Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food - Issue 153

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pizzapasta and Italian food magazine

Issue 153 December 2012 www.papa.org.uk

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pizzapasta AND ITALIAN FOOD

Editor telephone e-mail

Clare Benfield 01291 636336 clare@jandmgroup.co.uk

Advertising telephone e-mail

Andrew Emery 01291 636334 andrew@jandmgroup.co.uk

Production telephone e-mail

Jayson Berry 01291 636344 jayson@jandmgroup.co.uk

Subscriptions telephone e-mail

Tony Lorimer 01291 636333 tony@papa.org.uk

J & M Group, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow, NP16 5DB.

Welcome Once again, after the success of this year’s PAPA awards and Pizza Chef competition, our congratulations go to all of 2012’s winners. We would also like to thank all the judges and sponsors for their involvement and help with these prestigious events. With next year’s IFE exhibition due to host Giropizza, as well as the Pizza World Championship UK, some of you will no doubt be very keen to enter these famous competitions!

Turn to page 38 to find out how.

In this final issue of the year we profile two relatively new outlets that are making a name for themselves via their food, as well as their look and feel. We also offer some recommendations about Italian wine, consider the growing importance of conveying provenance and authenticity of ingredients to your customers, and hear about a typical day for Vapiano’s busy Alex Fisher.

With all good wishes for the festive period and New Year, we look forward to hearing your news and views in 2013.

CLARE BENFIELD EDITOR clare@jandmgroup.co.uk

Contents NEWS 4 Rutland Partners buys Pizza Hut’s UK dinein restaurant business.

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. 2012

5 PAPA awards recognise the industry’s very best.

6 IFE to host European and world pizza competitions.

8 Franchise businesses targeted as part of Onyx Phase 2.

PAPA 14 PAPA news.

15 Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Awards 2012.

30 Pizza Chef of the Year Award 2012 – the final.

35 Pizza Chef of the Year Award 2012 – the South West and Midlands heats.

PREVIEWS 38 Major pizza competitions at IFE – how to enter the Giropizza and the Pizza World Championship UK.

56 Rimini Horeca Expo 2013 - the new Rimini Fiera event to showcase the previous SIA Guest and Sapore expos.

FEATURES 40 Telling the story – the “what” and “where from” of authentic, regional Italian ingredients.

48 Wonderful wine – the popularity and potential for Italian wines.

ARTICLES 44 Silver service for ductwork – when only a deep clean will do.

46 Italian spirit in the heart of Edinburgh – a modern café and restaurant called Quattrozero.

52 A slice of NYC – New York style pizza in the King’s Road, Chelsea.

PROFILES 54 Pizza My World – Alex Fisher, Vapiano.

REGULARS 39 New Products 57 Index of PAPA registered suppliers.

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Rutland Partners buys Pizza Hut’s Innovative role puts Rob Gibson UK dine-in restaurant business 8 November 2012, Rutland Partners, the centre stage for On specialist restructuring investor and Yum! global owners of the Pizza Hut brand, Middleby Group Brands, announced that they had completed a deal The Middleby Group of catering equipment manufacturers has appointed Lincat’s Rob Gibson as group national accounts manager to represent all Middleby companies in the UK. The newly created role will enable Rob Gibson to offer complete solutions for catering and commercial kitchens, drawing on the products of Lincat, IMC and Britannia, as well as those imported

by Middleby UK, including brands such as Pitco, Blodgett, Magikitchen, CarterHoffman and Star. The comprehensive range of products covers food preparation, cooking, holding, food service, ventilation, bar refrigeration and ice makers, and kitchen waste disposal.

It is a natural progression for Rob Gibson, who has spent 13 years with Lincat, most recently as national sales manager, developing national account business with retailers such as Asda, John Lewis, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose and Debenhams, along with retail brewery groups including Spirit Group and Greene King.

