Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food Magazine - April 2022 - Issue 209 by J & M Group Ltd.

Issue 209 April 2022

& Italian food magazine

'' Naples, a thousand colours,, Thousands of colours and flavours connect the history of Naples to our mill. A story made of passion, generosity and respect of the tradition.

CAPUTO 11 mulino di Napoli

www.papa.org.uk

a Welcome Just when many operators might have thought they were starting to have a proper chance to recover in the wake of the response to Covid, comes the removal, all at once it would appear, and legacy, of many of the measures rolled out to help support businesses in the first place. When combined with the added pressures of upcoming changes in legislation, supply chain issues and mounting inflation, it makes for tough times indeed. In this issue, we hear a range of views, highlight upcoming calorie labelling legislation and the benefits of apprenticeships in addressing skills shortages, and also look ahead to the PAPAs.

CLARE BENFIELD EDITOR

clare@jandmgroup.co.uk

Editor Clare Benfield telephone 01291 636336 e-mail clare@jandmgroup.co.uk

Contents NEWS 4

Advertising Andrew Emery telephone 01291 636334 e-mail andrew@jandmgroup.co.uk Production Jayson Berry telephone 01291 636339 e-mail jayson@jandmgroup.co.uk Subscriptions Kevin Minton telephone 01291 636335 e-mail kevin@jandmgroup.co.uk

J & M Group

Engine Rooms, Station Road, Chepstow NP16 5PB Opinions expressed in Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food magazine are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of J&M Group, Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food magazine or The Pizza & Pasta Association. No responsibility is accepted for the opinions of contributors. Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food is published by J&M group Ltd. and supports The Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food Association. It is circulated to managers, executives, buyers, retailers and traders in the pizza and pasta business. © J&M Group Ltd. 2022

32 Energy-saving ovens – is electric best right now?

Deliveries and takeaways double pre-Covid levels in February, but growth slows.

Eating out sector recovery to slow.

A transformational year for Domino’s.

ARTICLES 20 Time for a moratorium? PAPA director, Jim Winship, asks if it’s time for a moratorium on upcoming legislation. 28 This too shall pass – hospitality sector investor and advisor, Maurice Abboudi’s, view.

11 I Love Italian Food comes to London.

30 Sofficé – a Sicilianthemed new opening.

PAPA ASSOCIATION

38 New calorie labelling legislation – what does it mean for operators?

14 PAPA Awards 2022. 19 Why your membership matters.

40 How flexible apprenticeships could benefit your business – advice from HIT Training’s Jill Whittaker.

REVIEWS 42 Combined shows draw the crowds – IFE and HRC. FEATURES 22 Thoughts on flour – back to basics.

REGULARS 44 Index of suppliers. 46 Classifieds.

Al Oa De

www.pizzapastamagazine.co.uk

Febr

ALPHIN PANS Serving the Pizza Professional Since 1989

Alphin Pans is the UK’s largest manufacturer of pizza pans and pizza related equipment, we hold large stocks of all the most popular sizes of pans and can manufacture to your specific need if required.

Please contact us on 01457 872486 or visit our website: www.alphin.co.uk to see what we can do for you.

Alphin Pans Ltd Oakdale Mill, Delph New Road Delph, Oldham, OL3 5BY

Telephone: 01457 872486 Email: sales@alphin.co.uk Fax: 01457 820868

Making the pizza professional h February 2022 Advert Main.indd 1

appy since 1989 12/01/2022 13:55:55

NEWS

Deliveries and takeaways double pre-Covid levels in February, but growth slows Britain’s managed restaurant and pub groups’ delivery and takeaway sales continue to run at more than twice the level seen before Covid 19, the CGA & Slerp Hospitality at Home Tracker has revealed, but trading has dipped from the peaks of early 2021. The latest edition of the Tracker shows that groups’ combined delivery and takeaway sales in February were 131% higher than in February 2019. Growth has been powered by delivery orders, which were nearly four times higher than three years ago. Eat-at-home sales accounted for around 26 pence in every pound spent with managed restaurant and pub groups in February 2022. However, February’s sales were 17% lower than in February 2021, when national lockdowns were in place and restaurants, pubs and bars were closed. The removal of Covid 19 restrictions has led some consumers to eat out this year instead of ordering in as they did in early 2021. Karl Chessell, CGA’s director hospitality operators and food, EMEA, said: “As restrictions end and restaurants

and pubs recover their eating-out sales, it’s not surprising to see a drop in deliveries and takeaways from the heights of last year’s lockdown. However, the ordering-in habits that consumers have established during the last two years are not going to disappear. People have grown accustomed to the convenience of hospitality at home, and this is now an established part of their repertoire of eating occasions, allowing them to enjoy their favourite food both in restaurant and at home.” Slerp founder JP Then added: “What we’re seeing, almost a year on from the end of the last lockdown, is the normalisation of takeaway and delivery

levels. The hospitality sector has forever changed, the brands that not only survive, but thrive are those who are able to bring their brand to their customers, wherever they are. And those that do this via direct selling versus relying on marketplaces will ultimately see more profitable results.” The CGA & Slerp Hospitality at Home Tracker is a source of data and insight for the delivery and takeaway market, providing monthly reports on the value and volume of sales, with year-on-year comparisons and splits between food and drink revenue. It offers a benchmark by which brands can measure their performance, and participants receive detailed data in return for their contributions. Partners on the Tracker include Azzurri Group, Big Table Group, BrewDog, Burger King UK, Byron, Cote Restaurants, Dishoom, Gaucho Grill, Giggling Squid, Honest Burgers, Island Poke, Nando’s Restaurants, Pizza Express, Pizza Hut UK, Prezzo, Rosa’s Thai, TGI Fridays UK, The Restaurant Group, Tortilla, Wagamama and YO! Sushi.

Make the most of extended licensing hours over the Platinum Jubilee weekend The government has confirmed licensed premises will be able to extend their opening hours to 1am on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings of the special bank holiday weekend (2-5 June 2022). Industry body, UKHospitality, has applauded the temporary change in licensing rules for England and Wales. The measures, for which UKH had campaigned strongly, will allow people to come together for longer in hospitality venues to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee in their community and aid the recovery of the beleaguered sector. Having missed out on two years of full and unrestricted trading over dates such as Christmas, Mother’s Day and Easter, this summer’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations to mark 70 years of the Queen’s reign, represents an opportunity for hospitality businesses across the UK looking to boost the recovery. UKHospitality CEO, Kate Nicholls, said: “We welcome that the government has seen the importance of extending licensing 4

hours for an occasion as momentous as the Platinum Jubilee Weekend, when pubs and bars are likely to be a focus of community celebrations. “The boost to business will be very welcome for operators facing soaring costs and plummeting consumer confidence. With the higher 20% rate of VAT also set to return for the sector in April, businesses will need to capitalise on every opportunity to drive revenue if they are to have any hope of recovery postpandemic.” The trade body is also calling for the relaxation of pavement licences to be made permanent in order to aid businesses in the industry. Responding to a recent Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) call earlier this month for views on pavement licences, UKHospitality said the temporary scheme should become permanent, pointing to their success in helping businesses survive. The move would be a ‘low-cost, low admin’ helping hand for the sector, it said. www.pizzapastamagazine.co.uk

NEWS

Eating out sector recovery to slow In some new forecasts launched at HRC 2022, and in-depth analysis for the eating out sector, IGD – providers of insight and foresight for the food and consumer goods industry – has highlighted the road to recovery and its complexities, driven by evolving consumer behaviour and socioeconomic factors. Modelled on three different economic scenarios to reflect current global volatility, their forecasts aim to give manufacturers, wholesalers and operators a view of the challenges ahead and actionable insights to help with planning for both short-term and longer-term recovery. Nicola Knight, senior analyst and lead on the new forecasts and report commented: “During the pandemic, we saw an unprecedented and accelerated level of diversification and innovation in the sector that enabled survival for some businesses. As the market recovers from the shockwaves of the last two years, there are a new set of challenges to face, such as the rising cost of living

and inflation, and now, the significant implications of the war in Ukraine. “Recovery will be at a slower pace than industry would have hoped. Our low-mid growth forecasts are most likely to play out, meaning that the market will not return to its pre-pandemic state until at least 2024. “Recovery will also vary by sector and QSR is currently the driving force behind growth, offering a convenient, consistent and value-driven alternative to eating at home, providing the ‘lipstick effect’ for consumers. That said, city-centre and transport hub focused brands will continue to chase 2019 sales levels.” Pubs and restaurants will see recovery slow; mid-market operators will be squeezed as consumers eat out less or down-trade, yet high-end restaurants will be protected to an extent, the data reveals. Hotels and leisure will find recovery the most challenging as discretionary spend is scaled back by more consumers. Staycations will continue at higher than pre-pandemic levels due to pre-booking but international

tourism will still be considerably reduced. Income from domestic and international business travellers will remain significantly depressed this year, say IGD. Staff catering will see some growth prompted by returning office workers. However, some businesses have removed facilities or remodelled to lower cost formats. With businesses facing increased costs there will be little desire to re-invest in the short-term, the researcher add, with healthcare, education and government-run services likely to revert to pre-pandemic patterns with inflation driving growth. Nicola Knight concluded: “There’s no denying, the industry is facing a challenging time; planning and prioritising must sit at the top of the agenda for businesses to navigate the year ahead and beyond. Priorities will vary by sector, but there are clear behaviour themes driving the industry forward which include an enhanced focus on customer experience and loyalty, investment in technology and implementing strategies to mitigate costs.”

Roadchef brings a taste of Italy to the motorway Motorway service area operator, Roadchef, has announced an exciting new partnership with Italian food to go brand, Coco di Mama, to bring the restaurant’s premium innovative pasta offering to motorway users for the first time. Located at Roadchef’s flagship Norton Canes service area on the M6 Toll, the counter will serve Coco di Mama’s award-winning signature pasta range including Ham Hock Carbonara and Slow Cooked Bolognese sauces. The partnership adds a diverse new dimension to Roadchef’s current food and drink portfolio, offering www.papa.org.uk

customers greater choice and flexibility when it comes to dining on-the-go, as Howard Lockwood, catering & brand development director at Roadchef explained: “We are very excited to be working with Coco di Mama on this pioneering project to bring its innovative Italian food to the motorway. We are constantly striving to add new creative concepts and delicious menu options to our service areas, and we feel that this partnership will give road users a broad range of exciting food options while still having great synergy with the other offerings already in place. “The company’s ethos is firmly focused on providing

good, honest food with the freshest ingredients and a seasonal focus, which chimes perfectly with our philosophy of constantly striving to delight our customers with the experience that we offer.” Coco di Mama currently operates in 145 locations nationwide. However, this will be the brand’s first foray into the travel sector. Managing director, Jim Atwood, said: “We are delighted to partner with Roadchef to offer our iconic, generous pasta pots to roadside customers served at speed. We first opened our doors in London in 2011 and have been building up our ‘food to go’ stores, delivery

kitchens and grocery channel partnerships ever since. This move into the travel hospitality sector is a bit of a extension for us, but one which we believe fits well with our business and will suit the model of the motorway service industry perfectly.” If the trial is successful, Roadchef says that it will look at extending it to their other service areas. 5

