Base Face Pizza

Italian tomato shortage likely amidst price rises

It is increasingly felt that the Italian tomato market will be much more expensive than last year due to increased cost of fresh tomatoes, tinplate and energy, together with low results of this year’s crop creating a total lack of stock.

Wholesale prices for tomatoes are claimed to be up 20% already, and are predicted to grow to a 50% increase as the 2021 crop is harvested and enters the market, with a significant proportion of this increase likely to be passed on to consumers, warn sector supplier, Eurostar Commodities.

Director and ingredients expert at Eurostar Commodities, Jason Bull, said: “Prices are increasing more than 50% comparing to pre-season 2020. Suppliers in Italy have now started to offer prices for this year’s new crop, asking on average 20% more than last year. In foodservice in the last few months prices have not increased proportionally since demand was low. But now the market is re-starting, and prices are going to the level we expect for next crop.”

This shortage and price increase will predominantly affect quality tomatoes picked and canned for freshness, the company feel. Tinned tomatoes feature as a key ingredient on supermarket shelves for everyday dinners including bolognese, pasta sauce, chilli, soups and many other dishes.

Quality tinned tomatoes are also used in restaurants and food service with hi-brix level tomatoes (for extra sweetness) being used in restaurants, catering, and food service industries, with price increases likely to include whole tomatoes, peeled plum tomatoes and chopped tinned tomatoes.

Base Face Pizza to launch with a commitment to British ingredients

Base Face Pizza - started by Tim Thornton during lockdown as a charitable fundraiser - has created a loyal, cult following across Chiswick and Hammersmith in London, having now gone on to launch a bricks and mortar site this month in Hammersmith, nestled in the bustling King Street, and with a huge residential crowd on its doorstep.

It’s all about the base, say Base Face. Namely, a mix of 00 flour blended with Tritordeum flour, an innovative grain cross bred from Wild Barley and Durum Wheat, and with a super low GI which is more digestible and sustainable than regular flour. The dough is then proved for an unusually long 48 hours. The result? A beautifully light and moreish base claim the pizza makers.

At the same time, Tim Thornton says that he is staunchly committed to using British ingredients wherever possible, including La Latteria Burrata (handmade up the road in Acton every morning using fresh British milk), Cobble Lane for all charcuterie, Chiswick Chillies jam (and a special edition Chiswick Chillies X Base Face Chilli Oil to celebrate the opening), Cornish Kern and Colston Bassett Stilton.

Tim Thornton, a trained jazz musician, who sadly lost his income due to Covid, says that he began making pizzas under the watchful eye of his Italian wife, and began delivering them to neighbours and locals. In no time at all, and with a bit of help from social media too, he built up a formidable reputation in leafy West London.

His menu bursts with colour and energy, from the classics of Marinara and Salami to Peppergine (burnt green pepper crema, roast aubergine, olives, tomato, oregano, basil and olive oil), Truffle shuffle (mushroom and truffle crema, mixed wild mushrooms, mozzarella, parmesan, olive oil) and N’duja love me (Cobble Lane N’duja, Stichelton Blue, Parmesan, tomato, maple syrup, oregano and olive oil). And pineapple-on-pizza fans won’t be disappointed when they see Base Face’s Cheeky Pineapple (crispy cured pig cheek, roast pineapple & red onion jam, black pepper, mozzarella, Parmesan, basil and olive oil).

“The last 12 months have decimated my music career, but they’ve given me incredible impetus to create Base Face,” said Tim Thorton.

“It’s one of those classic stories. I could never find a pizza I really loved locally, I had an Ooni in my back garden and a sudden glut of time on my hands, worked hard to create a dough that was lighter than your classic sourdoughs or Neapolitan pizzas, and researched British ingredients till I found ones I was really happy with.

“Friends and neighbours were the initial customers. The first two months, I was giving the pizzas away and asking that people donated £5 from each pizza to the NHS charities, and it’s blown up since then, with pop-up residencies, farmers’ markets and even supplying pizzas to a whole jazz club at Kansas Smitty’s last year, bringing my food and music lives full circle. It’s amazing what you can do in the face of adversity, and I cannot wait to show my customers new and old how lovely my pizzas are. I’m very proud of them!”

Base Face Pizza (www.basefacepizza. com) will be opening this month offering a 50% discount off all food (not drinks) for the first week. It will be open Wednesday to Sunday inclusive from 5-10 pm, from 12-10 on Saturdays and from 12-5 on Sundays, and their pizzas will also be available on Deliveroo or for collection.