“This is a very exciting and challenging role, and one that demonstrates the Middleby Group’s logical and streamlined approach to business. It’s more efficient for clients, too, who can now expect to see just one representative who will sit down with them and gain a full understanding of their requirements,” said Rob Gibson, whose preparation for the new role included spending time at Middleby’s Warrington showroom and development centre, where he gained an understanding of the multitude of US brands imported by Middleby UK. “I have especially enjoyed studying the equipment from the USA, where Middleby has developed a strong position with international accounts such as KFC, Burger King, Pizza Hut and TGI’s.

Middleby products have earned their success in the demanding US market, where quality, output, footprint, efficiencies, strength and durability are just as important as they are in the UK.” Rob Gibson now has a central role at Middleby Group.

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whereby Rutland will acquire Pizza Hut UK’s dine-in restaurant business.

In the deal, Rutland Partners has acquired the share capital of Pizza Hut UK Ltd (which owns 330 dine in restaurants) and will operate them under a franchise agreement from Yum! Rutland will be investing £20 million in support of a broad £60 million refurbishment and restructuring programme of the business.

Yum! will continue to act as franchisor for the dine in business whilst also growing the Pizza Hut delivery business in the UK through franchise and equity new unit development.

The current management team of the Pizza Hut dine-in business, under the leadership of Jens Hofma, will remain with the business. This team was assembled to implement a turnaround and has spent the last two years formulating and testing the strategy, which has already seen considerable success. In conjunction with Yum!, it was decided that the good progress made to date would benefit from external capital and an experienced investor, with Rutland having been selected by Yum! as the preferred party.

The newly created Yum! (III) UK Ltd, headed up by managing director, Mark Fox, will focus on generating significant growth for the Pizza Hut delivery business and on representing Yum’s interests as the owner and franchisor of the Pizza Hut brand. The two parties will collaborate closely to ensure the success of the Pizza Hut brand as a whole in the UK, say the brand.

“We are excited about the iconic appeal of the Pizza Hut brand and its status as the leading casual dining brand in the UK,” said Nick Morrill, managing partner of Rutland.“The business has had its fair share of challenges over the past few years but the management team has put a clear turnaround plan in place that has already led to much improved performance over the past 12 months. We have been very impressed by the energy and capability of the team at all levels of the business and we are excited by the prospect of working with the management to drive the

Nick Morrill (left) of Rutland and Jens Hofma of Pizza Hut celebrate the announcement of fresh investment in the popular pizza brand. turnaround to completion.”

Jens Hofma, managing director of the Pizza Hut dine in business added:“I am truly delighted that we have secured new investment into the business. The 10,000 strong Pizza Hut dine-in team is on a mission to put our guests at the centre of everything we do and to inject fun, energy and quality back into our restaurants.

Throughout the sale process, Rutland Partners, above all others, has demonstrated a level of ambition and enthusiasm that matches our own drive for the transformation of our business. The entire team is relishing the opportunity to work with Rutland in the years ahead.”

Rutland Partners is a turnaround and restructuring investor which invests in underperforming UK companies to create stability, strategic change and improved performance. The value of such companies will usually range from £20 million to £150 million with Rutland committing between £10 million and £50 million per investment.

The firm says that it considers all later stage transaction types across all sectors with the exception of property, hi-tech and bio-tech investments, having raised over £500 million in committed capital across two funds - Rutland Fund (£210 million) and Rutland Fund II (£320 million).

New microwaveable paninis for foodservice Loste Grand Saloir Restauration has expanded its range of microwaveable snacks for foodservice with two new Sapresti Traiteurbranded sandwiches (www.sapresttraiteur.com) – the Ham, Tomato & Mozzarella Panini and the Three-Cheese Panini.

Presented at the SIAL Innovation exhibition, these Italian-style fast foods are ready for use and times-saving, say their creators.

Thanks to their cooking sleeves with

‘susceptors’, the paninis can be heated directly in their transparent flow packs without prior handling, avoiding leaks in the microwave and helping to ensure that they come out crispy and golden brown in two minutes and 15 seconds.