NEWS

A transformational year for Domino’s In announcing its full year results for the 52 weeks ended 26 December 2021, Domino’s Pizza Group Plc has reported continued strong momentum, with system sales of £1,499.1m, up 11.2%. Like-for-like system sales, excluding splits, up 10.9% (9.8% including splits). Underlying like-for-like system sales (excluding the temporary benefit of VAT) grew by 5.5%, 150 basis points higher than last year’s equivalent figure of +4.0% and underlying profit before tax of £113.9m, was up £12.7m driven by strong underlying trading. Statutory profit after tax of £78.3m, up £38.6m due to significantly reduced international losses with continued strong free cash flow of £104.6m (2020: £99.0m). Net debt of £199.7m, in-line with guidance, resulted in a net debt/underlying EBITDA leverage ratio of 1.54x. There was additional £6.6m investment in a new Northern Ireland joint venture and £136m was returned to shareholders in FY21 through dividends and share buybacks and £14.3m of capex to support store growth. A proposed final dividend for FY21 of 6.8p per share is to be paid on 10 May 2022, resulting in a total dividend for FY21 of 9.8p per share, +7.7% vs. FY20. Operational and strategic highlights included good growth in total orders, up 5.5% in the year. Delivery performed well, and collections continued to recover, growing sequentially each quarter. Collections finished the year at 87% of 2019 levels and there were excellent service standards with average delivery times of around 25 minutes, reported the brand. Now a truly digital-first business with 91.2% of sales through digital channels, a new App launch now accounts for 42% of system sales (+2.2pts vs. 2020) 31 new stores were opened in the year with new stores trading ahead of expectations and on track to open at least 45 new stores in FY22. They had reached resolution with their world-class franchisees heralding a new era of collaboration and a first national price campaign for several years launched in January 2022, with five new stores opened in FY22 vs. one in the same period in FY21. There had been a new integrated media campaign, ‘DominOh-Hoo-Hoo’, targeting families and friends reuniting post lockdown and followed by first ever festive TV ad campaign, which resulted in order count growth ahead of expectations, they reported. They had also continued to strengthen their leadership team with the appointment of a new chief marketing officer and operations director and a new people director. They had also opened their third UK supply chain centre in Cambuslang, Scotland and completed exit from all directly operated international markets allowing them to focus on the core UK and Ireland markets They expect FY22 underlying EBITDA and EPS to be in line with current market expectations. Trading in the first quarter has started well, aided by their first national price campaign 6

for several years, and made possible because of the resolution with our franchisees. Overall order count and customer acquisition continues to be positive, despite being up against a comparative quarter last year when there were strict lockdown restrictions in the UK. Their flexible and robust business model means they are well placed to adapt to changing market conditions and ongoing challenges related to inflation and recruitment, they stated. As such, they continue to expect an acceleration in underlying system sales growth (excluding the benefit of the reduced rate of VAT), largely driven by increased store openings and likefor-like growth due to the operating and capital investments associated with the franchisee resolution and continued implementation of our strategic plan. Commenting on the results, Dominic Paul, chief executive officer said: “This was a transformational year for Domino’s. Our performance continues to be strong, and we have made significant progress against our strategic plan, all while delivering on our ambition to return excess capital to shareholders. None of this would have been possible without the hard work of our franchisees and my fantastic colleagues. “There were two major milestones in the year. First, the launch of our new strategy, which is already delivering outstanding results and a better experience for our customers. Secondly, the resolution with our franchisees which has unlocked further potential within the system. Our franchisees are world class operators and the whole team is already embracing a new era of collaboration, with the system working together more closely than ever before. “This year has started well, and we now have the right strategy and a strong senior team in place to continue to drive the business forward. We remain focussed on accelerating the sustainable growth of our system together, to deliver a better future through food people love.”

www.pizzapastamagazine.co.uk

NEWS

Consorzio del Parmigiano Reggiano partner in food-safe digital tracking technology The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium (Consorzio del Parmigiano Reggiano) has announced a partnership with Kaasmerk Matec (Kaasmerk) and p-Chip Corporation (p-Chip) to launch a line of food-safe and secure traceability digital labels for its Parmigiano Reggiano cheese wheels. The new technology will deliver previously unseen levels of traceability, inventory tracking and control, product authentication, quality-assurance testing, product serialisation, and consumer safety. Nicola Bertinelli, president of the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium, commented: “As one of the world’s oldest and most famous cheeses, Parmigiano Reggiano is a symbol of high-quality Italian products. Since the Consortium was founded in 1934, we have aimed to convey the value of our product globally and distinguish it from similar-sounding products on the market that do not meet our strict requirements for production and area of origin. By being the first to incorporate these secure digital labels onto our cheese wheels, we can continue to ensure consumer safety, bringing the traceability and authentication of our products to meet industry 4.0 technological targets.” Since 2002, a casein label with a unique and sequential alphanumeric code is applied to each Parmigiano Reggiano cheese wheel but now p-Chip is launching a new line of secure, digital tracking labels

for the industry, and the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium is breaking new ground by embedding these p-Chip micro transponders into 2D codes, QR codes, and/or data-matrix codes. The result is an innovative, food-safe digital tag that takes CFPR’s food safety and security a step beyond the government requirement. Kaasmerk Matec and p-Chip Corporation partnered to complete this innovation program for a p-Chip device integrated into casein label, an industry-standard, protein-based type of food/cheese identification method. The innovation combines food-safe Casein labels with the p-Chip micro transponder—a blockchain crypto-anchor that creates a digital “twin” for physical items. This scannable new food tag is smaller than a grain of salt and highly durable, delivering next-generation visibility and traceability to the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium. Joe Wagner, CEO of p-Chip Corporation, commented: “We’re pleased to partner with a leading global brand as the Consorzio del Parmigiano Reggiano to bring world-class, disruptive tracing technology to the food industry. By integrating p-Chip micro transponders into casein tags, the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium can better control its inventory and protect and differentiate its products against look and sound-alike brands and have access to unmatchable track-and-trace technology to protect

itself in the case of recalls or other issues. I look forward to working with Consorzio del Parmigiano Reggiano as they realise the full potential this technology holds for their business.” Over the past two years, the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium has conducted extensive testing of the p-Chip/Kaasmerk Matec Casein label and approved the label’s technical use for the authentication and digital traceability of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Winus Sloot, managing director of Kaasmerk Matec, commented: “For more than 100 years, we’ve worked with artisan cheese producers to deliver casein cheesemarks that provide an invaluable level of protection for their recipes, helping to safeguard the passion and craftsmanship they bring to production of their cheeses. We are pleased to collaborate with p-Chip to develop this smart digital label that will track and trace the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium’s bulk cheeses from start to finish, providing additional protection to both the Consortium as well as consumers, as the label is highly resistant to tampering.” The new smart digital food labels will be added to 100,000 Parmigiano Reggiano bulk cheese wheels in the second quarter of 2022. This represents the final phase of large-scale ‘testing’ before evaluating the possibility of extending this technology to the entire production of Parmigiano Reggiano.

Pasta Rapida launches in Ocado In a hurry to make dinner but still want a mouthwatering meal made with authentic pasta from Italy? This ultimate pressed-for-time pasta, claim its creators – Pasta Rapida - has now been brought to the UK by pesto company Sacla’. It is made by Rustichella in Abruzzo, Italy, a family business 8

who’ve been making pasta since 1924, and is full of flavour, cooking in just 90 seconds from the packet! Thanks to the unique way it is produced, this spaghetti-type pasta cooks in less time than it takes to open the jar of your favourite sauce or grate the Parmesan, it is claimed. And it’s not

precooked – it’s made with a special bronze die to create the clever shape that allows the pasta to cook so quickly, they point out, even telling you when it’s done, with the small slit along its length closing up (it costs £2 a packet). www.pizzapastamagazine.co.uk

22 • 23 JUNE 2022

OLYMPIA • LONDON In Co-operation with

CONTACT +44 (0)20 7352 4356

info@pizzapastashow.com

SPONSORED BY

These big-name brands are all previous winners

Sponsorship puts you at the heart of their business The PAPA Industry Awards will be launched in the next issue of Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food magazine. To ﬁnd out more about sponsoring an award or competition, contact Andrew Emery on 01291 636224 or e-mail andrew@jandmgroup.co.uk

save the date and join us at the PAPA Awards dinner

Thursday 10th November at the Royal Lancaster, London

PAPA

Why your

membership

MATTERS

What’s the benefit to my business? This is the question most often asked when someone is approached to join us, or indeed, any trade association. It is also the most difficult to answer as many of the real benefits are not tangible, such as the work that goes on behind the scenes to make sure that the industry’s good name and interests are protected as much as possible, particularly from government. REPRESENTATION AND PROTECTION This can all seem very remote if you are running a pizza delivery business or restaurant where your focus is on the day to day job of preparing food and keeping customers happy. Yet, in reality, our work provides ongoing protection for you as we fight back against attempts to impose increasingly draconian legislation. This unseen work leads to very tangible benefits that members can take advantage of. Perhaps the most important one is translating legislation into practical advice, which we do both through guidance and the relationship we have with both national and local government. This is often presented as Assured Advice, which has quasi-legal status, thus making it difficult for the authorities to challenge businesses following it. www.papa.org.uk

Only PAPA members can take advantage of this protection. ADVICE Through the same agreement, and our own knowledge base, we also provide members with a reliable source of technical, legal and other advice which they can use to get assurance that they are doing things correctly. For example, our industry agreements with government can be used by members to check the wording on a label is correct. Members also have unrestricted access to a wealth of information on our website which includes guidance on issues around employment law as well as member-only access to specialist employment lawyers for more specific advice. The Association also organises regular on-line briefings on issues likely to

affect member businesses, including presentations from leading market researchers that many smaller businesses would generally not have access to. Furthermore, these briefings are recorded and available for members to access at any time. On top of all this, there is a range of very specific benefits such as discounts on insurance that members can tap into if they wish. Plus, we keep them informed of legislation and other matters that might affect the running of their business through weekly ebulletins. In many ways membership is rather like an insurance policy that you hope you will never need to use, but with the added value of advice and support that you can use as and when you need it.

www.papa.org.uk 19

OPINION

Time for a

moratorium?

A RANGE OF CHALLENGES At the best of times, it must be difficult being a politician trying to run a country while keeping voters happy and meeting manifesto commitments, particularly at times like these where there seems to be a new crisis at every turn. Governments can become blinded by the complexities of keeping this balance to the extent that they can seem remote and to be struggling to see the wood from the trees. Yet at times like these it is not always possible to stick to the policy commitments made at a time when things were very different. Never before have businesses faced such a range of challenges than they do at present, so much so that many are struggling. From Covid and supply chain problems to staff and energy shortages… The list goes on with no clear end in sight. 20

BAD TIMING On top of this, new legislation is piling additional pressure and costs onto hospitality and food businesses, from allergen and calorie labelling laws to restrictions on the advertising and promotion of foods high in salt fat and sugar (HFSS) and the introduction of new packaging taxes. While there may be arguments to justify many of these, the timing could not be worse, which is why it is time for a moratorium. While delaying some of this legislation may not be popular with some politicians, the priority has to be to keep businesses alive and functioning as they are the lifeblood of our economy, providing employment and income through taxes that allow the country and government to function.

