Among the standout events returning to RHS 2026 is one of the crowd favourites for both visitors and industry pros alike: the API Sicilia Trophy – Pizza Mystery Box, organised in collaboration with the Italian Pizzerias Association. It’s a format built around skill, creativity and true Italian pizza culture, throwing professional pizzaioli into a high-pressure challenge packed with adrenaline, instinct and innovation.

The Competition Format: the Mystery Box

Each competitor will receive a Mystery Box filled with a surprise selection of ingredients to create a pizza entirely in their own style. No rules. No labels. Classic, contemporary, experimental, gourmet — anything goes. What really matters is the ability to make the ingredients work together and turn them into a pizza that feels balanced, original and properly memorable.

How the Judging Works

The competition will be judged through a double voting system:

✔ Technical jury — made up of industry experts, established pizzaioli and respected names from the foodservice world
✔ Public jury — because at the end of the day, pizza also belongs to the people who eat it every week, not just the professionals analysing it

The combined scores will decide the winner of the 2026 API Sicilia Trophy.

Where & When

Galatea Area – RHS
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Competitions kick off at 10:00 AM

The event is set to bring serious energy to the exhibition floor, creating a meeting point for pizza chefs, restaurateurs, suppliers and professionals from across the entire Ho.Re.Ca. industry.

Why a Pizza Championship at RHS?

RHS was created to spotlight hospitality professionals and celebrate culinary excellence, and pizza remains one of Italy’s most iconic exports worldwide. Bringing a pizza championship into the fair means:

• showcasing how the pizza world is evolving
• creating space for learning, networking and exchange
• highlighting techniques, ingredients and emerging trends
• giving visibility to local territories and the people representing them

It fits perfectly with the spirit of the event: building culture, opportunities and connections within the Sicilian Ho.Re.Ca. market — and beyond.

How to Enter

Spaces are limited and registration is capped. To apply, send an email to: apisicilia@associazionepizzerieitaliane.it.

For the full rules, jury details and competition updates, check out API Sicilia’s Instagram and Facebook channels.