Aviemore pizzeria is the tops!
It's official: an Aviemore restaurant makes the best pizza in the land!
"I don’t think it’s sunk in yet," said Toni Vastano at La Taverna, "but we are overjoyed to be named as the makers of the best Italian pizza of the year."
Scotland’s Best Pizza was contested by the five finalists, just the one from beyond the "smoke" and the other four all from the Central Belt: Barbarossa and Italian Kitchen, both in Glasgow, Vito’s of Ayr and Andiamo, of Milngavie.
The Vastano family’s "good feeling" about it all was borne out at the big finale of The Scottish Italian Awards in Glasgow’s Hilton Hotel earlier this week.
La Taverna beat off the remaining competition which had been whittled down from no fewer than 1,000 entries at the outset.
"It was only made possible by our wonderful customers", said Toni, "who unbeknownst to us were voting for La Taverna in the competition. To have made it into the last 20 would have been an incredible achievement – but then into the last 10 and finally to have gone up against four of Scotland’s best known pizzerias in a cook-off was like Strathspey Thistle reaching the Scottish cup final!"
And it got even better for the family.
The chef and his assistant, Kamile Pacyga, a member of the La Taverna kitchen team, had to cook under the watchful eye of celebrity chef Jean Christophe Novelli, alongside four other chefs over a period of six hours during the final last month as part of the competition.
Toni said: "To be told by Jean Christophe Novelli that in his eyes there was only one winner and that we were head and shoulders above the competition in the way we carried out our task was the best feeling I could have after 30 years working in kitchens.
"It was high praise indeed from such an amazing accomplished chef."
He declared: "To be able to call ourselves winners of the Scottish Italian best pizza awards 2013-2014 is something that I will treasure my entire life."
Mr Vastano could not let the occasion pass without giving credit where it was due: "Special thanks must go to my brother Nando for his continuous support and our loyal hardworking team who helped to make this possible.
"But most of all, a big thank you to our parents Nando and Joan for their hard work and vision and guidance over many years. It was 47 years ago that my father arrived in Scotland with just a suitcase – but it was certainly a good move!"
The win is a high point of a tough year for Toni and his family after he suffered a serious heart-scare in the Spring. Ironically his son, Toto, had been honoured a short time before for his part in helping to save the life of Tony Holden, (59), at the High Life Highland gym in Aviemore where the youngster works.