After a tough two years for the sector, and with upcoming legislation to be taken on board - calorie labelling, HFSS, and environmental taxes – is it time for a moratorium asks PAPA director, Jim Winship. Furthermore, a moratorium on new legislation would not cost the Treasury anything – it would just put back a few things that we have all managed to live with to date. Just as it will take time for businesses to get back on their feet, so it will take time for some of the major issues arising out of the Ukraine war to be resolved – not least the energy and world crop shortages that have yet to have their full impact. A two-year moratorium would allow us all to regroup and get our businesses back on firm ground. www.pizzapastamagazine.co.uk

WEBINARS

Member

webinars

During the Coronavirus pandemic, the Association has introduced a series of member webinars on a diverse range of subjects, and their popularity ensures that they will continue. As well as presentations by leading market analysts, the online forums give members the opportunity to really engage with the experts about the problems facing high street businesses. Whether it is market trends, allergens, labelling or a myriad of other topics, the presenters can offer an insight into some of the problems and opportunities that businesses may encounter. The next webinar will be on 21 April 2022 when Diane Wehrle from Springboard Research and Michele Young of Foodservice Support will give their views on ‘The changing high street and how it is likely to evolve going forward’. www.papa.org.uk

Diane Wehrle, marketing and insights director of Springboard, is regarded as one of the leading experts on retail and retail destinations and Michele Young is the founder and director of Foodservice Support. She has worked with the British Sandwich Association for more than a decade. The high street has changed significantly in the last two years and Diane and Michele will bring their considerable experience to bear with a look into the future, from reduced footfall to emerging trends. The last meeting was entitled ‘Tackling the environmental challenges of packaging’ when Trewin Restorick of Hubbub and Gareth Morton of Ecosurety were the presenters. They were both able to share their experiences of some of the innovative recycling schemes they have been involved with.

Trewin, from award winning charity Hubbub, and Gareth, who represents Ecosurety, a charity who have been at the forefront of plastic recycling in the foodservice sector were able to speak with authority about the recycling of single use cups, sandwich packs and other types of food packaging. Previous webinars have been on subjects as diverse as Eating In versus Dining Out and the Safety of Eggs and Egg Products. After the presentations, there is always time for a question and answer session so that members can tackle our experts and get information that will be helpful for their businesses. To see information and recordings of previous webinars, visit https://www. papa.org.uk/index.php/news-featuresadvice/members-only/webinars 21

FLOUR

AN ITALIAN TRADITION “In Italy, the flour mills produce different types of flours for different types of users and applications – bakers, pizza chefs etc – according to the way the wheat is ground,” says Marco Fuso. “For example, a bread baker will need bread flours to suit the type of products they’re going to make, and within the bread lines of flours offered by a flour mill there will be different types to choose from. The same applies to pizza… For example, a flour mill may offer four or five different lines for pizza making, and it will depend on the pizza making and dough-making techniques, and proving times, what type of flour will be required for the pizza to be served. “In Italy, the flour mills give an opportunity to the operators to choose the best flours based on the products they want to offer in their restaurants, and in turn this depends on the proving time the operator wants to prove the pizza dough for before it becomes pizza. This is vital - for each restaurant 22

Thoughts on ﬂour

With flour being a vital ingredient to the very nature of pizza and Italian breads, but now increasingly experiencing price and supply chain pressure, pizza chef, industry consultant and PAPA Awards judge, Marco Fuso (pictured), shares his views.

www.pizzapastamagazine.co.uk

OUR FLOUR, YOUR PASSION FOR AUTHENTICITY.

A wholemeal flour obtained by a gentle grinding, to fully preserve the authentic taste of wheat. This is Mora, dedicated to all pizza chefs looking for a pizza with a unique flavor. Discover your ideal flour on le5stagioni.it

A brand by Agugiaro & Figna

FLOUR to create its own signature dough through the proving time - because this means flavour and digestibility, and having a better, lighter type of pizza base. “In Italy, when each flour mill receives the wheat, they do several tests, including finding out how rich in protein content it is, and establishing which fermentation process the flour will be able to support once it becomes pizza dough. At this point, each flour type has different characteristics, and you can choose weak, medium and strong types or ‘too strong’ flour (sometimes called super-strong), depending on what you want to create.

For instance, breads and pizza can be made easily with medium and strong flour. “The weak, medium, strong and super-strong flours are invariably assigned a W number rating. The lower the number, the lower, or the weaker quality. Weak flour can typically be proved for between four and 12 hours, medium from 12 to 24. Stronger flour better suits a longer fermentation processes - 48/72 hours - that weak or medium will not. It is important for operators to understand the W denomination and which type of flour they are using, depending on the proving method they want to use.”

BLENDS Usually, pizza and bread are made with medium strength, medium quality flour, advises Marco Fuso, whereas for products such as Roman focaccia, high protein content flour is required, so a stronger flour is required. Super-strong flour is often known as ‘Manitoba flour’, due to the type of wheat used to make it, and the fact that it comes from the Manitoba region in Canada, known throughout the world as a source of very rich, high protein content wheat. “Usually, you could be able to use one flour to make several things – pizza, bread etc – but some products

Wheat prices hit record highs The Ukraine-Russia conflict is expected to impact food sectors such as bakery and cereals severely in the coming months, reports data and analytics company, GlobalData, who explain that prior to the conflict, the global bakery and cereal sector was forecast to grow from $625.8 billion in 2020 to $792.9 billion in 2025, representing an overall gain of $167.1 billion over the fiveyear period. However, given Russia and Ukraine’s positions as major grain producers, this conflict presents a major disruption to global supply and the sector’s growth. Amira Freyer-Elgendy, food & drink associate analyst at GlobalData, commented: “Ukraine is a producer of wheat, maize, barley, rye, potatoes, and buckwheat and together with Russia, it supplies a sizeable chunk of the global wheat market. China, Italy and Spain – which are key markets for the global bakery and cereal – are some of the country’s top export destinations and so the global landscape of the segment may dramatically shift. Regions in MENA will be especially hard hit and are likely feel the impact of price rises the most.” The categories that these price hikes will affect the most are morning goods, bread and rolls, and dough products, such as pizza bases and pastry shells, both in foodservice and retail. These products are considered everyday essentials and the associated costs of finding new suppliers or in managing the slowly draining resource will likely be offloaded onto the consumer by increasing prices. Affected countries may be able to offer subsidies and have rations that will be a buffer, but ultimately higher costs will add further pressure to the 59% of shoppers who are extremely or quite concerned about their personal finances (according to GlobalData 2021 Q4 global consumer survey, sample size of 21,000 respondents). “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and its own high export tax as the world’s largest exporter of wheat, threatens the sector. The 24

repercussions of this are going to be varied: from social unrest and food insecurity to rising demand for exported wheat or maize in other regions and, of course, the massive hike in prices that we are already seeing,” Amira Freyer-Elgendy added. Australia has emerged as a potential supplier to the Middle East, due to seeing an especially bountiful harvest this year after a year of above-average rainfall. However, small independents may struggle as they do not have the economy of scale to keep up with the cost to switch over to a new supplier. “The timing is unfortunate, coming off the back of the pandemic-fuelled supply chain issues, poor wheat harvests in Russia and price hikes. With Covid 19 and the Russian conflict causing key issues for international shipments, a push for local products is expected. Many governments may look to invest in their local production to reduce reliance on the global market in the long-term or enter new trade agreements with countries that produce alternative grains such as corn. However, this will do little to resolve the immediate shortages,” Amira FreyerElgendy concluded. www.pizzapastamagazine.co.uk

'' Naples, a thousand colours,, Thousands of colours and flavours connect the history of Naples to our mill. A story made of passion, generosity and respect of the tradition.

Victoria Mills, Wellingborough, Northants NN8 2DT

CAPUTO

ap SIDE ORDER COOKING TRAYS

11 mulino di Napoli

Tel: 01933 441000 Email: enquiries@whitworthbros.ltd.uk

ALPHIN PANS Serving the Pizza Professional Since 1989

ROMAN STYLE “PIZZA BY THE SLICE”

DOUGH CUTTERS

Please contact us on 01457 872486 or visit our website: www.alphin.co.uk to see what we can do for you. Alphin Pans Ltd Oakdale Mill, Delph New Road Delph, Oldham, OL3 5BY

Telephone: 01457 872486 Email: sales@alphin.co.uk Fax: 01457 820868

Making the pizza professional h Untitled-3 1

www.papa.org.uk

appy since 1989 12/01/2022 13:53:27

NEWS

Strong ﬂour focus

“It is essential to use a strong flour for speciality Italian breads like focaccia, ciabatta, and panini. When the bread dough is mixed and proving, and yeast is added the dough expands creating pockets and bubbles of air. A strong flour is needed with a high gluten content and in this environment the bubbles will just grow bigger and bigger creating that fantastic texture with large bubbles. You need a protein content of 12/13.5% or more. You must use a strong flour to enable this process and you must allow suﬃcient time to prove,” advises says Jason Bull, director of Eurostar Commodities. “Our Eurostar Rinforzato Italian Strong ‘00’ Flour and Eurostar Strong Yellow ‘00’ Italian Flour have been developed as high quality, strong flours to create fantastic results in speciality Italian breads.” Eurostar Rinforzato Italian Strong ‘00’ Flour is a premium Italian flour, Eurostar “OO” Rinforzato with a protein level of 13% and high extensibility; it is very versatile and gives reliably excellent volume. Also ideal for use in high-end pizza, it’s suitable for the sourdough/Italian ‘BIGA’ method, say the company, as well as direct mixing methods with 10-12 hours fermentation and has W value of 300, say the company. Eurostar Strong Yellow ‘00’ Italian Flour is versatile, very high strength 00 Italian flour, widely used to make noodles, dumplings, and Dim sum, as well as bread, pizza and panettone, say Eurostar, making a strong dough with high water absorption and yield and withstanding fermentation times of between 15 and 18 hours. It can also be used for sourdough and offers a typical Mediterranean flavour. 26

will always require a stronger flour. It also depends on the knowledge and skills – ‘craft’ - that you might have access to in your business, as well as consumer knowledge and appreciation of various types of products and how they should be and taste. In the UK, not as many are using a variety of flours as they are in Italy, but it is changing,” Marco Fuso adds. “Not many suppliers use one type of flour in their products these days, but rather blends of different wheats from different countries in order to be able to offer different characteristics. This is how many flour suppliers can now offer a range of flour products with different properties that can meet the baking requirements of restaurants and operators.” In referencing the potential of a sustainable, home-grown, flour sourced from British wheat, to make Neapolitan style pizza, Marco Fuso feels that currently British wheat alone is not strong enough as the Italian flour in order to be able to replicate what Italian blended flours do. One option is to blend British wheat with Manitoba to compensate, but right now, the price of Manitoba wheat is very high, making such an ambition not necessarily viable in the prevailing economic conditions. What might on the face of it otherwise seem like a potentially very cost-effective option is not necessarily so for another reason, however - labour costs also being higher in UK than Italy, he points out. As you might expect, Italy itself has plenty of flour mills, as opposed to being known for a vast amount of wheat crops. However, it does have its own, home-grown type of wheat called Bologna, says Marco Fuso, which is very strong in its characteristics, and therefore popular in the home market, also attracting a price premium – sometimes being even more expensive than the Canadian wheat itself. At the same time, Italy is one of the biggest importers of wheat, and not necessarily for home consumption, but rather to be used in the blending of flours for export, in turn indicating the strong knowledge and experience

Italian millers have amassed when it comes to creating flours of consistent quality and performance (in light of the impact of global crop fluctuations and weather issues, for example). It is these skills and experience, relied upon by small operators and much bigger businesses alike, feels Marco Fuso, that are not always replicated elsewhere, and that make the Italian millers masters, evidenced by the fact that Italian flour is the most used around the world when it comes to making pizza. RISING PRICES “All Italian food importers are struggling right now to get stock from Italy, with ingredients prices rising every single month. Prices are volatile, creating inconsistency… Flour has risen in price by 30% in six months, some pasta similarly. Some of the prices from the big suppliers were still acceptable because they are buying in huge quantities when they have contracts, but very recently we have seen more significant price increases,” Marco Fuso reports. “It can be diﬃcult to just get produce. Things were stable until the conflict in Ukraine, but when that happened, prices went crazy, and just when we were starting to recover from what had gone before. If they have space available in their restaurant, people have tried to stock up on flour, but for small businesses it’s very diﬃcult. What do they do? They have no room. This can lead to problems with consistency of product if they start to source from elsewhere.” Looking ahead to this year’s wheat harvest, having visited Italy in recent weeks, Marco Fuso reports that there is concern there that it has not rained enough for the wheat crops, and that the growth is behind, that the plants are still small, potentially leading to a lower percentage crop yield. With many African nations and countries in the Middle East thought to rely more heavily for wheat sourced from the Ukraine in particular, it remains to be seen what will transpire for an increasingly under pressure food commodity. www.pizzapastamagazine.co.uk

PIZZA DORATA

PIZZA ITALIANA Made from 100% Italian Wheat this ‘0’ flour creates fragrant, tasty, and easily digestible pizza base, perfect for all types of pizza.

