Witham St Hughs chef named Neapolitan pizza world champion at the Pizza World Cup 2023 in Naples, Italy

A chef left Witham St Hughs for Rome and returned home as a pizza world champion.

Antonio Carlos Garcia, originally from Alicante, Spain, said he was proud to have been awarded the accolade of World Champion Neapolitan Pizza Chef at the World Pizza Cup 2023 in Italy.

Having worked in pizza restaurants for over a decade, he now has his own catering company – Pizza San Antonio – which has provided for some big-name clients including FedEx, Amazon, BBC and Warner Bros.

Under the same name, he also provides pizza consultancy and courses, as well as collaborations in the UK, Spain and other European countries.

The World Pizza Cup lasted for three days and had 18 different categories, including classic pizza, Neapolitan pizza and pizza street food.

“This is something I have been working on for a long long time, perfecting the style of the pizza.

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“I wouldn’t say it was unexpected as I put so much work and effort into it but I am very happy and proud.”

There were around 300 competitors and two winners for each category, an Italian national and a foreigner.

“I had a maximum of 10 minutes to make the pizza and then show it to the judges,” added Antonio.

He has also climbed to the top of the podiums as the Best International Pizza Chef at the VIII Pizza Doc Edition in 2022.

In May this year, Antonio will be attending a national pizza competition in Rome.