Spreading pizza culture within catering education is one of Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli’s aims. Its collaboration with UNOX, the Veneto-based designer and manufacturer of professional ovens, is part of this commitment.
UNOX created CombiGuru, an educational programme connecting schools with the world of work. Around 150 Italian hospitality schools take part, alongside approximately 40 in Spain and a similar number in the United Kingdom.
The CombiGuru Challenge gives young chefs the opportunity to develop culinary skills through activities, modern technologies and situations that reflect everyday professional life.
Following the online quiz stage, the Italian finalists competed in person at UNOX’s premises. The winning schools received equipment for teaching, while the top students won a Level 1 professional pizza-making course at Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli with Master Instructor Luca Gaccione.
During the training week, the winners explored the profession through a structured programme, using tools and techniques that are difficult to cover in such depth in everyday school lessons. Agugiaro & Figna’s Le 5 Stagioni also took part, bringing together ingredients, technique and product knowledge.
An international outlook is common to both CombiGuru and the school. Winners in Spain and the United Kingdom received equivalent training experiences at local schools in the network.
Through this collaboration, Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli puts its training expertise and network at the service of the next generation of catering professionals.