PIZZA AI CEREALI

High quality soft wheat flour made from specially selected cereals which creates a balanced, light in colour tasty pizza base.

A strong high protein flour produces a tall, soft, delicious crust. Ideal for Neapolitan thin crust pizzas.

PIZZA VERACE High protein ‘00’ flour, perfect for the authentic classic Neapolitan pizza. Creates an easily digestible, crunchy pizza base, with the allimportant golden crust.

PIZZA PROTEICA

High quality product made from a mixture of legume and cereal flours. The pea proteins within this flour are responsible for offering the intense flavour and crunchy crust.

Eurostar Commodities Ltd Birds Royd Lane, Brighouse HD6 1NG

01484 320516

sales@eurostarfoods.co.uk

www.eurostarfoods.co.uk

eurostarcommodities

OPINION

RENT MORATORIUM AND BUSINESS RATES REVIEW One ‘good’ thing happened during Covid. Landlords and tenants now better understand that the rent/rates model was broken. Most landlords have become much more sensible about the viability of their tenants, and they understand that if they don’t have tenants, there is no rent and within three months they will liable for the rates. The end of the rent moratorium means that landlords and tenants now must agree on a way forward. If they don’t agree, the tenant will lose the site. There is now a legally binding arbitration process that you can go through. The arbitration process will only be applicable to those operators who were forced to close (for example, the grocers and convenience stores didn’t have to pay their rents but didn’t have to close, so it is going to be very interesting to see what happens there). One sensible solution is to come to an agreement with the landlord where 50% of the rent owed is paid over the remaining term of the lease - assuming, of course, that the business can afford that. If cash is really tight and your business has not rebounded, it’s going to be a very difficult negotiation with the landlord. If your cash position is strong enough to pay off this debt that’s great. If not, it is very easy for someone to say go out and get a loan. Not so easy to do. The banks have got to give you a loan. Assuming you get the loan, can you afford to repay it, especially with rising interest rates? With all the current increase in on-going costs, you have to really work out your cash and ask, 28

At a pivotal time for many in the sector, Maurice Abboudi - experienced board member, operator, investor and advisor to the hospitality and leisure sector, recipient of PAPA’s Lifetime Achievement Award 2020 for contributions to the sector and judge on BBC2’s series two of Million Pound Menu – shares his views on rates, rents and the deluge of other factors now combining to impact hospitality businesses. “will this work?” Is your business model viable, or are you just going to be working to pay off debt, the rent and all the increased costs? After all, you are in business to make a profit. Tough decisions lie ahead. Business rates are another significant issue within our sector. Businesses have been paying one third of their rates last year. This will rise to 50% in 2022/23. From April 2023, the full

payment of rates will return. There is to be a reassessment of how the rates are calculated in April 2023 – something which is usually carried out every five years or so, the last time being 2015. Every single property will have to be reassessed. The government has to look at what the rateable value is for each premises based on a variety of things such as transport links, the current rent value and the property value itself. www.pizzapastamagazine.co.uk

OPINION It is an enormous task. It should not be delayed. If rates go back to where they were back in 2019, many city centre sites are just not going to survive. I am aware of an absurd example where the rent on the property was £140,000. It’s been reduced by the landlord to £30,000, but the rates payable are still £75,000. The landlord doesn’t want to pay those rates for the next couple of years, thinking ‘we will rent the site at whatever we can get.’ The tenant still has to pay the rates. This is no doubt a London-centric issue, but nevertheless it gives an example of what the current situation is like. It’s at a point where any city centre restaurant, anywhere in the country is going to be suffering. I do not know what the solution is but it’s certainly not viable to carry on as we are; it’s just not sustainable. PERFECT STORM The sector has been very grateful for the support the government has given it so far in terms of furlough, rates relief, grants, Eat Out to Help Out and the like, but we are now in a new situation that needs addressing urgently. I believe the crunch time could come sooner than later, within the next six to nine months, because the sector’s challenges are all coming together at the same time making for a perfect storm; Nick Varney, who runs Merlin Leisure (Legoland, Madame Tussauds) summed it up very well in a recent FT article saying that the government ending of relief schemes was “making a mockery of the sector’s hard-fought recovery and wrenching defeat from the jaws of victory.” As mentioned, the government has been brilliant at supporting the industry – no-one can deny that – but you can’t pull the rug out under the industry in one go, and this seems to be what’s happening. There are eight critical things that are hitting us right now - the VAT increase, inflation (both food and energy costs), the rates increase (going up to 50% initially, then 100% in 12 months’ time), National Insurance contributions, minimum wage increases, the end of the rent moratorium, the end of insolvency protection for retail, leisure and hospitality businesses, and a lack of labour availability meaning a lack www.papa.org.uk

of the right skill sets. VAT is one of the most fundamental challenges facing our sector. In relative terms, it would have cost the government very little to keep VAT at 12.5% for the sector for another year. That would mean the difference between survival and going under for many businesses. SURVIVAL We had a mantra in our business of “let’s survive, revive and then thrive,” but all that has changed. It is now all about conserving cash. The cash we planned to invest in new sites is now being used to combat rising costs. These are found in every part of the business – food, labour, utilities, cleaning materials, maintenance, stationary – every single part of the business. There are also supply chain issues where there is little or no supply available. Sunflower oil being just the latest example. Some commentators have said that poor operators will suffer and may close as consumers become more aware of quality and value. This is undoubtably true. There are, however, some fantastic small businesses that just don’t have the resources to survive the coming challenges. Unless businesses have strong balance sheets they will struggle to survive - even if they are good operators. In the past, during a ‘normal’ recession, when there was a downturn in sales, you could cut costs where possible. There may have been shortages of one or two items, but it was manageable. All of sudden, we’ve got everything coming together. It really is a perfect storm, a potential disaster for the sector. FUTURE LANDSCAPE Things are bleak and what I have outlined above is not great. However, at the maximum moment of bleakness there are some tremendous opportunities. There will be people who go out of business. In time inflation will settle down, business rates will be revised, rents will be agreed, we will manage with the new higher level of VAT. There will be a reset and we will all be used to the new normal. At this point, small operators will start up again. There will be a more stable environment.

It is almost like biblical times - seven years of great times and seven years of tough times. We will get through it. Look back at the 1960’s and 1970’s. We got through those disastrous times when the UK was almost bankrupt and had to borrow money from the IMF. We survived those times and we will get through it now. It’s just that there will be lots of pain to go through in the meantime. Fortunately, we are still a wealthy country, we still have great services (well mostly…). We have challenges but we will get through. NOW OR NEVER? If you have got a compelling offer – if you do great food with great service - there’s always going to be a market and there will always be people who pay for that. If you are just going to open up a me-too type of operation that just sells another pizza or another burger, why should the customer come to you? Ask yourself that question, and make sure you’ve got a point of real difference. Don’t kid yourself you’ve got the best whatever; make sure it really is good. If you’ve got something that really is special, it could well be a great time to open because rents should be more affordable and you can get a fully fitted site for little or no premium. My advice is to make sure that you have really looked at your operation properly and be careful on how much you spend on your fit out. Make sure that it looks great but keep your fit out costs under control. If you establish something and you are successful now, during these challenging times, then the opportunities should be huge. Look at every little detail of your business now; the easy days when people had plenty of money in their pockets are past. Consumers are going to be tight on spending and they are going to be picky and chose the best food/value/service there is out there. Amongst all the doom and gloom, there is hope, there is light at the end of the tunnel, we will get out of this, we always do! This time will pass, and we will come back to good times again. 29

NEW OPENING

Sofficé The brainchild of a Sicilian restaurateur with global hospitality experience, a brand new Italian gastro-bakery/restaurant – Sofficé - has opened this month in Putney, London. VARIED INFLUENCES The venture is the creation of Giuseppe Tuttoilmondo (pictured), a passionate restaurateur with over 20 years’ global experience in the hospitality industry, including management roles at Norma London, D&D London and Zelman Meats. He says that he dreamt up the concept of Sofficé in mid 2020 when the Covid 19 pandemic was still having a major ripple effect on the UK’s hospitality sector. During his career, he was also inspired by his time at the Artisan & Urban Garden in Zurich (Switzerland), a place he recalls as being rich in honest and sustainable cooking with everything sourced locally and prepared freshly. He also worked at Carluccio’s when he arrived in London 16 years ago, recalling that he fell in love with the regional dishes and authentic cuisine which have subsequently gone on to now influence the dining experience and concept behind Sofficé. After years of dedication and experience of food and beverage around the world, Giuseppe Tuttoilmondo feels that he has mastered the craft of artisan Italian cuisine and says that his goal now is to provide Londoners with a unique dining experience that encompasses a passionate culinary art inspired by Sicily. 30

GASTRO-BAKERY Sofficé is aiming to offer an elegant, Sicilian-inspired dining experience with a modern and contemporary twist, by pioneering a unique gastro-bakery culinary approach. Giuseppe Tuttoilmondo describes this concept as being the “gastronomical art of using fresh, seasonal products which are available to buy via our bakery/deli in the creation of bespoke dishes for guests dining in at the restaurant.” To achieve this, Sofficé promises to use only sustainable, seasonal and high quality ingredients from local producers and suppliers from Sicily (and other regions in Italy). From classic recipes to new-age kitchen adventures, each dish will reflect passion for high quality cuisine whilst paying homage to the founder’s Sicilian roots. The 58-cover restaurant is set across two floors - a ground floor and a mezzanine with a few additional spaces on the outdoor patio. Guests can also enjoy an open kitchen experience in the basement where the chefs will be busy preparing fresh dishes. Needless to say, the venue’s contemporary and elegant interior design is also inspired by Sicilian culture and art.

