November 11, 2025
A new Hungarian Pizza Association (FUPI) has just been founded by Gianni Annoni, Szabolcs Szabadfi, winner of the Gault&Millau POP of the Year Award, and eight other master pizzaiolos. The FUPI is officially on the map.
If you’ve ever met Gianni Annoni or the well-known baker Szabolcs Szabadfi in person, you know right away that their buzzwords aren’t just for show. They mean it. Ten founding members — some of the best pizzaiolos in Hungary — have teamed up to promote authentic, high-quality pizza based on traditional Italian techniques.
The problem they’re tackling is familiar: though new pizzerias are opening everywhere these days, many of them focus on the idea of Neapolitan pizza rather than the real craft behind it. Without genuine skill, you simply can’t make truly great pizza.
Gianni says that while he has the deepest respect for traditional Neapolitan pizza, it’s time to celebrate the full diversity of pizza culture. There’s more to Italy than Naples — think pinsa romana from Lazio, padellino pizza from Piedmont, or focaccia di Recco from Liguria.
Tamás Mák, FUPI’s vice president, put it passionately:
“As a pizzaiolo at Trattoria Pomo d’Oro and Pizzabar Pomo d’Oro, I work every day to make pizza as authentic and as high-quality as possible. For me, pizza dough isn’t just a base — it’s alive, always evolving. I believe pizza-making isn’t just a craft, it’s art and passion. And being part of that is a privilege.”
The association’s mission is to support and promote venues that follow traditional Italian pizza-making principles — and to raise the overall quality of hospitality in Hungary by setting professional standards.
Expect to see plenty of activity from them soon. FUPI plans to organize nationwide professional days, workshops, and roadshows to spread pizza culture across the country. And it’s open to everyone, not just industry pros, but also anyone who simply loves pizza and wants to learn more.
Beyond the community events, FUPI is also a professional body. They’ve already announced that at SIRHA Budapest 2026, they’ll host the first Hungarian Pizza Championship.
The March event will welcome both professional and amateur pizzaiolos, competing in five categories:
- pizza classica,
- pizza romana,
- pizza napoletana,
- pizza a due (for two-person teams),
- and amateur.
The FUPI blue plaque has already appeared on the doors of the first certified venues: Belli di Mamma, Fermento, Hétköznapok, Pizza Bar Pomo d’Oro, Panificio il Basilico, Szomszéd Bisztró, Vegazzi Specialty Pizzeria, Trattoria Pomo d’Oro, and VOILÁ made the inaugural list.
If you’d like to join or just learn more about the upcoming Pizza Championship, check out FUPI Hungary’s website.
