The Porcupine Ridge Pizzeria Challenge is for consumers to vote who they think makes South Africa’s favourite pizza. Pictures: Supplied
We all have our favourite go-to restaurant when the craving for pizza overwhelms us, and this doesn’t necessarily mean that your favourite pizza is served at a restaurant that specialises in this traditional Italian dish. It could be anywhere – from your local neighbourhood pub to the restaurant at a hotel you regularly visit.
The aim of the annual Porcupine Ridge Pizzeria Challenge is for consumers to vote who they think makes South Africa’s favourite pizza.
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During the launch event of the 2023 Porcupine Ridge Pizzeria Challenge at Osteria Rossa in Bedfordview, voted one of last year’s top 10 pizzerias in the country, Porcupine Ridge spokesman Lynton Kaiser said the competition is not restricted to restaurants that only specialise in pizza.
He explained that the idea for the challenge was formed after the Covid lockdowns to encourage people to get back into restaurants and especially to support their local restaurants.
Kaiser says while there are not any rules as to who can enter the competition, the pizzeria challenge has never really had any influence from big groups and it has mostly grown out of independent restaurants who are willing to serve their pizzas with Porcupine Ridge wines.
“Last year’s competition was stiff, and the rivalry fierce but friendly. With 95 establishments challenging each other for the top prize, we had competing sisters and competing brothers, all of whom made it into the top 10, as well as the first KwaZulu-Natal pizzeria to make it into the top 5!”
He says they are confident that they will get more entries this year and that the competition will be even more intense while still remaining loads of fun.
Taking part in the pizzeria challenge is really easy and doesn’t cost restaurants anything.
Restaurants interested in participating in the Porcupine Ridge Pizzeria Challenge should contact their local Vinimark reps or email clarissa@boekenhoutskloof.co.za for more information.
The rules are simple: The public vote for their favourite local pizzeria via a dedicated voting website. The restaurant with the most votes will be crowned South Africa‘s favourite pizzeria, picking up the ultimate bragging rights as well as wine and marketing collateral to the value of R40 000.
By voting for your favourite pizza spot, you can win weekly prizes, with one lucky voter taking home the grand prize of an EarthFire Tabletop Pizza Oven, pizza for a year from their favourite pizzeria and 30 bottles of Porcupine Ridge Wines, all valued at over R8 000.
The challenge officially kicked off on 1 July, so if your favourite pizza spot is not part of the competition yet, get them to enter asap.
Voting will close at the end of September with the top 10 announced in early November.
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