Pizzeria Libretto may like to think it’s the first pizza parlour in town to adhere to the culinary guidelines of the Verace Pizza Napoletana, but locally owned Il Fornello was certified by the VPN 10 years ago.
“In 1999, our executive chef went to the Pizza Fest in Naples and was certified by the association to make traditional Margherita pizza,” says Fornello president Ian Sorbie. “Anyone can follow the protocol, but to be certified, we had to go there to be trained.
“One of the problems we encountered was that, in following the protocol, the oven has to be extremely hot (900°F), and as a result, sections of the crust always appear burned,” recalls Sorbie, who no longer offers VPN-approved Margheritas at his nine area restaurants. “Our customers just didn’t like them like that.”