Sofficé’s carefully curated all-day menu features authentic Sicilian dishes, notably a selection of antipasti, charcuterie, fresh pasta, pizzas, pan brioche stuffed with fresh ingredients, sweet pastries and desserts. The bakery is also serving speciality roasted coffees, cocktails, craft beers and wines from Sicily and various regions in Italy. “As London’s food and beverage scene makes a remarkable recovery from the Covid 19 pandemic, it is a very exciting time to introduce a brand new dining concept,” says Giuseppe Tuttoilmondo on the launch. “Sofficé is a one-of-a-kind culinary adventure aiming to pioneer our ‘gastro-bakery’ offer in London. We hope to serve our guests a range of thoughtful and surprising dishes rooted in authenticity and sustainability, whilst enabling them to explore a new breed of Sicilian cuisine.” Soffice (www.sofficelondon.com) can be found on 236 Upper Richmond Road, London, SW15 6TG (opening hours are Monday - Saturday from 8am to 11pm, and Sunday from 9am to 5pm). www.pizzapastamagazine.co.uk

HELP US TO

HELP YOU

The Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association aims to ensure the best market conditions for our industry. From lobbying government to its organisation of the prestigious Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Awards, we aim to provide the best environment for you to trade in plus a wide range of benefits. Facing the staffing challenge – Our business needs good people. We are lobbying to ensure Brexit does not lead to the door shutting on the people we need to keep going. Reducing Energy and Telecoms costs – Our specialist advisor will shop around to get you the very best deals – and it’s free! Insurance with Free Membership – Our specialist insurers offer really keen prices for shop and business insurance – and independent retailers can get free membership if they use them. KPMG Accounting offer – Members can take advantage of a three months free accounting offer from leading accountants KPMG. Training – Our discounted on-line hygiene training is focused and saves you money and time. Assured Guidance – Members following our Assured Advice are protected from enforcement challenges. Free Advice – From legal to technical advice, our members have free access to experts. Buying ingredients or equipment from abroad? Our agreement with Cornhill offers exceptionally keen exchange rates. Business rates and financial help – We have teamed up with a specialist business finance consultancy who provide members advice on everything from business rates to raising finance. Cutting Fuel bills – Members can enjoy savings of up to 5p per litre on diesel & petrol, and up to 10p per litre at motorway pumps, with a free no-obligation fuel card. London hotel discounts – Save money when staying in London using the unique Association booking code with Grange Hotels.

It all comes with membership Plus you get free password access to

our online magazine and guidance

HELP US TO

Visit www.papa.org.uk

JOINING TODAY

01291 636348

HELP YOU BY

Or Call Sandra on

OVENS

ELECTRIC EDGE? “Finding ways to reduce energy consumption is a big concern for many restaurants. Choosing the right equipment is a key part of this. Switching from gas powered or wood fired pizza ovens, for instance, can have a significant effect on energy costs,” says David Rees, marketing manager at Hubbard Taylor Trading Group, exclusive distributor of the Taylor, Frigomat and Pratica ranges in the UK, and a preferred supplier of ISA, TurboChef and Perfect Fry equipment. “Modern electric pizza ovens like the Artisan Fire from Turbochef, for example, can get up to operating temperature far more quickly than gas and require as little as 750W to maintain temperatures between batches. 32

In addition to everything else that is impacting the hospitality sector right now, the rise in fuel costs is set to become one of the most significant. Are electric pizza ovens a better, all-round solution to their costlier, often more skills-intensive, rivals right now? “You should look for features like catalytic convertors that recirculate hot air back into the oven. In the Artisan Fire this not only helps to improve energy efficiency but also reduces the need for dedicated extraction systems, further reducing energy consumption. Choosing appliances that don’t require supporting equipment can significantly reduce running costs.” “Electric pizza ovens are more energy efficient, taking less time to heat up than conventional ovens, requiring less power www.pizzapastamagazine.co.uk

Come visit us on stand (A39) at

The European Pizza & Pasta Show, London, Olympia, June 22nd & 23rd 2022.

www.papa.org.uk

OVENS and cooking food in half the time. As they are invariably more compact and portable than a traditional wood-burning pizza oven too, they also allow operators the flexibility to re-arrange their kitchen to adapt to different circumstances,” agrees Mark Hogan, commercial director, FEM (Foodservice Equipment Marketing). “The secret to great pizza isn’t just about ingredients – you need to consider preparation, proper baking and ensuring it’s delivered piping hot. To this end, you cannot offer authentic Italian pizza without a commercial pizza oven. It’s also worth considering that electric pizza ovens can be used for other dishes like omelettes, frittatas, pancakes, flatbreads and more. This versatility makes expanding the menu simple. “There is no doubt that some of the best manufacturers of pizza ovens are Italian companies. The country is justly proud of the food and its impact on the world, and there are a number of manufacturers who work to provide authentic ways of preparing it with the latest technology. “Sirman, for instance, are a leading Italian manufacturer, offering a range of pizza ovens which balance technology, dependability and innovation to meet the demands of restaurants, pizzerias and bars. “Sirman’s Stromboli pizza oven is designed to be hard wearing and hygienic. It features a strong, easy clean stainless-steel exterior and shock-proof heating elements to guarantee durability and performance. The Stromboli double deck is able to cook up to four 9” pizzas at a time, and each deck can be individually controlled allowing operators to reduce costs and energy consumption during quieter hours by using a single deck. A pizza oven will also require a stone or brick base to allow for both radiant and contact heat to work on both sides of the pizza at once.” Blue Seal Commercial pizza ovens are traditional Italian style, stone base deck ovens, designed for cooking deep base or thin based pizzas, and for everyday professional use, cooking at high temperatures to ensure fast service and consistent cooking results. As with other electric ovens, they offer an attractive alternative to wood burner stoves 34

or gas ovens, which are often higher maintenance and require more specialist and costly extraction systems to take away smoke and fumes. “Our ovens accommodate 4 x 12” pizzas per deck, they are compact, versatile and very operator friendly,” explains Blue Seal’s David Chesshire. “These fast, efficient ovens are ideal for restaurants with outdoor seating areas too, and who are wanting to offer quick but delicious pizzas for alfresco dining to their guests as the warmer summer months come and the trend for eating outdoors become ever more popular. “We appreciate that restaurants need uncompromised, consistent quality results from the equipment they use. That is Why Blue Seal Pizza ovens use accurate thermostatic temperature control, eco-compatible material for thermal insulation and high quality refractory stones which provide excellent heat retention. Each chamber has top and bottom temperature control, so the pizza chef can adjust the performance of the chamber to suit baking pizza either in pizza pans, or traditionally straight onto the stone.” Blue Seal offer single deck and twin deck ovens, which operate up to 400°C, giving optimum cooking temperatures for decks of their size. The single deck can be stacked onto the twin deck very easily creating a triple deck, maximising the output from the floor

space. The oven chambers all function independently, they point out, allowing the pizza chef to control temperatures and bake more types/sizes of pizzas at once, therefore reducing serving times for busy restaurants. The fact these ovens are only singlephase power supply has made them very versatile and suitable for dark kitchen takeaway sites and certain mobile kitchen operations, that may have limited power supplies, they add. Due to the electric power supply, the ease of installation is simplified as there are no complex regulations regarding interlocks/ ventilation and extraction requirements, as associated with gas powered or solid fuel type ovens. The ovens can be used in professional temporary and portable kitchens as long as there is adequate air circulation and any vented heat/steam can be dissipated into the atmosphere or directed outside, to maintain healthy and comfortable HSE working environment tolerances, say Blue Seal. ONLINE CONNECTIVITY As a fundamental, upgrading from traditional equipment to modern cooking systems can have huge benefits for reducing energy usage in professional kitchens without compromising on results many suppliers now feel. Energy use is becoming an important part of kitchen design, although customers are not

www.pizzapastamagazine.co.uk

OVENS always aware of what it currently costs them or how much they waste. Multi-functional equipment takes up less space in the kitchen than a bank of separate appliances, and this means a smaller kitchen footprint, savings on extraction systems and overall running costs, confirm sector supplier, Rational. For example, say a kitchen is equipped with a kettle, boiling pan, deep-fat fryer, pressure cooker, convection oven and a hob. Replacing all these appliances with their iCombi Pro and iVario will save up to 40% in space, the company claim – and together the pair will cover 95% or more of all conventional cooking applications (the iCombi Pro combi steamer offers up to 50% higher productivity, 10% shorter cooking time and 10% lower energy consumption compared to its predecessor – which was already a market-leading model, they also claim). Rational appliances have been designed to be significantly more energy efficient than conventional appliances, say the company, by featuring systems with ‘intelligent assistants’, such as those in the iCombi Pro which provides control over every step of the cooking process and can even replace traditional pizza ovens, they claim. Online connectivity and data capture is an increasingly important consideration, they emphasise, having primarily been driven by larger operators, but this demand for visibility

and accurate data collection can help all businesses to improve energy use too, they suggest. For example, the Rational ConnectedCooking platform helps to develop efficient kitchen management routines. By ensuring appliances are working to optimum efficiency and minimising downtime, ConnectedCooking allows kitchens to reduce energy use and develop in a more sustainable way. At present, the only available energy efficiency database for the confirmation of energy efficiency in prime cooking equipment is the HKI certification, which Rational says it is on. The HKI Cert database is an unbiased platform for catering equipment manufacturers to provide those that are buying or specifying modern commercial kitchen technologies with access to comparative energy usage figures that are based on set guidelines, giving stakeholders what they want – fair and square comparative consumption figures. LIFE CYCLE COSTS “The Carbon Trust reckons that around 85% of the lifetime cost of a piece of commercial catering equipment will be the energy it uses in operation. The initial purchase is probably only around 15% of the lifetime cost. Often it’s less. Which means that buying on price is not the cheapest option. It’ll cost you in the long run. On the other hand, buying a more efficient machine that saves you, say,

30% on energy costs is the right thing to do if you’re trying to save money,” says Keith Warren, CE of the FEA (Foodservice Equipment Association). “It’s a win-win if you’re trying to save the planet, too. Connected appliances which are connected to the internet can save energy (and thus reduce the carbon footprint) by monitoring how equipment is used – and highlighting practices and misuse that lead to unnecessary energy consumption. Connectivity will also allow managers to calculate the cost of running a kitchen. Where multiple sites or outlets can be compared, it will show if one site is using more or less power than another, so that managers can investigate the reasons and thus minimise energy consumption. “Because connectivity will highlight service issues too, such as a failing component, it will allow service providers to fix issues early, before the appliance breaks down. Keeping equipment working at optimum efficiency will also save energy.” The FEA (www.fea.org.uk) has developed a five-point plan on achieving Carbon Net Zero, and which the Association presented to the cross-party Westminster Food and Nutrition Forum. It has been designed to help the industry reduce its carbon footprint through the use of energy saving equipment, by incentivising operators, manufacturers, resellers and consultants, and covers the following. Manufacturer tax credits – based on the number of energy efficient models sold. A net zero equipment recycling scheme – to encourage operators to replace old appliances with new, energy efficient versions. Giving energy efficient equipment BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Designs) certification points – to foster consultant and specifier engagement. Incentivising dealers and resellers – by paying them extra commission when they sell energy efficient equipment. Developing a new Energy Technology List (ETL) – to make it easy for operators and specifiers to select sustainable and energy efficient equipment. www.pizzapastamagazine.co.uk

