FRANCO PEPE CONFIRMS HIS 2 KNIVES AT THE BEST CHEF AWARDS 2025 CELEBRATED IN MILANO
The master pizzaiolo is once again recognized among the world’s best chefs of the world, becoming the first and only pizzeria in the world to receive this prestigious recognition.
Milano, October 2nd, 2025. Franco Pepe, Caiazzo’s acclaimed maestro pizzaiolo, was once again recognized with Two Knives by The Best Chef Awards 2025 among the world’s best chefs of the world, becoming the first and only pizzeria in the world to receive this prestigious recognition.
Franco Pepe is one of the most notable figures in the world of pizza. He has enjoyed a successful career, combining tradition and innovation in his work. He is the heir to a passion passed down through the generations, and his training began alongside his father, Stefano, allowing him to develop a unique sensitivity towards pizza-making.
“I am deeply proud to announce that Pepe in Grani has been awarded Two Knives by The Best Chef Awards 2025 for the second year in a row, becoming the first and only pizzeria in the world to receive this prestigious recognition,” said Franco Pepe. “This award is not only a significant personal milestone but a historic moment for the entire pizza world. For the second time, pizza has been recognised as a form of haute cuisine. It is a revolution that changes the way we conceive of our symbolic dish, blending research, hospitality, and a profound connection with the territory”, added the master pizzaiolo. “These Two Knives honour the work that my team and I carry out every day, transforming pizza into a true expression of fine dining with innovation, respect for ingredients, and an almost scientific attention to detail — the very same commitment that drives great chefs in their creations”.
With the legacy of two generations behind him, on October 14, 2012, he inaugurated Pepe in Grani, a project that has redefined the very concept of pizza. By merging research, hospitality, and a profound connection to the Alto Casertano territory and its people, Pepe in Grani has set a new benchmark in the field. The restaurant now counts a team of around 50 professionals, embodying the transformation of the pizzaiolo’s craft into a visionary fine-dining experience.
Franco Pepe also said that “with this recognition, Italian pizza has definitely entered the elite of world gastronomy. It proves that pizza can embody the values of excellence and refinement that define signature cuisine. I am convinced that it will inspire other professionals to embrace their roots while striving for absolute quality. Even before founding Pepe in Grani, I believed that to revolutionise pizza, culinary techniques capable of transforming raw ingredients were necessary. It was from this vision that my personal concept of ‘cuisine applied to pizza’ was born, an approach that today receives full recognition from the international gastronomic community.
At a time of significant change and transformation in the world of pizza, this achievement marks a pivotal moment: haute cuisine has recognised us, once again. It is a huge responsibility that I embrace with gratitude and enthusiasm. I am fully aware that our work will continue to contribute to the evolution of the sector and elevate pizza’s status on the global stage”, finished a very excited Franco Pepe.
About Franco Pepe
Franco Pepe is considered the most famous Italian pizzaiolo in the world. Dough is in his DNA. His grandfather was a baker, his father was a pizzaiolo, and he and his brothers continued in the family business. Famous for his unique dough, and for his dedication to elevating the art of pizza making, his popularity began with an article by Jonathan Gold, a Pulitzer Prize-winning gastronome who wrote in the American edition of Food & Wine magazine: «I’ve probably had the best pizza in the world from Franco Pepe». From then on, he became the most voted pizzaiolo in Phaidon’s «Where to Eat Pizza» guide, in which chefs indicate their favourite places to eat in the world. Franco Pepe stars in one of the episodes of the Netflix series Chef’s Table: Pizza and has been named Ambassador of the Mediterranean Diet Worldwide, Ambassador of Caiazzo Worldwide, Ambassador of Taste and Ambassador of Territory. He has also been recognised as Pizzaiolo of the Year by «Food and Travel», «Pizza Awards Italia», The Best Pizza Chef Awards 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, and Master of the Art and Craft of Pizza by the «Scuola Internazionale di Cucina italiana ALMA», among others.
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