Chefs from the pair of eateries will compete with pizza pros from street food stalls, pubs and restaurants from around the country in a live cook off in London in November.
Dough Pizzeria Ltd, with their Lombardoveneto, and Cold Town House, with their Leith Pizza, will now go up against chefs from businesses such as Gusto Italian, Wandercrust Pizza and Foundry Project Manchester.
Returning to Islington Metal Works, London, on 7 November, the National Pizza Awards final will see the chefs recreate the pizza that they entered the competition with, looking to win the National Pizza of the Year title and the £1,000 prize that comes with it.
Filippo Rosato, of Brighton and London-based restaurant Purezza, will be returning to defend his crown after winning last year's final with his creation Parmigiana Party, which featured smoked vegan mozzarella, fried aubergine, crumbled soya sausage, basil and nutritional yeast and was the first vegan pizza to win the National Pizza Awards.
This year’s 16 chefs will also take part in a Technical Round that will see them create a pizza using ingredients supplied by the event’s sponsors.
“As always, we saw a large amount of entries submitted for the National Pizza Awards, proving that the UK’s appetite for this classic dish is still absolutely massive,” says Tristan O’Hana, editorial director of Casual Dining Magazine, which runs the event.
“One thing’s for sure, choosing a winner from this sumptuous selection of pizzas is not going to be easy.”