The bread used has been made with olive oil, say the company, and the paninis also feature stringy mozzarella, polyphosphate-free ham and tomatoes and basil, and come in a 160g size.

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PAPA awards recognise the industry’s very best For something that started life as a simple food for the not so well off, pizza and pasta have made a remarkable transition into the realms of top end cuisine, as was in evidence at this year’s Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Industry Awards.

The awards were presented at a gala dinner at the Lancaster London Hotel in recognition of the ‘movers and shakers’ who continue to drive and inspire this multi-billion pound industry - the judges identified more pizza and pasta restaurants than ever before achieving gold and platinum standards for their food and service.

While the increasing quality standards of independent restaurants were acclaimed at the dinner, there was also recognition for some of the country’s leading

Simone Lavarini receiving his award.

pizza chefs with the finals of a nationwide competition to find Britain’s top pizza maker – a competition won by Kim Hartley of 2 Sisters Food Group with her Alternative Cheese Board Pizza.

The awards also recognised

some of the leading brands in our high streets with Prezzo and Papa John’s taking the pizza restaurant and delivery chain awards. Asda took top spot in the multiple chilled pizza retailer category and Sainsbury’s in the

frozen category, with Aldi winning the convenience/discount store award.

A veteran of the industry - in fact one of the very first to set about bringing pasta dishes to UK palate in the out of home dining environment – Simone Lavarini was in attendance to receive the prestigious PAPA Industry Award. Now in his eighties, Simone Lavarini was one of the original founders of the Spaghetti House Group, a man who successfully convinced postwar London to give Italian cooking a try way back in 1955.

The rest, as they say, being history (turn to page 16 for the full results). £4350 was raised on the night for the event’s charity – Action Against Hunger.

It’s official, spaghetti Bolognese is a national dish!

The third National Eating Out Week (19 to 25 November 2012) paid homage to five international dishes which have been adopted and accepted by Britain as part of the British food scene.

The ‘British Dishes of Foreign Origin’ include the French Casserole, the Indian Chicken Tikka Masala, the Chinese Crispy Aromatic Duck, the Mexican Chilli con Carne and the most popular of them all, according to Spaghetti House, the Italian Spaghetti Bolognese.

Spaghetti House (www.spaghettihouse.co.uk), the 12-strong Italian restaurant group in London with restaurants across the capital from Knightsbridge to the edge of the City in Holborn, including the 168-seat branch at Westfield London, played a major part in introducing and popularising the dish some 57 years ago.

They took centre stage on Tuesday, 20 November, designated as ‘Spag Bol’ day proper, but the whole week saw the joys of eating pasta being celebrated at the chain (pasta having also recently been named by the charity, Oxfam, as “the most popular dish

www.papa.org.uk

Recent research from Knorr has also revealed Spaghetti Bolognese to be a popular dish when cooking at home.

in the world”).

Spag Bol, as it has become known colloquially throughout the UK, can be found on the Spaghetti House menu under Le Ricette di Famiglia - original recipes from the founding Lavarini family, who still run the company today. Their Spaghetti Bolognese is a classic, slow-cooked beef ragu with plum tomatoes, red wine and herbs and sells at £9.50. This original recipe is still being used today, with Spaghetti House reporting that they sell in excess of

6,000 Spag Bols per month and diners at Westfield calling Spaghetti House’s Spaghetti Bolognese “British and completely brilliant!”

Since opening the first and original Spaghetti House venue in London’s Fitzrovia in Goodge Street, London, pasta has always been served al dente (with a bite) even to the surprise of the first few customers who were then politely taught the way Italians eat their pasta – and olive oil, Parma ham, fresh Parmesan were served as ‘standard’, even in 1957, recall the chain. In line with current trends, Spaghetti House is now also offering gluten free pasta to cater for an increasing customer demand.

