I recently celebrated the tenth anniversary of Pizza DIXIT and took the opportunity to reflect on the evolution of the pizza world over the last decade.
In this article, I will list a series of aspects of this evolution that I consider positive (✅) and negative (❌). But with a premise.
I have always been very explicit, on my channels and on those of others, about my opinions regarding everything I can’t stand in this sector and in food communication in general. Although I am essentially an outsider, because I don’t do this work full-time and therefore accept that I am ignorant about many of its mechanics, which can also make me very arrogant… in fact, I’d say in the past I have been even too much so – what can you do, the impulsiveness of youth – and over time I have decided to moderate my tone a bit. Nevertheless, without ever censoring my thoughts. Let’s say my goal is not to stab anyone, but to reflect and make others reflect, sometimes incisively, other times by posing questions and doubts myself.
But I have never shied away from naming names or making explicit references, for example when it comes to food publications or events. My references to people are less direct. This is a choice I’ve declared many times, certainly not out of fear of retaliation, but for two reasons. First: naming names inevitably shifts the reader’s attention from the fact to the person, causing them to lose sight of the focus of the topic and leading to the misconception that it’s a personal attack. Second: I don’t like public brawls, and if I have something to say to someone, I prefer to say it in private. We’ll leave social media spats to the professional squabblers.
That said, let’s begin.
(Ah, and by the way, when it comes to positive examples, I am very happy to name names.)
❌ ✅ Awards and rankings are now everywhere
This isn’t inherently a negative thing: anything that shines a spotlight on the pizza world can only please me. It’s a shame, however, that at these events, whatever their nature, the recognition always goes to the same people, with few surprises in the top positions when it comes to rankings. The continuous head-to-head of the duo Franco Pepe vs. Francesco Martucci is now blatantly an excuse for organizers to play on their fame and curry favor with the sponsors.
It’s no secret – or rather, it’s an open secret, no proof in hand but everyone in the industry knows – that many guides and rankings are influenced by those who pay, promising recognition in exchange for purchasing this or that product. Sometimes it’s even the editorial staff themselves contacting professionals, asking for money in exchange for a listing.
Disclaimer: I have recently become an author for the newly launched guide The Great Pizza. I have collaborated for years with those who run it, I know their philosophy, and I hope it can be a new presence in the market. That said, I will not fail to question this project as well if it doesn’t meet my expectations.
❌ The social media content of pizza makers is all the same
I’m not just discovering now that Instagram thrives on trends, but at the umpteenth reel of the latest pizza maker explaining how much each ingredient of his pizza costs or opening with “Have you ever tried a pizza with ingredient X? Now I’ll let you taste it,” I get a bit annoyed.
✅ On the other hand, the communication of many pizzerias has improved
While it’s true that most pizzerias’ content doesn’t stand out for originality, it’s also true that on many fronts we’ve moved away from the protagonism of the last decade, when some pizza makers took over dominating Instagram. Today, trashy examples like Vincenzo Capuano are few (precisely because, being among the first, they acquired a dominant and unique position), while a more relaxed communication among different professionals has made space. I particularly like the trend of pizza makers telling about their profession or their experiences while preparing pizza. Others simply tell about their creations without too much excess, with grace and professionalism.
Alongside the communication of head pizza makers, there’s also that of pizzerias that don’t rely on the image of a single pizza maker but do what every business should do on social media: communicate their products.
❌ Influencers who are truly passionate about food are really few (especially when it comes to pizza)
It’s difficult to find someone in the Italian* social media world who communicates food in depth, without sensationalizing it. Especially when it comes to pizza: the direct reference is to that horde of foodporn creators who still want us to believe that a giant “ruota di carro” pizza must be strictly folded in four to eat (dividing themselves between those who devour it like an animal and those who take a tiny bite from the tip because they can’t eat it like that). In general, videos from those who communicate restaurant activities are nothing more than a list of dishes without any story behind them, as colorful as possible, and if they’re abundant and fried, even better. Of course, there are always exceptions, but not that many.
(* I can honestly say that the Anglo-Saxon world is way better from this point of view)
❌ Journalism holds too much sway…
I’ve discussed this topic in depth in the past: often there is a relationship of subservience between pizza makers and the press, where many journalists use media power not for the love of communicating pizza, but for their own interests.
❌ …and pizza makers bow their heads too much
The press certainly deserves enormous credit for highlighting establishments and professionals who might not benefit from large communication investments: in short, there are many journalists who “discover” pizza makers and give them the right visibility, and I also find it reasonable that a relationship of trust is created between them. What I don’t find reasonable at all is when pizza makers who have made their way on their own through skill, word of mouth, and good communication are then swooped down upon like vultures by those who want to take advantage of their reputation to gain visibility, and that they allow it. The case of Roberto “Bob” D’Avanzo, who was awarded at 50 Top Pizza in a category that doesn’t even concern him, without him being able to say a word about it, is emblematic of an increasingly losing pizza world.
❌ Cronyism is everywhere
The intersection of the two previous paragraphs leads me to a third, sad consideration: independent and free communication is truly rare. I see too many pizza enthusiasts orbiting in the sphere of influence of the aforementioned exploitative journalists, whether to get a publication, to be in the circle of “those who matter,” to get invitations to ceremonies, or for a simple free meal. And it makes me angry.
✅ The number of female pizza makers has grown…
Let’s talk about something positive: I’ve been following the female presence for years now, and it has grown significantly. The gap compared to male colleagues is still large, but I’ve always said it’s not a competition. What matters is that female pizza makers can, but above all want to, have their say, without too much rhetoric about gender roles, but focusing on merit. Although, unfortunately, the debate on differences is still ongoing, due to a backward mentality that’s a bit difficult to overcome.
