Thorold pizza maker wins Chef of the Year at Canadian Pizza Summit

While mostly known for its extra-long zucchinis, Thorold now has a new claim to world fame: pizza!

Local pizza maker Amedeo Francesco Broccolo was named Chef of the Year at the Canadian Pizza Summit East in Toronto on Monday.

“[Me and my brother Michael] went over there to have some fun,” says Broccolo, in an interview with ThoroldToday. “We made so many friends, and we talked with so many people. It was something unexpected but we were pretty happy.”

The Broccolo brothers started catering company Fratelli Broccolo in Thorold, after moving here from Calabria, Italy six years ago.

“We ended up in Thorold because my mom was born here,” Broccolo explains. “My grandparents moved here more than fifty years ago. My mom ended up moving back to Italy because she met my dad. In Italy it’s hard, especially in the south, to find a job. We decided in 2017 to move here and change our lives.”

While Broccolo and his brother always liked making pizza, they got really invested during the pandemic.

“We were kind of bored because there wasn’t much to do during COVID so we started to experiment with new kind of pizza doughs,” Broccolo says. “We did a lot of new courses, and we kind of turned this hobby into a professional job.”

The Broccolo brothers specialize in gourmet pizzas.

“Our dough is special because we make it with love and passion,” says Broccolo. “Our kind of pizza is Neapolitan style but contemporary. My favourite topping to use is truffle.”

And that topping pushed Broccolo to the top of the competition at the Canadian Pizza Summit East.

“Our pizza was truffle cream in the base, with mushrooms and mozzarella cheese,” he says. “At the end, we used truffle, prosciutto cotto and basil. It’s a pretty simple pizza but it’s very tasty.”

With the win under their belt, the brothers will be heading to Las Vegas in 2024 to face off against pizza chefs from all over the world at the 2024 International Pizza Expo.

When not competing for the best pizza, the Broccolo brothers travel all over the Region catering all sorts of events, but they're dreaming of starting their own restaurant.

“We’re trying to open a pizzeria,” says Broccolo. “This winter we’re going to figure out what [and when.] I’m sure that now everyone wants to try our pizzas for sure.”

In the meantime, Thorold residents can always hire the brothers for their events.

“We are open for everybody,” says Broccolo. “If anybody needs us for an event, contact us anytime and we’ll be ready to create pizzas.”

To hire Fratelli Broccolo, call (905) 788-7992.