AVPN – Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana Australia 

On Tuesday the 22nd September 2015 the True Neapolitan Pizza Association (Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, AVPN) held a meeting for Australian and New Zealand members. This meeting was the first of its kind in the region and was held at the Euroquip premises in Padstow, NSW.

The True Neapolitan Pizza Association (Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, AVPN) is a non-profit organization and was founded in June 1984 in Naples. The mission of the AVPN is to promote and protect the “true Neapolitan pizza“, both within Italy and across the globe. The Association is also involved in the promotion and protection of affiliated pizzerias and products related to the production of “true Neapolitan pizza“ as well as the professionalism of modern pizza makers.

After the formalities of the members-only meeting a workshop was held in the Euroquip kitchen to discuss the properties of a true Neapolitan pizza, the mission of the association and to welcome newly certified members, Queen Margherita of Savoy located in Sydney’s beach side suburb, Cronulla.

In attendance was President and founder of the AVPN, Antonio Pace.  Antonio is responsible for developing the definition, regulations and guidelines for making a pizza worthy of the collective trademark “Verace Pizza Napoletana”.  The President addressed the audience explaining a history of pizza making, the various types of pizza and the importance of keeping the tradition of Neapolitan accurately preserved.

Johnny di Francesco; Owner of restaurant 400 Gradi in Brunswick VIC and respected AVPN member was also in attendance. Johnny was the first Australian to be trained in Naples under the AVPN regulations and to be approved to use the “Verace Pizza Napoletana” trademark. In 2014 he travelled to Italy to present his now-famous margherita pizza to judges at the World Pizza Championships and secured first place. At the workshop Johnny detailed his commitment to the mission of the association and demonstrated the processes of making dough the Napoletana way.

The meeting and workshop concluded with various chefs making and cooking pizzas in the Valoriani Verace gas powered oven, the only gas oven to be approved by the association for preparing this style of pizza. Members and guests were able to network and discuss business whilst sampling the pizzas.