"Peppercorns is his club in Caiazzoin the upper Caserta region, which has become a magnet for gourmands from all over the world. He has won several awards and was awarded the prestigious honour of Cavaliere al Merito della Repubblica, Franco Pepe continues to pursue its credo of giving young people a future in their area, transforming an area considered by many to be 'hopeless' into a place of rebirth and value, boosting a local micro-economy made up of excellent products and quality services.
"Having Ducasse arrive from Paris on a private flight to eat our pizza, or going on stage in Yucatan to represent Italy with my pizza alongside the world's greatest chefs, were the last two thrills of this week'., smiles contentedly Franco Pepe.
The 'Pepe in Grani' format added to the pizzeria two rooms, turning it into a kind of inn, where the concept of pizza goes really slowfor the guest to arrive,
refreshment and rest. This is to counter the general image that links pizza to fast food, minimising the value of this world-famous dish that identifies and enhances us as a country.
Of all the awards and prizes you have received, which one are you most proud of?
I always try not to get too caught up in these awards but to move forward with the humility of a craftsman. They are all beautiful and none is inferior to the other. The biggest accolade is definitely the crowd that arrives every day here in Caiazzo, where we have literally brought the world. I am certainly very proud to have been awarded by President Mattarella as Cavaliere al Merito della Repubblica Italiana for two consecutive years, on the grounds of having created a micro-economy in an area where nothing is taken for granted but earned with hard work and perseverance, and for having supported the less well-off and the elderly of the place during the pandemic, not turning off the oven but distributing meals to all.
What are the excellent local products you use in your pizzas? Were they already present or is it thanks to 'Pepe in grani' that the area's economy got a big boost?
The 'Pepe in Grani' project was not just to make pizza, but above all to train young people and local farmers, whose growth we supported with specialised professionals in order to obtain excellent raw materials and thus guarantee quality products, also due to the fact that we are located in the area known as the 'Terra dei fuochi' (land of fires).
Where does this passion for baking come from?
I belong to the third generation and here with me are also my children who represent the fourth generation. A great working continuity started in the 1930s with grandfather and continued in the 1950s by dad who started making pizza, a product in great demand even then. I was born and raised in his pizzeria. And since it was an exhausting job at the time, my parents aspired to another kind of work for us children. So I became a PE teacher at the beginning of my working career. But I was still a pizza maker in the evenings. At the beginning of 2011, I took myself off the school list and opened 'Pepe in Grani' in 2012.
What is the secret of your pizza? Why do people come from all over the world to eat it?
I think our success is due to the fact that we put the customer at the centre of our attention, which means giving him a proper welcome and above all offering him a reasoned, studied and tested product. We have applied the kitchen to the pizzeria, we have broken down the figure of the pizza chef, who is no longer a single person, but a team in continuous training, and we work with excellent local raw materials. We are what we eat, so I wanted to transform pizza into a healthy concept and, in collaboration with a nutritionist biologist and in discussion with the University, we also created a menu of 12 pizzas scientifically calibrated between carbohydrates, lipids and proteins and enriched with fibre for better digestion, also receiving the Bollino Blu (Blue Seal) from AIRC, the cancer research foundation. We have brought science to pizza like never before. "Pepe in grani' is not only a top-notch pizzeria but also a project to enhance your territory.
Can you tell us how it came about and how it has evolved over time?
In 2012 I bought an 18th-century ruin and started this dream with 7 guys, and so many uncertainties, so many unknowns: I didn't even know how much I could pay them at the end of the month, I was in debt! Little by little this project has grown and today I have 50 guys working with me: we welcome about 11,000 people every month, we do tasting sessions with pizzas made with our 'O Pepe' flours, which I created with a local mill and which are not found on the market. We serve savoury, fried, baked and sweet pizza paired with great wines. We have 4 sommeliers in
pizzeria, a wine list of 140 labels. There is a wide range on offer, and we also offer the famous booklet pizza at a cost of 2 euros to maintain the popular identity of pizza as street food.
With the format 'Authentica stellata', created in collaboration with other starred chefs, what was the communicative intent for your customers?
We have recreated a room next to the rooms with an oven where I can accommodate eight people. It's just me and the sommelier and I create and tell my own pizza to regain that contact with the customers that I was missing. We also share a counter and have a fantastic experience with chef friends who really enjoyed this project and with whom we have fun, combining my dough with their creativity.
The 'Wrong Margarita' is defined as a worldwide cult. How did it come about and what is its special feature?
We have a fantastic tomato here in the area, the curly tomato, whose seeds date back to the 1800s, which is grown on non-irrigated fields, is harvested and placed on straw and is very rich in polyphenols and antioxidants. I wanted to bring the nutritional aspect of the tomato on a pizza made up of a few elements so I 'decomposed' the margherita: I put only the white pizza with mozzarella and oil in the oven; when it comes out nice and steaming I add these strips of cold tomato puree and then some drops of basil leaf reduction, ice and oil from the territory with the result that there is a perception of hot and cold on the palate which, decomposed in this way, greatly enhances the flavour of the tomato which becomes very intense.
Can you tell us about the 'Proxima Pepe in Grani' project?
It is a project that was born and conceived after having participated in various consultations and collaborations, thanks to which I realised that I had to protect both Pepe in grani and my identity, creating a container that would contain not only my pizza, my flour and my recipes, but also my communication and my values, so that they would not be misrepresented. Whoever wants my pizza must adhere to certain criteria.
Are you going for pizza?
If I have to be honest, I have a hard time doing it, but I tried some pizzas in Portland, Oregon, from a rival of mine, Sarah MInnick (laughs) who follows the same kind of project that I did in Caiazzo with local farmers. A different but interesting and original pizza.
What is your motto in life, the engine of your thinking and doing?
I didn't think I could do so much and instead today I realise that I have 50 families employed in the area. Waking up in the morning with the desire to create and do to give people a chance not to flee the south is what drives me to always look ahead.
What message would you send to young people?
Today, being a pizza maker is a beautiful path. When I started it was very wearing and very difficult. I would tell young people to believe in their abilities without getting carried away by trivial things, so as not to risk making missteps. Everyone has his or her own talent and must make it available to others. Thinking of achieving a goal only through likes and social media is wrong. We must excite palates, aim for substance and not appearance.
What is your favourite pizza?
I get asked this question all the time (laughs)! My favourite pizza is not mine but my father's and it is also on the menu: it is a calzone with raw curly escarole that brought me luck. When dad was gone I proposed it to Luigi Veronelli, who was to present a local wine. He accepted and then wrote the first three pages about me. It was a great emotion, of which I keep a beautiful memory.
Are there any new projects in Franco Pepe's future?
Let's say that I feel fulfilled and I hope to see this project continued by my children and the boys I have trained here. However, there are many other things to be achieved, but I will talk about that later, when everything has materialised. That's the way I am, I never bite off more than I can chew. (Laughs)
How has Caiaizzo changed with 'Pepe in Grani'?
It has been reborn and many new professions have been created, such as car park attendants and transfer drivers who bring people from Naples or nearby airports, given the difficult road conditions to reach us. Even the old town centre, which had been abandoned, has changed its appearance because the old ruins have been turned into b&b's to accommodate all those who come to enjoy our pizza. Thinking of others is my motto and we invest in many social projects, including for young people with disabilities: in fact we also have two in our staff, Martina and Marco, who work in the dining room and kitchen and are so happy with us that they want to move from Caserta to live here in Caiazzo. This for me is the greatest satisfaction in addition to all those I have mentioned.
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