Luigi Lavarini, eldest son of the founder, Simone Lavarini, commented: “My father had a simple motto, ‘spaghetti, but not on toast!’ and the popularity of our excellent Spag Bol proves that it still good today.”

National Eating Out Week is organised by the Federation of Specialist Restaurants, to celebrate the variety of international cuisines in Britain and to raise funds for the malnourished and poverty stricken around the world.

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IFE to host European and world pizza competitions IFE (ExCeL, London, 17 to 20 March 2013), the UK’s biggest food and drink trade exhibition has announced that it will be working in partnership with Campionato Mondiale della Pizza to host not one, but two prestigious competitions in March 2013 – the UK Final of the World Pizza Championship and the European Final of Giropizza of Europe.

Pizza has never been more popular in the UK, particularly within the restaurant scene. From the extension of Brixton born Franco Manca and Soho House Group’s Pizza East to the latest sourdough craze, pizza is the talk of the season and visitors to IFE will be able to see the world’s finest battling it out to win some coveted titles.

Both competitions will take place on the Meet The World stage, located in the international Walk The World section of the

show. The European Final of Giropizza – the largest competition of its kind in Europe will kick off proceedings on Tuesday, 19 March, followed by the UK Final of the World Pizza Championship, which will arrive on British soil for the first time on the closing day of IFE13 (Wednesday, 20 March 2013).

Giropizza of Europe is an itinerant competition, taking place every year between October and March in eight different venues around Europe. At IFE13, 80 contestants from all over Europe will compete to produce the best pizza of the house, judged by an expert team of 10.

On the following day, the drama and excitement will continue as the UK finalists of the World Pizza Championship take to the stage. For the past 22 years, roughly 450 competitors from 30 different countries have risen to

the challenges set by the longest running and most visited pizza event in the world. At IFE13, UK competitors will be pushing their pizza-making skills to the limit in a bid to be chosen to represent the country at the finals in Parma, Italy (15 to 17 April 2013).

David Mandolin, events manager for Pizza New Spa, organisers of the competitions said:“This is the first time we’ve brought the World Pizza Championship to the UK and we can’t think of a better place to hold the UK finals than IFE13. Not only has it got a longstanding prominence within the industry, it is attended by individuals who are passionate about food, drink and hopefully pizza!”

In between sessions on both days, the Italian Pizza School Scuola Italiana per Pizzaioli will be running educational seminars that focus on recipe development,

Domino’s launches gluten-free pizza Domino’s Pizza has officially launched a new gluten-free pizza.

Accredited by Coeliac UK, the national charity for people with coeliac disease, Domino’s new gluten-free pizza will be available nationwide for delivery and collection orders. While some glutenfree products attract a premium, Domino’s gluten-free pizza will be charged at the same price as its other pizzas.

Following numerous requests from the general public, Domino’s reports that it has spent the past four years searching the UK and overseas for a suitable supplier for the gluten-free base. After rigorous testing, the company has found a gluten-free base which meets its high standards for both quality and taste.

The new pizza base will also be suitable for those who are allergic to dairy or lactose intolerant, and as all Domino’s pizzas are

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Gluten-free pizza is now being delivered by Domino’s. made to order from scratch, it can be ordered without cheese to provide a dairy-free pizza, point out the chain.

“It’s been a long time coming but we can’t wait to officially launch our new gluten-free pizza,” said Simon Wallis, sales and marketing director for Domino’s. “We’ve worked long and hard with Coeliac UK and our new product development team to develop a product which is not only gluten-free but really tastes great too. We hope the product will bring the enjoyment of pizza to a new set of

customers who, until now, haven’t been able to tuck into a Domino’s with their friends and family.”

Sarah Sleet, Coeliac UK chief executive, added: “We know that eating out safely is a top concern for people with coeliac disease, who must follow a strict gluten-free diet for life. We are working with the catering industry to help them deliver good quality menu choices for people with coeliac disease and are delighted that Domino’s is recognising the importance of catering for this market.”

ingredients and techniques, so all visitors and exhibitors can get a unique taste of the pizza industry.

