TORONTO – Great success for the tenth edition of the Pentola d’Oro Awards, the annual gala organized by the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Ontario (ICCO) which promotes food and wine excellence and rewards companies and individuals for their extraordinary contributions to the culinary industry in Ontario. 

The evening, which took place last Friday in the splendid location of the Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex in Toronto, was part of the “Italian Cuisine Week in the World” which ended just today, after seven days full of initiatives aimed at promoting Italian culinary excellence.

The event was divided into two parts: the first one, in the form of a cocktail, made it possible to highlight some of the many Italian companies operating in the food and restaurant sector, which for the occasion offered tastings of their products; the second one, in the form of a gala dinner, with the award ceremony of the Pentola d’Oro 2022 to the winners, chosen by a selection committee that took into account four main criteria: excellence in quality, leadership, development and business expansion, innovation and creativity. Here they are: Pentola d’Oro Award (sponsored by Pizza Nova) to Paul Bravi of “Food Basics – Metro ON Inc.”; Italy-Canada Award (sponsored by Fortinos) to Francesco Zulian of “Italiana FoodTech Inc.”; Innovative Entrepreneur Award (sponsored by Ferrero Canada) to Alex Barrotti of “TouchBistro Inc.”; Lifetime Achievement Award (sponsored by Longo’s) to Frank Commisso of “Commisso Estate Winery”; Best Gelato Award (sponsored by Masters Insurance Ltd.) to “Gemma Gelateria”; Favorite Hotspot Award (sponsored by Canaccord Genuity) to “Il Covo”.

During the gala dinner, which was introduced by the executive director of ICCO, Corrado Paina, and by the Consul General of Italy, Luca Zelioli, three special awards were presented “to those who have promoted and contributed to the Italian way of life in Canada with leadership and foresight”: the three awards went to Sam Primucci of “Pizzanova”, Arthur Pelliccione of “JKO” and Nick Di Donato of “Don Alfonso 1980” and “Liberty Entertainment Group”.

Real standing ovation for Sam Primucci  who, having arrived from Italy (Palazzo San Gervasio, Basilicata) in 1952, just this year “completed” the beauty of exactly seventy years of stay in Canada: seven decades of great successes always in the name of Italian spirit.

In the pics above, Sam Primucci with ICCO’s leaders; here below, some moments of the evening (photos by Corriere Canadese – all the pics of the event on the CNMNG Instagram page)