Dairy Farmers Best of the Best Pizzamaker 2009

Damon de Ruiter chef / owner of 40s Café in Angaston, South Australia has beaten 9 of Australia’s best pizzamakers to win The Dairy Farmers Best of the Best Pizza Challenge National Final this year.

Held over 2 days in Sydney, Damon was consistently good across all the categories of cheese, smallgoods, seafood and mystery black box to be judged Best Gourmet Pizzamaker and then had to take on the best traditional winner, Riccardo Moretti from La Piazza in Bankstown to find 2009’s ultimate champ. The two were given a black box of ingredients and 30 minutes to come up with a pizza that they then cooked and presented to the professional judging panel.

Damon can’t rest on his laurels though. As this year’s winner he becomes part of The Australian Pizza Team that will head to Las Vegas next March in an attempt to snatch victory from a field of global competitors in The International Pizza Challenge.

Damon takes away a range of prizes including:

• a $5000 cheque
  
• a $5000 marketing package
  
• a big, shiny trophy
  
• $20,000 worth sponsors prizes including preparation equipment and personalised pizza boxes
  
• a place on The Australian Pizza Team to compete in the International Pizza Challenge in Las Vegas in 2010.

National Foods would like to thank 2009’s sponsors. Without the support of leading food industry co-sponsors Caboolture, Spyral Pty Ltd, First Pack, Primo Smallgoods, Sandhurst Fine Foods and Williams Refrigeration, this year’s competition would not have been possible.

The 2010 Dairy Farmers Best of the Best Pizza Challenge will see some exciting changes from years past. Visit the website regularly to keep up to date.