Name:

Fran Carroll

Titles:

• Open Region Champion for Best Non Traditional Pizza, International Pizza Challenge, World Pizza Games, Las Vegas, 2009
• "Ireland's Best Pizza" Pizza World Championship 2008 & 2009.
• Shortlisted for “Independent Pizza Operator of the Year”, (Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food Awards, UK 2008).
• World Pizza Cup, Naples, Italy, 2008 – 14th Overall in the STG Neapolitan Category.
• International Pizza Challenge, Las Vegas, 2007 (topped by Tony Gemignani in the heats)
• World Pizza Cup, Naples, Italy, 2007 - Placed 22nd Overall
• WINNER - South West Region of the UK Pizza Designer of the Year Award (Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food Assoc., PAPA Industry Awards 2007)
• 2006 World Pizza Championships, Salsomaggoire, Italy
  Irelands 1st Competitor in Pizza Competitions

Pizzerias:

Bistro Bianconi

• 12 Ranelagh Village, Dublin 6
• 13 Westside Shopping Centre, Galway
• 35 High St, Sligo
• O'Connell St, Sligo

Years in the Industry:

11 yrs

Bio:

Bistro Bianconi was first opened in 1993 by Pat Grimes with the assistance of his friends, the Gollino family, who for generations have been baking pizzas in their traditional wood burning ovens in Italy.

The emphasis in Bistro Bianconi has always been about good quality fresh ingredients to make authentic gourmet Italian pizzas. It wasn’t until 2001 when Fran Carroll joined the business that Bistro Bianconi extended itself outside of Sligo and got involved in competitions.

Dublin is the capital of Ireland and its cosmopolitan population seemed the ideal location to target. Dublin, at the time, was being overrun by American franchises of poor quality processed pizzas.

Under the ownership of Fran Carroll, Bistro Bianconi opened its doors in Ranelagh (a suburb of Dublin) in November 2004. Since then the pizzeria has gone from strength to strength.

Fran first started competing in pizza competitions at the Pizza World Championships in 2006 where he led the Bistro Bianconi team and their customers favourite pizza, the Michaelangelo,  to 24th in the World at Salsomaggoire, as well as winning Ireland’s Best Pizza at the event.

Fran has prepared Pizza on Irish National Television (RTE1 & TV3), as well as appearing in several Irish Newspapers (Irish Times & Irish Independent, Sunday Business Post, Evening Herald) and magazines (Food & Wine, Image) on where to find the best pizza in Ireland.

Fran was delighted to have been invited, by Tony Gemignani, to get involved with the World Pizza Champions while competing in Naples at the World Pizza cup in 2008.

Fran has had great success since with his Irish influenced pizza creations:

In 2008 he won “Ireland’s Best Pizza” in  Italy with his Guinness & Galway Bay Oyster pizza, while achieving the same accolade, as well as Open Region Champion for Best Non Traditional Pizza in Las Vegas with his Jameson & Black pizza in 2009.

Website:

www.bistrobianconi.com

Email:

fran@bistrobianconi.ie

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