A GALASHIELS chef has added the perfect topping to his first year in business.

Paolo Crolla capped a memorable 12 months in business at a lavish awards ceremony in London by being crowned the best pizza maker in the country.

The 35-year-old went to the capital last week as the Scottish champion.

And he stunned judges yet again, including celebrity chef Aldo Zilli, with his mouth-watering entry to win the UK-wide Pizza, Pasta and Italian Food Association Award.

The PAPA award is the fifth gong the Overhaugh Street restaurant owner has scooped since opening Paolo's Italian Restaurant.

Paolo told us: "Winning the PAPA award was amazing.

"We had to make a pizza for the judges and Aldo (Zilli) gave me a ten out of ten.

"It has been a great year. When we won the first award earlier this year we thought we may as well enter a few more... you never think you are going to win five awards in your first year."

As well as winning Pizza of the Year at the PAPA Awards, Paolo's has also been named regional pizza winner, Scottish Pasta Dish of the Year, Scotland's Best Italian Cuisine and also won a nationwide award for an authentic Italian restaurants.

The chef had already been in business with his H20 bar for six years before opening his first-floor restaurant.

Paolo added: "I always wanted to open a restaurant but I never dreamed it would go so well in the first year."

More than 70 pizza restaurants entered the recent PAPA Awards.

And Paolo's floor manager Emily Rose Taylor admitted it was a gamble to even attend. She said: "We had to organise for staff to cover so that we could go. We knew there would be some really good pizza restaurants through to the final but we wanted to go and see how we would get on - it was great to win.

"It has been an amazing first year for Paolo's and winning the PAPA Award was a great way to celebrate our first birthday."