PROMOTIONAL

Papa John’s working with Haven to make the great British seaside holiday even more special At the end of 2021, Blackstone, the biggest private equity company in the world, acquired Bourne Leisure, the owner of the UK holiday park operator, Haven. PARTNERSHIP As one of Britain’s leading family holiday companies Haven owns and operates 40 award-winning family holiday parks throughout England, Scotland and Wales. They offer a full programme of activities and entertainment alongside being located next to some of Britain’s most beautiful beaches meaning the brightest resorts are a great base for exploring the local area. Lucy Greene, brand opening & development manager, Haven confirms: “Our goal is to make Haven ‘bigger and better’ for our guests and the recent acquisition by Blackstone will enable investment across many of our sites to achieve this. “As well as looking to acquire more parks, we are enhancing our existing resorts, expanding their capacity and adding further facilities for the benefit of our visitors. For example, Wild Duck near Great Yarmouth is unique as it’s our only woodland park. We’ve recently extended the resort facilities adding more accommodation which can sleep between four to eight people. All accommodation includes ensuite, mini kitchen lounge, TV and heating for that special home-from-home staycation. “The facilities at Wild Duck are extensive too and include entertainment venue, bar, supermarket, amusement arcade, bike hire, archery, Segway, peddle cart hire, outdoor play and nature trails, all designed for families to make the most of their holiday. However, with only our own brand fish and chip takeaway on site, our food offering at Wild Duck was limited.

www.papa.org.uk

“We have a long-standing relationship with Papa John’s which has gone from strength to strength over the years, with stores now located on 28 of our popular seaside holiday parks around the UK. We knew adding a Papa John’s would complement the choice for our guests as freshly cooked hot pizza to share with friends and family is perfect after a long day enjoying all the activities the resort has to offer. “In March 2022 we opened our new Papa John’s at Wild Duck. We put the outlet in the same building as our fish and chip takeaway to provide guests and owners with both takeout options. The family pizza meal deals now work really well for guests to share, and they can order instore, ‘click and collect’ or have their meal delivered right to their accommodation via e-bikes! It’s real treat for all the family throughout the season. “As you would expect from a worldleading brand, the Papa John’s build team have been amazing to work with and the store has only taken around eight weeks to construct from start to finish. We collaborated with Papa John’s construction manager to realise our plan for both our fish and chip takeaway and the new fresh pizza offering to share the same delivery area. This meant we didn’t need a new building and ensured completion of the unit was a swift, smooth process. “The past year has been incredibly busy for Haven as the public have fallen back in love with the Great British seaside holiday.

We put activities, entertainment, and food all in one place to make the staycation experience special. We now look forward to welcoming returning guests and new holidaymakers to our parks for 2022 across our resorts and with Papa John’s now at Wild Duck as well as many of our other parks, we can ensure their stay is even more special.” MORE PLANNED Amit Pancholi, business development director, Papa John’s UK confirms: “We aim to open up in new locations across the UK, so our customers can enjoy Papa John’s where and when suits them. Often our customers’ first taste of Papa John’s is while they are on holiday. Therefore, we continue to expand and grow our presence on the high street but also in ‘non-traditional’ locations such as holiday parks, sports stadiums and other leisure venues. It’s about being where our customers are for their maximum convenience and to add to the fun of any occasion. “Haven offers some stunning locations and quality staycation holidays for all the family. We are currently working with Haven to open further stores at their leading holiday parks. Papa John’s is proud to be able to add to that experience with fresh pizza for everyone to really make the most of their holiday.” For further information visit www.papajohns. co.uk/franchise (for further information about Haven please visit https://www.haven.com/). 37

CALORIE LABELLING

New calorie

labelling

legislation Hot on the heels of allergen labelling legislation which took effect in October last year, and at a time when many hospitality businesses are still trying to get back on their feet in the wake of Covid, comes new Calorie Labelling (Out of Home Sector) (England) Regulations 2021. What does this mean for operators? CALORIE DETAILS REQUIRED From 6 April 2022, the new Calorie Labelling (Out of Home Sector) (England) Regulations 2021 came into effect, meaning that many food and hospitality businesses will now be required to display calorie information to customers. Under these new regulations, food businesses with more than 250 employees will be required to provide calorie information on physical menus, online menus, food delivery platforms or food labels. And in line with the Calorie Labelling Regulations, businesses will be required to include the energy content of the food in kilocalories (kcal), reference to the size of the portion which the calorie information relates to and a statement that ‘adults need around 2,000 kcals a day’. It is estimated that two-thirds of adults in the UK are now overweight or obese. This new legislation aims to tackle these rising numbers and promote consumer choice, enabling people to make more informed choices and opt for healthier meals. The Calorie Labelling Regulations apply to foods sold for immediate consumption including prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) items like grab and 38

go sandwiches and salads. They affect out of home food businesses with 250+ employees and those that do not comply could face fines of up to £2,500. While some businesses may already state calorie content on menus or labelling, the regulations require clear calorific declarations at every ‘point of choice’ for consumers. So, for example, in a single outlet this could extend to a menu board, on-table menus, product labels, display cabinets and an ordering app. Discussing the regulatory changes, George Macfie, food technical manager at testing, inspection and certification company, Bureau Veritas, said: “The health of adults and children has long been a hot topic with various tactics put in place over the years to reduce unhealthy eating, including restrictions on television advertising. “However, with data now showing a staggering number of adults measuring as overweight or obese, the government is taking much-needed action on larger food businesses to ensure they play their part in supporting informed and smarter food choices. “The legislation will impact a significant number of food businesses, including restaurants, cafés, fast food

outlets and takeaways, specialist food stores such as delicatessens and sweet shops, as well as domestic transport businesses including planes, trains and ferries.” EDUCATE AND INFORM According to Bureau Veritas, it will be key for business to educate staff members in order to pave the way for a successful transition to the new rules, as they will very likely be responsible for informing visitors on the calorie information and where this can be found. It’s also vital that the calorie information is calculated using average values and supported by data, based on either the manufacturer’s analysis of the food, a calculation from the known ingredients used or from established and accepted data, they propose. George Macfie added: “These food businesses have been focusing on processes to meet the requirements of other regulations such as Natasha’s Law – the legislation governing allergy labelling of food. Now the focus turns to calorie labelling. This is a positive change in the provision of nutritional information which must be researched, planned for, and welcomed. www.pizzapastamagazine.co.uk

CALORIE LABELLING “By implementing changes to food labelling and display, everyone involved can meet the new requirements and support customers to make better food choices. If it seems daunting, we would encourage firms to seek support from external specialist partners.” Bureau Veritas says that it has recently launched a Calorie Labelling: Guidance for Food Businesses guide which includes all the relevant information for food businesses to follow and details of the exempt food types and organisations (and downloadable from their web site, www.bureauveritas.co.uk). A LABELLING SOLUTION Food labelling company, Planglow, have announced that they are offering food and drink businesses of all sizes a quick and easy way to calculate and add calorie information to labels and displays using its award-winning food labelling app LabelLogic Live. To aid food and drink operators in producing compliant information, the

company has added a calorie labelling tool to its LabelLogic Live which allows users to automatically calculate the calorie content of food and drink products and simply add to their labelling and ticketing. Planglow’s technical director Richard Newman commented: “The new calorie labelling regulations are of course preceded by the winter Covid restrictions and the introduction of Natasha’s Law last October which, understandably, have left many food and drink providers on the back foot. We have therefore developed a way to produce fully regulation-compliant labels and ticketing in a few simple clicks without costing businesses yet further setbacks.” The calorie calculator is accessed via the company’s online labelling app, LabelLogic Live, and works on any webconnected laptop, computer, mobile phone or tablet, users creating their food labels online and then printing using a standard desktop printer.

IMPLICATIONS FOR SMALLER BUSINESSES LONG TERM? Smaller businesses are currently exempt, as are food and drink providers within Scotland and Wales, although further legislation is anticipated in the next two years. Exceptions are made for some operators - such as schools - and certain food and drink offerings (for example off-menu choices as requested by the customer). “While large businesses only are currently required to give calorific declarations, we feel SMEs will increasingly be encouraged to do so too over the coming 18-24 months,” Richard Newman added.

Read it online at www.papa.org.uk

www.papa.org.uk

TRAINING

flexible How

apprenticeships could benefit your business Jill Whittaker (pictured below), managing director at HIT Training, explores the value of apprenticeships in attracting and retaining talent. RECRUITING AND RETAINING After a tumultuous couple of years for restaurant operators, many continue to face significant staff shortages. Not only is it a challenge to recruit the right people with the right skills, but it’s also often hard to keep hold of them. The Coronavirus pandemic has brought about lasting changes to how we look at work and what we expect from our jobs. Periods of significant stress have resulted in a cultural shift, as workers reflect on what work really means to them and how it fits into their life. It’s more important than ever for hospitality managers to invest in their teams – retaining the talented individuals they have, while also offering clear career pathways that are attractive to people coming into their industry. A big part of this is the provision of training, both for those new to the sector and to help existing employees to upskill and reskill. Not only will this investment go a long way to fostering job satisfaction and loyalty, it will also reap rewards in the greater efficiency created by improving the skills of your workforce. Apprenticeships are one of the best ways for hospitality firms to provide continual learning for their teams, whether to progress existing staff or 40

to quickly train new starters. And new flexible training models being explored by the government could present meaningful opportunities for operators and their employees in 2022. How can flexible apprenticeship models benefit your business?

‘FRONT-LOADING’ OR ‘FLEXING’ YOUR TRAINING Apprenticeships are often relied on to help unlock skills quickly and to allow motivated staff to fast-track into positions where they can provide real value. New flexible working patterns could make that process even faster. Under plans for a new ‘front-loading’ approach, apprentices would be able to receive intensive off the job training before they begin their formal responsibilities. Essentially, this would teach important skills and technical knowledge from the outset, while key behaviours and practical skills will continue to be embedded throughout the full apprenticeship programme. For venues struggling with staff shortages, front-loaded training could prove invaluable in helping apprentices to hit the ground running and make a real contribution to their workplaces from the very start. For example, many www.pizzapastamagazine.co.uk

TRAINING to already have some of the essential skills needed in our sector and wouldn’t need as deep a level of training in this area. A shorter training programme is not only a more cost-effective approach for an employer, but would reduce the time an individual has to spend as an apprentice. However, it is also worth noting that the law requires an apprentice maintains their minimum programme time of 12 months. FLEXI-JOB APPRENTICESHIPS Another training model that may become available to the hospitality sector is ‘flexi-job apprenticeships’, which are designed to ensure that sectors and occupations, where short-term contracts or other non-standard employment models are the norm, can access the benefits of apprenticeships too. In a nutshell, with the variety of flexible apprenticeships available, hospitality operators can look at what skills they need for their workforce now – and what they’re likely to need in the future – and choose a tailored approach.

restaurants are struggling under the current national shortage of chefs and the time required to train someone through current methods isn’t quick enough to meet this demand. It’s also worth mentioning that flexible apprenticeships do not always have to be front-loaded. There are also options to flex the training model to deliver focused training at other stages of the apprenticeship – giving the employer even greater flexibility to reflect the needs of their staff and business.

