Pizza in Your Backyard

Special thanks to Jason & Cindy Bullock, owners of Carolina Rides and sponsors of Yacht Hop 2022, for providing the yacht pictured above.

For 16 years, tourists and locals have looked forward to enjoying Yacht Hop, an exclusive luxury event where guests are invited to tour premier yachts and indulge in hand-crafted hors d’oeuvres and cocktails.

This year’s Yacht Hop is no different, offering a unique way to support Hospice Care of the Lowcountry, a Bluffton, SC non-profit that specializes in end-of-life patient care programs.

“The end of life often comes too soon, and unexpected,” said Charmayne Winslow, owner of Winslow Design Studio. Charmayne and her husband, Richard Winslow, decided to be Yacht Hop VIP Sponsors in order to support the vision of HCL.

Charmayne added, “In my 30 years as an emergency and ICU RN, I learned the quality of death matters just as much as one’s quality of life. The team at Winslow Design Studio is honored to support Hospice Care of the Lowcountry.”

Every piece of the guest experience at Yacht Hop points toward a greater purpose: Supporting and caring for patients who are near the end of their life.

“Hospice Care of the Lowcountry is committed and connected to our community,” said James Dismond, Director of Business Development at HCL. “Yacht Hop is a magnificent event for our supporters to come together and enjoy themselves while supporting Hospice Care of the Lowcountry.”

Tickets and sponsorships for this exclusive charity event are on sale now. Visit hospicecarelc.org/sponsoryacht-hop for more information.

After having a personal experience with hospice care, Charmayne Winslow – along with her husband, Richard – decided to be a Yacht Hop VIP Sponsor. The Winslows own Winslow Design Studio, a custom home design business based out of Hilton Head Island.

OUTDOOR OVENS HAVE SOARED IN POPULARITY

BY TIM WOOD

Outdoor pizza ovens are the pandemic cooking trend that shows no signs of cooling off.

This is a hobby that didn’t even exist 20 years ago, as manufacturers were solely focused on the commercial restaurant builds. The demand for the must-have addition to your outdoor kitchen was already steadily growing, but once lockdowns began, sales went through the roof.

Manufacturers like Gozney, makers of the Roccbox, report three to four times better sales over the last two years, and their newest model did $8 million in pre-sales in just eight hours.

There is an indescribable romance among at-home pizza chefs that has spurred the growth of the industry and led to lighter-weight, more affordable models and a spate of players entering the space.

“The interest is truly at an all-time high for sure. It’s just so easy to do. You can make a pizzeria-level pizza in your backyard in 90 seconds,” said Sarah Clemmons of Billy Wood Appliance in Bluffton.

And while the design of the oven is clearly tailored for pizza, you can cook anything from grilled fish to smoked meats to bread loaves, focaccia and flat breads — one reason the portable beauties have become a quick favorite of the RV set.

Make no mistake though, the star of the show is the dream of making Neapolitan-style pizzas at home with the quality of a streetcorner pizzeria in Naples.

There are a few factors to consider before you buy. First off, how fancy do you want to get?

Top-line brands among the more mass-produced ovens like Ooni, Roccbox and Bertello take up a smaller footprint and cook a smaller pie – a 12-inch model has about a $400 price tag while a 16-inch model will run you closer to $650. These models are a bit more portable, running anywhere from 30 to 45 pounds, and will still deliver the optimal 900-to-1,000-degree temperatures needed to craft that perfect pie.

The brands and styles you will find at places like Billy Wood Appliance, Casual Living, Fireside Grillin’ and Summer Breeze Outdoor Kitchens are still technically portable and can sit on a counter top, but have a construction much closer to commercial grade.