Instructors Around the World
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50
Members Around the World
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250
Followers in the GPN La Piccola Napoli Group
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1000
The Association
The GPN Association was founded on January 2nd, 2019, in Naples by its sole founder and president, Pasquale Telese, where it also has its registered and operational headquarters. Its mission is to promote and protect, in Italy and around the world, authentic Neapolitan pizza and food culture — meaning the traditional product prepared according to the standards described in the international Regulations for obtaining the collective trademark “Authentic Neapolitan Pizza and Contemporary Neapolitan Cuisine.” The GPN Academy offers courses in Neapolitan pizza-making and Neapolitan cuisine, providing young people with sector‑specific training and hands‑on experience to help them begin and master the profession of pizzaiolo or chef. Each student is also automatically enrolled in the GPN Association and assigned a numbered membership card, allowing them to participate in events such as Guinness World Records attempts, competitions, and the television program “GPN – Pizza & Food.”
The course
The course lasts four weeks and is held entirely in the dedicated pizzerias and restaurants of our master instructors, ensuring deeper engagement and hands‑on practice. In every city and country, there is an instructor available directly in your area. GPN has now become a true international school, boasting more than 250 instructors worldwide, training students with experience and professionalism in the Art of Neapolitan Pizza and food culture. With over 250 master pizzaioli and chef instructors around the world, the GPN Association proudly represents its FOOD®️ brand. We are present in Chicago, Germany, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Honolulu, London, New Zealand, Australia, Puerto Rico, France, Portugal, Munich, Croatia, Mexico, Thailand, Tenerife, Spain, Slovenia, Brussels, Korea, Slovakia, Gran Canaria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Estonia, Brazil, Israel, Belgrade, Chicago, and Morocco.
During these four weeks, the trainee pizza maker will have the opportunity to learn dough‑making and leavening techniques. These experiences and lessons will open doors to the professional world, giving the student confidence that direct, hands‑on practice with materials will provide solid, practical knowledge of both the work itself and the techniques involved. At the end of the course, to certify the training received, a merit and participation certificate as a pizza maker or chef will be issued, along with enrollment in the GPN Association. This membership allows the trainee to document their professional development and build a curriculum that supports future career aspirations after completing the course. This program represents a foundational pillar of the principles of the GPN Association: the enhancement, preservation, and promotion of the ART of Neapolitan Pizza and Neapolitan food culture.
The accomplishments
Over time, together with world‑champion pizzaioli such as Davide Civitiello and Valentino Libro, the Group has contributed to several Guinness World Records:
Fried pizza measuring 7.15 meters (the longest in the world): Guinness World Record organized on May 23rd, 2018 at the Mostra d’Oltremare in Naples with APN – Associazione Pizzaioli Napoletani, with the contribution of several GPN members.
Production of 10,170 pizzas in Switzerland: Guinness World Record organized by the restaurant‑pizzeria Verace in Paradiso, Lugano (CH), for the highest number of pizzas produced as a team within 24 hours. The record was achieved with the collaboration of six Neapolitan pizzerias plus GPN, represented by about ten pizzaioli.
Guinness World Record requested and organized by the GPN – Associazione Napoletana Food: Held in Torre Annunziata on October 20th, 2019, where the previous record was surpassed with a new total of 10,823 pizzas baked.
Further recognitions and initiatives
In 2019, the Group received the “50 Top Pizza” award for associational excellence. It collaborated with national charitable organizations during various Italian championships and dedicated a fundraising initiative to cystic fibrosis research, for which the association received a commemorative plaque.
The GPN Association was also received in St. Peter’s Square for an audience with His Holiness Pope Francis, who blessed both the GPN membership plaque and the jacket bearing the ®️GPN logo dedicated to him.
In 2020, during the COVID‑19 lockdown, GPN actively defended and supported commercial businesses, participating in radio programs, TV broadcasts, and public discussions to uphold the rights not only of its members but of the entire professional category.
The association also organized fundraising efforts in support of research on HUS (Hemolytic‑Uremic Syndrome), with donations made to the Nephrology and Dialysis Department of the Santobono Pediatric Hospital in Naples.
Community and online presence
GPN also manages a Facebook group titled “Gruppo la piccola Napoli,” which has over 100,000 followers. Every day, members share technical experiences and advice on improving food management, with more than 200 daily posts, making the GPN community one of the most active groups in the sector.
La Piccola Napoli Food Group: Our Story
GPN – Gruppo La Piccola Napoli is an open Facebook group founded by the president of the GPN Association, Pasquale Telese “Paco Linus”, on August 16th, 2016. The name of the group is inspired by the first pizzeria Paco opened at the age of 25, “La Piccola Napoli.”
The group was initially created for pure enjoyment, but after bringing together not only pizzaioli, but also chefs, pastry chefs, and bakers, it quickly became a place for discussion, exchange, shared interests, opinions, and professional growth for representatives of the white arts from every continent—eventually becoming part of the global gastronomic community. This is why the logo features the circle of flags, while the hands in the emblem come from a photo of Paco Linus preparing to top a pizza. Over the years, additional logos have been added to represent the various categories within the white arts.
On January 2nd, 2017, both the name and the logo were officially registered in Italy and Europe. In 2019, the decision was made to formally establish the Association, complete with its statute, which today counts well over 400 members worldwide.
THE GPN – ASSOCIAZIONE NAPOLETANA GRUPPO LA PICCOLA NAPOLI TRADEMARK IS A REGISTERED MARK. Any unauthorized or unlawful use of the trademark will result in penalties as provided by law:
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Art. 2598 of the Italian Civil Code
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Art. 473 of the Italian Penal Code
Today, the logo appears on countless professional uniforms worn by pizzaioli and chefs around the world, as well as on membership plaques displayed across the five continents—the very first of which is located in Chicago.
The group La Piccola Napoli is one of the most important gastronomic communities on the web and is part of the GPN – Neapolitan Pizza and Food Association, with over 100,000 followers on Facebook.
Many achievements and milestones have been reached over the years, and many more are yet to come.
Our Partners
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