Napoli on the Road, a London pizzeria with branches in Chiswick, Richmond and Soho, has been named the world’s best pizzeria at the 50 Top Pizza awards. Chef Michele Pascarella described the victory as “surreal”, saying it represented a remarkable journey from starting with a three-wheeled food truck to leading the first British winner of the prestigious competition.

The award was announced in Naples on 16 September after anonymous judges assessed pizza quality, service, surroundings and drinks. Pascarella, who grew up near Naples and moved to Britain aged 19, previously won global pizza maker of the year in 2023; his victory ended the dominance of Caserta’s I Masanielli, which had won six of the previous seven titles and fell to joint fourth.