Derry pizza restaurant bags gold award at the 'Oscars of the pizza world'

Romeos on Strand Road claimed a gold award in the Independent Pizza Delivery category of the awards, organised by the Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food Association (PAPA).

Joanne and Majid Rostami, business owners, said: “We’re very proud to be given gold for PAPA’s Best Pizza Delivery Award. We’re a family-run business, who all have vast experience in the catering industry – from fast food franchise pizza chains to fine dining Italian restaurants; this combined experience helps us deliver the best customer service.

“Our original ethos from day one was to be a modern, premium quality takeaway offering only quality, fresh food, and excellent service. We prepare everything from scratch in-house. We want the customer to have the best experience from ordering through to delivery. Romeo’s is always improving and adapting with trends, we always want to be the best and to lead the way for takeaway foods.”

The business, founded by the couple 15 years ago, now employs 20 people, half of which are delivery drivers. Romeos was given its gold accolade alongside five other independent pizza retailers. The overall winner will be revealed at the PAPA Awards Dinner on Thursday, 9 November 2023 at the Royal Lancaster, London. This annual event brings businesses from across the nation’s pizza, pasta and Italian food industry together to celebrate their achievements.

Jim Winship, director, of The Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food Association, said: “With deliveries being one of the few thriving sectors in recent years, these awards celebrate the shining stars of the pizza delivery market.

“Joanne and Majid and Romeo’s showcase exactly what we look for in this category – a local business serving local customers and collaborating with local suppliers.

“The PAPA Awards is always a highlight in the calendar, and it is also a precursor to the annual National Pizza Week, a seven-day celebration aiming to support the industry and celebrate the nation’s love of pizza. With all the events at this time of year, some say it’s pizza season in the industry. Yet, we like to think that pizza is in season no matter what the time of year!

“We know that independent retailers up and down the country will be getting involved in National Pizza Week, so why not support Romeo’s then by trying out one of their tasty creations.”

Joanne concluded: “We look forward to the awards! This is the biggest award within our industry, so it’s a huge achievement for us to be given gold and be in the running for the main award in this extremely competitive industry.”