BUSTING MYTHS While flexible training models will open up training opportunities to an even broader range of employees, a number of prevailing myths are potentially preventing both employers

and individuals from considering apprenticeships as an option. For instance, you may think of them primarily as a choice for school leavers, but there’s no age limit. Apprenticeships are an ideal way for people at any stage in their working lives to reskill or to build on their existing skills – whether they’re new to hospitality or want to progress further in the sector. In my view, there’s no role an 18-yearold could take on in this sector that a 50-year-old couldn’t do without the right training. As more and more people of all ages – and with various levels of experience – are starting to see the opportunities available to the through apprenticeships, change is on the horizon. And with greater flexibility in how apprenticeships are delivered, operators will have more options in how they attract newcomers to the sector, as well as supporting their existing employees to grow and develop in their roles. Venues stand to reap big rewards in boosting the skills of their workforce and onboarding new team members quickly, while employees will feel valued knowing that you’re investing in their careers with your business. For more information on training through apprenticeships, visit: https://hittraining. co.uk/

A FASTER APPROACH TO APPRENTICESHIPS Another option which is already being utilised is ‘accelerated apprenticeships’, which allow an employer to adjust the length of an apprenticeship for an individual who has existing relevant knowledge or skills. For instance, anyone new to hospitality work who has a background in customer service is likely www.papa.org.uk

REVIEW

Combined shows draw the crowds On 21- 23 March 2022, thousands of key buyers in the global food and drink industry descended on IFE, International Food & Drink Event at ExCeL London for three days of product tasting, networking, learning and doing business. A WELCOME RETURN The hotly anticipated 22nd edition of the event took place alongside Hotel, Restaurant & Catering (HRC), IFE Manufacturing, the London Produce Show and the Pub Show, creating the UK’s largest gathering of food, drink and hospitality professionals. Visitors from major retailers, wholesalers, distributors, caterers and hospitality businesses including Bidfood, Compass Group, Fortnum & Mason, Hello Fresh, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Selfridges, Budgens, Waitrose and many more used the show to gain vital industry insights

and to discover new products to meet customer demand for 2022 and beyond. The shows also welcomed a number of famous faces in the world of food and drink, with celebrity chefs Michel Roux Jr, Tom Kerridge and Gennaro Contaldo all making an appearance. Finlay Warren, Pan EU category manager at Amazon, commented: “IFE demonstrated the forward-thinking and constantly innovating global catering and hospitality sector, showcasing key developments within the sector from sustainability to new product developments.

“IFE is a great event to network and build on existing relationships and develop new one, understanding the changes and challenges faced by the sector, and drive exposures and opportunities for business at all levels.” Emma Piercy, head of climate change & energy policy at the Food & Drink Federation said: “My first thought arriving at IFE was the scale! Having been in lockdown for two years to finally meet people in the industry and see all the amazing businesses, from the smaller suppliers to the larger pavilions from all around the world, has been great.” THE FUTURE OF FOOD The Future Food Stage at IFE hosted a wide range of panel discussions and presentations across the three days of the event, tackling some of the most urgent challenges and opportunities in the sector. From evolving the customer experience through 24/7 service, speedy delivery and reuse and refill stations to driving progress in sustainability, health foods and nonanimal proteins, the stage was packed each day with visitors eager to stay ahead of industry trends. One standing room-only session took a close look at the industry’s road to net zero, with an all-star panel including Dr Stephen Mackenzie, Greenhouse Gases Specialist

www.pizzapastamagazine.co.uk

REVIEW Vegan Society, B Other Wise, Sugarwise, BRCGS, the Vegetarian Society, RSPCA Assured, SALSA, Fairtrade and more were on hand to provide advice to visitors on a wide variety of industry certifications.

(Food) at WRAP and Dr Emma Keller, Head of Sustainability at Nestle. Dr Emma Keller commented: “IFE is such a fantastic event. The different food businesses, the innovation, the ingredients that are being used, even the smells as you walk around - incredible. I think also the talks have been really on point, with relevant topics that we’re all facing. It’s been a really great event.” CERTIFICATION CLINIC Another key resource was the Certification Clinic, where organisations including BSI, the Soil Association, the

STREAMLINED PRODUCT SOURCING With nine distinct show sections, covering everything from frozen food to drinks to speciality food, IFE made it easy for buyers to easily source products in specific categories. New for 2022 was the Vegan & PlantBased section, in partnership with the Vegan Society, which proved a huge hit with visitors, exhibitors and partners alike. Louisianna Waring, senior insight & policy officer at the Vegan Society said: “We’ve had an absolutely fantastic show. Everyone I’ve spoken to has said the Vegan & Plant-Based Section has been buzzing the whole time. It’s been amazing to try the new brands, connect with consumers. The Vegan Trademark has had hundreds of leads from the show and it was great to talk with the panellists at our very well-attended session.” Caroline Timmins, own label & NPD manager at the Vegan Kind, added: “I was wowed by the scale and quality of exhibitors at IFE. The Plant Based & Vegan section was well covered and created a real buzz. The speciality section was interesting, as was confectionary and drinks with standouts in all categories.”

INTERNATIONAL DRAW In addition to receiving support from the UK’s Department for International Trade, IFE welcomed a number of luminaries to the 2022 event to meet with the show’s international suppliers. The India pavilion was visited by Shri Sujit Ghosh, Deputy High Commissioner, London. The USA welcomed Philip T. Reeker, Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in London. Serbia was joined by Ambassador Aleksandra Joksimović of the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia and the Sri Lanka pavilion hosted Saroja Sirisena, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka. Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom the Hon George Brandis QC, who visited the country’s pavilion, hosted by Austrade, on 22 March, commented: “It’s great to be at the Australian pavilion at IFE with Austrade and so many Australian producers of excellent food and very good beverages. Food and drink is something that Australia does really well and at the top of the market in particular.” In reflecting on this year’s event, Philippa Christer, IFE Event director, said: “It was absolutely fantastic bringing our food and drink community together once again and would like to say a massive thank you to our suppliers, visitors, partners and speakers for all their energy, enthusiasm and support. “This is an industry built on strong partnerships and delicious products and there’s no more effective and efficient way to do business than at events like IFE. We can’t wait to return even bigger and better in 2023!”

2023

Looking ahead to the return of IFE next year, the show has already confirmed a number of returning partners for the 2023 edition, including the Food & Drink Federation, the Federation of Wholesale Distributors and the Food & Drink Exporters Association. IFE, International Food & Drink Event will return to ExCeL London on 20-22 March 2023 (find out more at ife.co.uk). This year’s seminar programme will soon be available on demand on the IFE Connects platform, at connects.ife.co.uk. www.papa.org.uk

index registered suppliers The following businesses are members of The Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association (PAPA) and subject to its rules and guidelines. While the Association cannot guarantee the products and services supplied by those listed, it does believe that those listed are reputable and is confident in recommending them. The Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association, Engine Rooms Station Road, Chepstow NP16 5PB Telephone: 01291 636335 or email kevin@jandmgroup.co.uk

999 Pizza Toppings (UK) Ltd. Unit 6, Teakcroft, Fairview Industrial Park, Marsh Way, Rainham, Essex RM13 8UH Contact: Homayoun Aminnia Tel: 01708 558885 Fax: 01708 555022 sales@999pizzatoppings.com ADM Milling UK Ltd. Hyatt Place, 50-60 Broomfield Road, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 1SW Contact: Laura Passingham Tel: 01277 262525 sales4flour@adm.com https://www.4flour.co.uk/ Allied Mills Ltd. Sunblest Flour Mill, Port of Tilbury, Tilbury, Essex RM18 7JR Contact: Chris Brown Tel: 01375 363100 Fax: 01375 363199 chris.brown@allied-mills.co.uk www.allied-mills-semolina.co.uk

Alphin Pans Oakdale Mill, D elph New Road, Delph, Nr Oldham OL3 5BY Contact: Liz Crossland Tel: 01457 872486 sales@alphin.co.uk www.alphin.co.uk

Bellavita Expo Ltd. 11C Dock Street, London E1 8JN Contact: Stanislava Blagoeva Tel: 020 7352 4356 slava@interexpos.com www.pizzapastashow.com

C.Carnevale Ltd Carnevale House, Blundell St, London N7 9BN Contact: Mr C Carnevale Tel: 0207 607 8777 Fax: 0207 607 8774

Continental Quattro Stagioni Trafalgar Mills, Leeds Road, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD2 1YY Contact: Mr Roberto Giacobbi Tel: 01484 538333 r.giacobbi@continental-wine.co.uk www.continental-food.co.uk Conveni Willige Laagt 2, 5757 PZ Liessel The Netherlands Contact Noel Reidy Tel; +44 7903 526 457 +31 (0) 493 348 700 noel.reidy@conveni.nl info@conveni.nl

Cooktek c/o MCS Technical Products Ltd MCS Technical Products, Building 2, Westmead Industrial Estate, Westmead Drive, Swindon, Wiltshire SN5 7YT Contact: Steve Snow Tel: 01793 538308 Fax: 01793 522324 sales@mcstechproducts.co.uk

Dairy Partners Ltd Brunel Way, Stroud Water Business Park, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire GL10 3SX Contact: Will Bennett Tel: 01453 828890 Will.Bennett@dairypartners.co.uk www.dairypartners.co.uk

Danish Crown – Topping Bommen 9, Thorning DK-8620 Kjellerup, Denmark Contact: Kevin Peacock Tel: 07790 988121 KPEAC@danishcrown.com www.dk-foods.dk

Dawn Farm Foods Lodge Way, Lodge Farm Industrial Estate, Northampton NN5 7US Contact: Bryan Murphy Tel: 01604 583421 Fax: 01604 587392 bmurphy@dawnfarmfoods.co.uk www.dawnfarms.ie

Eurilait Ltd Leighton Lane Industrial Estate, Leighton Lane, Evercreech BA4 6LQ Contact: Andrew Ford Tel: 01749 838108 andrewford@eurilait.co.uk www.eurilait.co.uk

Futura Foods UK Ltd. The Priory, Long Street, Dursley, Gloucestershire GL11 4HR Contact: Jo Carter Tel: 01666 890500 Fax: 01666 890522 jo@futura-foods.com www.futura-foods.com Glanbia Cheese Ltd 4 Royal Mews, Gadbrook Park, Rudheath, Northwich, Cheshire CW9 7UD Contact: Lynne Utting Tel: 01606 810900 Fax: 01606 48680 lutting@glanbiacheese.co.uk Goodfella’s Pizza Birds Eye Ltd. 1 New Square, Bedfont Lakes Business Park, Feltham, Middlesex TW14 8HA Contact: Samantha Dolan Tel: 0208 918 3200 Sam.Dolan@birdseye.co.uk www.goodfellaspizzas.com Ingredient Solutions Ltd. Boherbue, Mallow, County Cork, Ireland Contact: Gary Davies Tel: +353 29 76981 gary@ingredientsolutions.net www.ingredientsolutionsltd.com Insurance Protector Group B1 Custom House, The Waterfront, Level Street, Brierley Hill DY5 1XH Tel: 0800 488 0013 business@ipgdirect.co.uk www.insuranceprotector.co.uk

Euro Catering Equipment Ltd. Unit 4 Egerton Close, Daventry, Northamptonshire NN11 8PE Contact: Steve Lane Tel: 01455 559969 Fax: 01455 559979 sales@euro-catering.co.uk www.euro-catering.co.uk

