From 29th April - 2nd June, Neapolitan pizza restaurants Fatto a Mano will join forces with Master Pizzaiolo, Franco Pepe, to introduce his signature ‘world’s best pizza’ – the Margherita Sbagliata – to the UK for the first time ever. Raising money for Italian charity La Scugnizzeria, the limited edition collaboration will see the Naples-based chef – known as one of the stars of Netflix’s popular Chef’s Table: Pizza series – share the recipe for his internationally revered pizza with Fatto a Mano, which will recreate it at its five restaurants in London (Covent Garden, Kings Cross), Brighton and Hove.
Franco Pepe earned the title of "World's Best Pizza Chef" for three consecutive years at the Best Chef Awards in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Translated as ‘Mistaken Margherita’, Pepe’s celebrated Margherita Sbagliata was named the Best Pizza in the World from 2016 to 2018. A shared dedication to Neapolitan provenance is at the root of this exciting partnership and opportunity for Londoners to try the pizza: meticulous by nature, Franco Pepe uses ingredients from the Alto Casertano area, which is home to many of the small-scale producers who supply Fatto a Mano.
Priced at £16 throughout May, the collaboration special will feature Fatto’s signature pizza dough - made with Italian 00 flour, and proven for 24 hours for a light and pillowy texture - topped with Franco’s unconventional take on a classic margherita. The Margherita Sbagliata will see the dough layered with buffalo and fior di latte mozzarella from long-time Fatto a Mano’s suppliers Lattai Ponticorvo – a dairy located just a few miles from Franco Pepe’s revered restaurant Pepe in Grani – along with Lorenzo extra virgin olive oil from the centuries old Sicilian family dynasty, Barbera, in Sicily.
The pizza is then baked for no longer than 90 seconds, before Franco Pepe’s riccio (‘curly’) tomato passata is added. Made from an ancient variety grown exclusively for Pepe in his home city of Caiazzo, the passata is added uncooked to preserve its natural flavour, and piped in geometric lines alongside dots of a basil oil.
Combining the best Italian produce with the innovative vision of a third-generation master, the collaboration sees Fatto a Mano’s commitment to authenticity recognised by one of the most globally influential figures in pizza. For each pizza sold, £1.50 will be donated to La Scugnizzeria - a charity centre in Scampia, Italy, providing local children with the opportunity to learn essential skills, from theatre and photography workshops to the art of pizza-making.