Christopher McCuin, IFE event director commented:“We’re absolutely thrilled to be hosting two of the most acclaimed pizza competitions in the world at IFE next year. Not only will they bring a huge buzz and excitement to the show, they are sure to provide great educational content and insight on key pizza trends for both exhibitors and visitors alike.”

Jim Winship, director of the Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food Association (PAPA) which is also supporting the event, added:“The pizza industry is really thriving in the UK and there is a real appetite to learn the tricks of the trade and the skills involved in creating the perfect pizza. It’s great to see IFE hosting the competitions and raising the profile of the pizza sector, in a fun and engaging way.”

Domino’s Pizza delivers news jobs to Harrogate Domino’s will be creating between 25 and 35 full and part-time jobs when it opens a new store on Knaresborough Road in Harrogate this month, and says that it will be recruiting within the community for trainee managers, trainee pizza makers, customer service representatives and delivery experts.

Umer Chohan, franchisee for the new store, said: “We are looking forward to opening a new store in Harrogate and to employing people who live in the community that we’ll be serving. First and foremost, we’ll be employing people who can deliver great customer service and demonstrate strong teamwork skills, as well as boundless enthusiasm. It’s also vital to be able to maintain a sense of fun while working under pressure.”

Domino’s Pizza says that it believes in opportunities for all, pointing out that it is Age Positive Employer Champion, and meaning that it has been recognised for its commitment to welcoming applicants of all ages. It recruits on the basis of ability and, as many team members go on to management positions in under two years, this recruitment drive has been a fantastic opportunity for jobseekers in Harrogate and the surrounding area, report the company.

At induction, as well as throughout their career, Domino’s offers its employees full training, ranging from dough management and food hygiene for pizza makers through to road safety for pizza delivery experts.

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Home of good Pizza

KIREN FOODS

Unit 3 Smallbridge Business Park, Riverside Drive Rochdale, Greater Manchester OL16 2SH T: +4401706 526732 E: enquiries@kirenfoods.com www.kirenfoods.com

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Franchise businesses targeted as part of Onyx Phase 2 Franchise businesses are now being targeted by Onward Holdings Ltd, owners of the Onyx Retail Park in South Yorkshire, as part of the second phase of their expansion programme.

The Onyx site has an excellent track record in attracting franchisees and already boasts a number of recognised brands within its portfolio including global food retail chain Spar, who came on board recently, Domino’s Pizza and Subway. Other franchisees in the area include KFC and Costa Coffee who both trade immediately adjacent to the Onyx Retail Park.

The development of new units through Phase 2 of the campaign will enable Onyx to increase the diversity of its businesses and the search is on to find additional

operators eager to take advantage of the enormous trading benefits available, feel the company.

The British Franchise Association recently claimed that more than 90% of franchise owners are still trading profitably after five years which certainly looks set to be the case for those with businesses at the Onyx Park.

“Head office is continually looking for high impact places and picked Onyx because of its prime location to existing and planned new housing. The site ticked all the boxes. Initially we hired 15 people but with the uptake in sales we are now recruiting a further 15 members of staff,” said Jay Ravel, area manager for Domino’s Pizza, and responsible for five of Domino’s establishments in the South

Fiery new partnership The hot sauce company Frank’s® RedHot® has announced a new partnership with Domino's Pizza.

The sauce, famous for being the key ingredient in the original Buffalo Wings, was the main ingredient in Domino's new hot wings when they launched on their menu in October.

The key to the sauce's fiery flavour, say Frank’s, is the use of a proprietary blend of aged cayenne peppers. Available from all Domino's UK stores, the Frank's RedHot Wings are sold in portions of seven, 14 and 21. Plus, for a limited period, Domino's UK Facebook fans were able to try the seven wing portion for a promotional £2.99. Additionally, Frank’s® RedHot® Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce has, for a limited period, been added to Domino's popular range of crust dunkin' dips.