Jestic Units 3+4, Dana Industrial Estate, Transfesa Road, Paddock Wood, Kent TN12 6UU Tel: 01892 831 960 Email: info@jestic.co.uk www.jestic.co.uk

Freiberger UK Ltd Broadgate House, Westlode Street, Spalding, Lincolnshire PE11 2AF Contact: Andrew Thorne Tel: 01775 767655 01775 767656 andrew.thorne@freibergerukltd.co.uk

Just-Eat.co.uk Ltd. Imperial Place (IP4), Maxwell Road, Borehamwood WD6 1JN Contact: Paul Griffith Tel: 0208 7362001 b2bmarketing@just-eat.co.uk www.restaurants.just-eat.co.uk

F O O D S E R V I C E S O LU T I O N S

index registered suppliers Leathams PLC 227-255, Ilderton Road, London, SE15 1NS Contact: Mr James Faulkner Tel 0207 6354026 / Fax 0207 6354017 ingredients.sales@leathams.co.uk www.leathams.com Makfa JSC Vspolny Lane, Building 5, Construction 1, Office 1, Moscow 123001, Russia Contact: Elena Karmanova Tel: +7 351 255 97 16 (ext 2416) karmanova@makfa.ru www.makfahealth.com Nutritics 22c Town Centre Mall, Main Street, Swords, Co Dublin, Ireland Tel: 020 3769 5265 Email: info@nutritics.com www.nutritics.com Ornua Ingredients Europe Hazel Park, Dymock Road, Ledbury, Herefordshire HR8 2JQ Contact: Alan Mackie Tel: 01531 631300 alan.mackie@ornua.com www.ornuaingredients.com Pan’Artisan Unit 25-26 Holmbush Industrial Estate, Holmbush Way, Midhurst, West Sussex GU29 9FQ Contact: Charlotte Kilduff Tel: 01730 811490 Charlotte.kilduff@panartisan.com www.panartisan.com

Pizza Plus Foodservice Light Industrial Estate, Liverpool Road, Walmer Bridge, Preston PR4 5HY Tel: 01772 610415 Fax: 01772 617610 Contact: Chris Smith chris@pizzaplusfs.co.uk

Qualitops (UK) Ltd Simon Scotland Road, Hardwick Industrial Estate, Kings Lynn, Norfolk PE30 4JF Contact: Lea Hall Tel: 01553 772 522 admin@qualitops.co.uk www.qualitops.co.uk

Tel: 0161 702 8447

Silbury Marketing Ltd. 9 Manor Park, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX16 3TB Contact: Louise De Leon Tel: 01926 410022 sales@silbury.cp.uk www.silbury.co.uk

email: sales@pizza-toppings.co.uk

Stateside Foods Ltd 31 – 34 Great Bank Road, Wingate Industrial Park, Westhoughton, Bolton BL5 3XU Contact: Ian Kent Tel: 01942 841200 Fax: 01942 841201 sales@stateside-foods.co.uk www.stateside-foods.co.uk Whitworth Bros Limited Victoria Mills, Wellingborough Northants NN8 2DT Contact: Gary Somers Tel: 01933 441000 Fax: 01933 222523 enquiries@whitworthbros.ltd.uk

ALPHIN PANS Serving the Pizza Professional Since 1989

The widest range of pizza peels manufactured in the UK Alphin Pans Ltd Oakdale Mill, Delph New Rd Delph, Oldham, OL3 5BY 01457 872486

Making the pizza professional h

February 2022 Advert Eighth.indd 1

We also produce a alal range of H products

We re Manufactu a zz hargioni pi gs toppin

appy since 1989

12/01/2022 14:00:14

index of products BEVERAGES

DOUGH & PIZZA

INSURANCE

Salami

PIZZA TOPPINGS

SOUPS, SAUCES,

Beer

EQUIPMENT

Insurance Protector Group

Carnevale Ltd.

Fish

Carnevale Ltd.

Danish Crown

Carnevale Ltd.

STOCKS & DRESSINGS

Dough Trays

Coffee

Alphin Pans

KITCHEN & SERVING

Dawn Farm Foods Ltd.

Fruit & Vegetables

Carnevale Ltd.

Pizza Accessories

EQUIPMENT

Qualitops (UK) Ltd

Carnevale Ltd.

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Meat

Pasta Sauces

Mineral Water Carnevale Ltd. Soft Drinks

Alphin Pans Pizza Plus Foodservice Pizza Making Systems &

Bakery Ovens Chefsrange

OILS & VINEGARS

999 Pizza Toppings (UK) Ltd.

Baking Pans

Olive Oil

Carnevale Ltd.

Garlic Spreads & Mixes

Leathams PLC Pizza Sauces

Alphin Pans

Equipment

Leathams PLC

Danish Crown

Chargrills

Silbury Marketing Ltd.

Dawn Farm Foods

Conveni

Continental Quattro

Alphin Pans

Chefsrange

Pizza Plus Foodservice

Chefsrange

Displays

PASTA, POLENTA,

Leathams PLC

Stagioni Ltd.

Silbury Marketing Ltd.

Carnevale Ltd.

Cooktek (MCS Technical

Chefsrange

GNOCCHI & RICE

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Products)

Drinks Systems

Pasta (Dry)

Jestic

Carnevale Ltd.

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Fryers

READY MEALS

Continental Quattro

Italian

Chefsrange

Soups

Stagioni Ltd.

Conveni

Jestic

Leathams PLC

Griddles

Makfa JSC

Carnevale Ltd. Wine, Spirits & Liqueurs

BREAD, CAKES & DESSERTS Garlic Bread Goodfella's Pizza CHEESE, DAIRY & EGGS Cheese

Pizza Ovens Chefsrange Jestic Pizza Plus Foodservice Pizza Pans Alphin Pans

Chefsrange Cooktek (MCS Technical Products) Jestic

999 Pizza Toppings

Pizza Plus Foodservice Silbury Marketing Ltd.

Conveni

READY PREPARED Prepared Pasta Meals

PIZZA DOUGH, BASES

Freiberger UK Ltd.

& CRUSTS

Prepared Pizza (Chilled)

TOMATOES Canned Tomatoes Silbury Marketing Ltd.

FISH & SEAFOOD

Dough Balls

Conveni

(UK) Ltd.

Holding Ovens

Pan' Artisan

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Carnevale Ltd.

Other Fish & Seafood

Jestic

Pizza Plus Foodservice

Prepared Pizza (Frozen)

Dairy Partners Ltd.

Induction Cooking &

Leathams PLC

Pizza Bases & Crusts

Freiberger UK Ltd.

Pan' Artisan

Goodfella's Pizza

Pizza Plus Foodservice

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Holding

Eurilait Ltd. Futura Foods UK Ltd. Glanbia Cheese Ltd. Ingredient Solutions Leathams PLC Ornua Ingredients Europe Stateside Foods Ltd.

FLOUR & BAKERY Concentrates Allied Mills Durum Semolina Allied Mills

Cooktek (MCS Technical Products) Preparation Counters Chefsrange Refrigeration Chefsrange

Carnevale Ltd.

Futura Foods UK Ltd.

Flour

MEAT

Leathams PLC

ADM Milling UK Ltd.

Bacon

CHAIRMAN

Mozzarella

Allied Mills

Dawn Farm Foods Ltd.

Keith Griffiths (Pizza Hut)

Carnevale Ltd.

Leathams PLC

Dairy Partners Ltd.

Whitworth Bros. Limited

Beef

Futura Foods UK Ltd. Glanbia Cheese Ltd. Parmesan Eurilait Ltd. Futura Foods UK Ltd. COMPUTING

Icings Allied Mills Improvers Allied Mills

Leathams PLC

FROZEN PIZZA MANUFACTURER

Chicken & Other Poultry

David Jones (Pan Artisan)

Leathams PLC

CHILLED PIZZA MANUFACTURER

Ham Carnevale Ltd.

Ian Kent (Stateside)

Premixes

Dawn Farm Foods Ltd.

(Bread & Cakes)

Foods Ltd.

Allied Mills

Leathams PLC

PASTA MANUFACTURER/ DISTRIBUTOR

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Vacancy

SOLUTIONS Online Ordering Solutions

FOOD WHOLESALERS

Italian Meat & Sausages

Just-Eat.co.uk Ltd.

Continental Quattro

Dawn Farm Foods Ltd.

Stagioni Ltd.

Pancetta

Chilled - Vacancy

Carnevale Ltd.

Frozen - Vacancy

DELIVERY & PACKAGING Heated Pizza Delivery Bag Systems

Leathams PLC Stateside Foods Ltd.

SUPERMARKETS

Danish Crown

PIZZA RESTAURANTS

Qualitops (UK) Ltd

Chain - Rupi Zani (Pizza Express)

Pepperoni

Alphin Pans

FRUIT & VEGETABLES

Cooktek (MCS Technical

Chargrilled Vegetables

Danish Crown

Products)

Carnevale Ltd.

Dawn Farm Foods Ltd.

Pizza Lid Supports

Olives

GCL Food Ingredients.

Alphin Pans

Leathams PLC

Qualitops (UK) Ltd

Carnevale Ltd.

Carnevale Ltd. Leathams PLC

The Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association is the trade body representing the UK pizza, pasta and Italian Food Association. The Association is given direction by a Management Committee comprising:

Eggs

Eurilait Ltd.

Sun-Dried Tomatoes

PIZZA DELIVERY OPERATORS

Independent Sunny Chhina (The Fat Pizza) Geoff Parsons (Basilico) Katy Habibian (Village Pizza)

AGGREGATOR Stephen Glass (Just Eat)

CONSULTANT Maurice Abboudi Richard Harrow

SUPPLIERS Cheese Nick Waring (Eurilait) Mozzarella Lynne Utting (Glanbia) Meat Jon Watkin (Dawn Farm Foods) Flour Gary Somers (Whitworths)

Chain - Phillip Quinn (Papa John)

Equipment Richard Norman (Jestic)

Small Chain - Khalil Rehman (Caprino's Pizza)

Speciality Ingredients James Faulkner (Leathams)

PAPA SIMPLE | AUTHENTIC | RESPONSIBLY SOURCED

GREAT PIZZAS START WITH

GREAT TOPPINGS

INTRODUCING

NDUJA This fiery crumble makes an excellent addition to pizza, pasta and more…. (Mob Kitchen, 2022)

Our punchy pork sausage is fiery in both colour and taste. A traditional Italian style spreadable sausage, perfect as a spicy pizza topping with mozzarella slices and fresh basil on a sourdough base.

For local UK supply contact: sales@silbury.co.uk Tel: 01926 410022

Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food Magazine - April 2022 - Issue 209

Articles inside

Index of suppliers

So cé – a Sicilian themed new opening.

Combined shows draw the crowds – IFE and

New calorie labelling legislation – what does it mean for operators?

How exible apprenticeships could bene t your business – advice from HIT Training’s Jill Whittaker.

Energy-saving ovens – is electric best right now?

This too shall pass – hospitality sector investor and advisor, Maurice Abboudi’s, view.

Time for a moratorium? PAPA director, Jim Winship, asks if it’s time for a moratorium on upcoming legislation.

Thoughts on our – back to basics.

I Love Italian Food comes to London.

Eating out sector recovery to slow.

Why your membership matters.

Deliveries and takeaways double pre-Covid levels in February, but growth slows.

PAPA Awards 2022

A transformational year for Domino’s.