; “I love cooking and am always in the kitchen experimenting with new and different tastes. I just chose what I’d love to see on my pizza and I’m genuinely overwhelmed that I’ve won. I can’t wait to see it on the menu!”
Launched in July, the Create Your Pizza challenge saw over 53,000 ‘pizza mentalists’ telling PizzaExpress what they’d like to see star on its menu. The entries were whittled down to a top five by a panel of discerning pizza loving food experts, including lauded chef Francesco Mazzei of L’Anima and The Sunday Times food writer Lucas Hollweg, with final entries including a vegan falafel pizza and an artistic food impression of the Leaning Tower of Pisa from 10 year old Oliver Evans. The finalists rallied for support in each of their hometowns where they hosted ‘regional eats’ at their local PizzaExpress restaurants, giving members of the public the chance to sample their creations.
Simon won over the public with 27% of the final vote and scooped a £5,000 cash prize along the way. The Da Morire pizza will be available at PizzaExpress restaurants nationwide from 4th January 2011.
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