THE countdown to find South Africa’s favourite pizzeria is almost complete, with voting in the Porcupine Ridge Pizzeria Challenge 2023 having closed on Saturday, September 30. Once all the votes have been tallied, the winner of this year’s coveted title of South Africa’s Favourite Pizzeria will be revealed on Friday, November 10.
In the three months since July, when the challenge began, it’s estimated that more than 180 000 pizzas have been dished up by participating restaurants nationwide, eager to win over their patrons and get their votes. And vote they did, with more than 44 000 being cast in the 12-week timeframe. During that period there were also 13 lucky voters, selected at random, each of whom won a case of Porcupine Ridge wine and an EarthFire pizza cutting board and pizza cutter.
Says Clarissa Viljoen, sales and marketing co-ordinator for Porcupine Ridge: “It’s been a really closely fought competition this year, with the Top 20 leaderboard changing weekly, spurring on patrons to get out there and vote.
“It’s also been great to see so many restaurants from all corners of South Africa taking part in the challenge for the first time, and even more encouraging to see some of them doing so well. Places like Mooiuitsig Kombuis in Groot Brakrivier (pictured below), Corlie’s Italian in Somerset West and Twenty-Two Eatery in St Francis show that you can still bring in the votes even if you are not situated in one of the major centres.”
The restaurant that receives the most votes from the campaign will be crowned the Porcupine Pizzeria Challenge 2023 winner and will receive Porcupine Ridge wine for a year, a winner’s plaque, and advertising material to the value of R25 000. Nine runners-up will receive six cases of Porcupine Ridge wine, a Top 10 acknowledgement plaque and promotional materials for their establishment.
In addition to the weekly winners of a case Porcupine Ridge wine and an EarthFire pizza board and cutter, a grand prize-winner will receive five cases of Porcupine Ridge wine, an EarthFire table top pizza oven and pizza for a year from their favourite pizzeria – all with a combined value of over R10000.
