Gambero Rosso has decided: the best bread in Messina it is, once again, that of the master baker Francesco Arena. Confirming the record held for years by the Messina bakery chef is the Guide to Bread and Bakers of Italy 2025 by Gambero Rossopresented today in Rome.
Francesco Arena thus continues to carry the name of the city of the Strait high. Thanks to the passion and dedication with which he carries out his work every day, the bakery chef is the only one, for Messina, to have obtained the highest recognition of Three Loaves, awarded to 64 bakers throughout Italy. This award confirms the great quality of the baked products of Francesco, son of an artist, who shares the great passion for this work with his father Masino.
The guide is now in its sixth edition, and represents a precious compass for lovers of good bread, as well as a praise to the artisans, capable of dealing with a constantly evolving market and creators of increasingly authentic baked products.
«I want to thank Gambero Rosso once again. This award – commented Francesco Arena – stimulates us to always try to do better. Every day the commitment that I and my collaborators put into our work is great, so this too is a success that I want to share with all my kids. I also want to say thanks to my father Masino who passed on all his knowledge to me, to my wife and daughters who support me in every choice».
The inspectors’ review
In the central Via Cannizzaro there are the windows of Francesco’s bakery – a reductive term in truth – where from the morning you can buy the traditional Messina yeasts for breakfast, brioche with tuppo, dinner sandwich (typical Messina sweet bread) or almond sandwich butter, but there is also no shortage of croissants or various pastries. Among the many breads of different shapes and local flours enhanced by great technique and use of sourdough, the burnt wheat bread is worth tasting, obtained from toasted grains and with a shape and color reminiscent of Etna.
The strong point is the traditional focaccia from Messina, prepared with the right layering, anchovies, tuma, curly lettuce and tomato lastly on a tumminia and russello dough, soft and fragrant at the same time and also available in the stuffed flatbread version. The fried rustic dishes such as arancini, pidones are excellent, as are the traditional version of calzones.
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