❌ …but not all of them do honor to the category
A social media trend in recent years is associating the sensuality of food with that of overly winking male and female bodies. I’m not a prude: if boobs and abs increase engagement, good for those who earn with those profiles; emancipation comes through the free use of one’s charms. But in the pizza world, there are not exactly edifying examples of using beautiful women as a lure at the expense of the product.
✅ There is a lot of novelty and a thirst for improvement
Even in Italy, pineapple hasn’t been a taboo for a long time, although many still want to use it as rage-baiting leverage. But in recent years we’ve gone far beyond using exotic fruit for the pure sake of experimentation. On the contrary, the focus has been on enhancing seasonal ingredients or local resources to bring to the table a pizza philosophy that goes beyond the litany of “100-hour leavened dough with 5 grains.” And we see this evolution especially in the work of pizza makers abroad who draw on a biodiversity different from ours, perhaps working on resource scarcity to make the most of it (the Nordic school from this point of view has influenced several pizza chefs in Europe).
✅ Globalization is a beneficial choice
Welcoming different pizza styles also allows those with a less rooted pizza culture than ours to expand the offer: if in Italy the Roman and Neapolitan schools overshadow all other local varieties, in many foreign cities you can now find pizzerias in New York, Detroit, Argentinian “al molde” style, and other hybrids. Perhaps they have more fun abroad than we do.
✅ Prices have adjusted to labor costs
Let’s be clear: underground work and €700 monthly salaries haven’t disappeared, and you notice it right away walking around the center of Naples. But today you realize there is more healthy entrepreneurship, which pays a well-trained staff and is capable of offering you gastronomic quality and excellent service for slightly above-average prices. Proving that when you know how to fill tables and balance the books, you can do good restaurant business even with a simple pizza.
✅ Many pizzerias have truly understood what it means to be a restaurant
And to link back to the previous point, today the pizzeria experience can go beyond a simple meal: from tastings to alcohol pairings, from dedicated service to managing the bar and dining room, from online booking to digital menus… everything contributes to a journey that goes beyond the gustatory senses and expands into the sphere of hospitality. Even lighting and sound systems are no longer left to chance.
✅ Marketing has left many clichéd formulas behind
The last decade was mainly characterized by overused expressions like “100% Biga” and “ancient grains.” Now, it’s not that they’ve completely disappeared. But today, those who really know how to run a pizzeria no longer need this phrasebook to stand out from the crowd and focus mainly on the aforementioned experiences and their own competence, rather than on gimmicks. Journalistic communication has also adapted, focusing on professionals’ journeys before even product technique. Of course, here too there are some recurring tropes (like stories of sacrifice and stolen childhood) but those too will pass.
❌ Pizza makers still haven’t learned to accept criticism
Having a renowned establishment and a place in the rankings isn’t enough: even successful pizza makers struggle to digest negative reviews… indeed, especially the more established ones. The disgusting practice of publishing negative TripAdvisor feedback on one’s own profiles to mock them is unfortunately common; not to mention when criticism comes from press professionals, whose competence and integrity are then questioned (valid only when they speak well of one’s work). Many pizzerias could use a community manager, but some pizza makers really need to be taken off social media.
✅ Good pizza abroad has been legitimized
This is perhaps the topic closest to my heart, since this is how I started my communication project: demonstrating to the Italians that you could eat a good Neapolitan pizza even in other countries, when many believed that “outside Naples it can’t be done.” Today Neapolitan pizza has conquered the world; but true pizza enthusiasts know there is more, and recognize quality beyond style.
✅ There really is a lot of quality pizza, everywhere
Now it’s really impossible not to find an excellent pizzeria within an hour’s drive from anywhere in Italy, if not less. And they are especially tucked away in villages or remote hamlets: the contemporary pizza maker enhances their local territory and brings economic benefits to their community. Pizza can also be a decisive lever for tourism marketing, as the “Caiazzo model” of Franco Pepe has clearly demonstrated, and which is being replicated on a smaller scale by other pizza makers.
✅ Pizza has acquired its own dignity and is part of the collective gastronomic discourse
For a long time, capable pizza makers are no longer seen as outsiders revolutionizing the sector: it’s now taken for granted that if an article is written about pizza, quality product will be shown, but it will also be described how and why. Strictly speaking, “excellences” no longer exist, extraordinary realities in an “underdeveloped” environment: many professionals have the space and talent to see a piece dedicated to them in the press, highlighting their individuality. Just like great chefs.
❌ …even if sometimes it seems too much of a protagonist
A downside is that often too much emphasis is placed on the “pizza” factor to attract attention: it seems to be the keyword to highlight even when it’s a mediocre offering within a broader gastronomic reality. Not to mention the multitude of dedicated events, some interesting and well-structured, others set up a bit like village festivals just to make money. But then again, pizza has always been the food of the people; this shouldn’t be forgotten.
✅ At the end of the day, it’s a beautiful community
Yes, it’s true, there are opportunists, improvisers, wheeler-dealers, hypocrites, arrogant and proud people. But there are also many people in love with what they do, down-to-earth, very happy to engage with anyone. I see it at industry fairs, especially in meetings between people from narrower niches, like those of home-made pizza or pizza makers who travel from country to country to compete in championships. It is, after all, a wide and varied world, so it’s normal to come across people who don’t align with our values, and others with whom we feel more in tune. But in the end, it’s fun.
Okay, I’ll stop here. I must say this was a pretty improvised text, without too much planning behind it, and longer than I should have made it. It’s the risk you run when treating a vast topic from too many angles, without hitting a specific target. And in fact, each of these paragraphs could represent a chapter on its own. So tell me: is there any of these topics you would like me to explore further? Let me know in the comments.
This is an AI-assisted translation of the original Italian article, which I have lightly edited. Please let me know if you notice any mistakes!