Simon Wallis, sales and marketing director of Domino's Pizza, commented: "When you think hot wings, you think Buffalo. We wanted to offer our customers wings that zing and that are loaded with flavour without overwhelming, taste-budobliterating heat, so we went straight to the source of authentic Buffalo hot wings - Frank’s RedHot."

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Yorkshire area.

The take-up of units has been much higher than originally anticipated thanks to both the sensible lease rates on offer and the sites proximity to a large number of consumers, say Onward Holdings. Adjacent to 1,100 homes, the Onyx Park is also surrounded by industrial development and outdoor leisure facilities, giving rise to an impressive 18,000 passing vehicle movements per day on the A633, according to figures provided by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council.

A former colliery, the site is based at Wath-Upon-Dearne, located mid-way between Barnsley and Rotherham. In full it comprises 17,500 square feet of retail space and holds a cross-

section of planning consent including A1 (retail), A2 (financial), A3 (food) and A5 (hot food to take away).

Promotion of the site is handled by Andrew Miller Chartered Surveyors of Sheffield, who is offering the remaining units in a range of configurations ranging from 1,000 to 6,000 square feet. Franchise businesses can enjoy a variety of sensible lease terms starting from five years upwards with realistic rentals from £15 per square foot.

“The interest and take up of units has been far higher than originally expected and tenants are reporting excellent trading. I have no doubt the site will prove highly advantageous to any franchise business looking for a new location,” said Andrew Miller.

Strong growth predicted for VMG Foods Glasgow-based food manufacturer, VMG Foods Ltd, has announced that it has secured contracts from a string of major multiples to supply a new speciality children’s pizza snack range that it is anticipated will more than double the company’s turnover and create 25 new jobs.

The new product – Pizza Stix – has just been launched into Asda and Nisa and will be marketed under the Mr Moretti brand, say the firm. Other similar frozen ‘pizza finger’ type products are due to launch over the next few months into a number of other multiple retailers under their own label brands. The orders are expected to increase VMG’s current annual turnover from around £2.5m to £6m and increase the workforce from 40 to 65 employees.

Pizza Stix features a cheese and tomato topping and comes in a 230g pack containing eight pizza slices. Also being launched into Nisa under the Mr Moretti brand are two new individual Micro Pizzoni pizza products that are available in cheese and tomato and pepperoni toppings. VMG is also currently developing a range of other microwaveable pizza snacks.

RBS and Scottish Enterprise provided crucial financial support that aided product development for both Pizza Stix and Pizzoni products and Glasgowbased design agency VisualizeThis

developed a vibrant packaging design that would appeal to children, with the packaging itself manufactured by Kinpac, another local company. Carr's Flour Hutchisons in Kirkcaldy provided important input into the development of the recipe for the pizza bases.

Cameron Brown, managing director of VMG Foods, said: “We are delighted to have achieved these major contracts, which is an important landmark in the development of VMG Foods. A crucial element to our success has been working closely with local companies in the development of these pizzas. Our strategy for growth centres upon providing individually developed solutions for our customers looking to satisfy specific markets.”

Recently, VMG Foods developed a new frozen gluten-free pizza range for specialist food group Triano Brands that is being marketed under its Mamma Cucina label, which has been specially developed for consumers with food intolerances, as well as vegetarians and vegans.

VMG also produces speciality breads, mini bagels, mini burger buns, Halal pizzas and mini pizza bases that are supplied to both foodservice and multiple retail operators.

Brown added: “Our intention is to continue to capitalise upon our ability to develop new and speciality products.”

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Papa John’s honours Glasgow with 200th UK store opening

Paul Canning of Wales Air Ambulance meets up with Domino’s mascot, Danny Domino, at the launch of a book collection campaign started by a Domino’s store in Llanelli.

Domino’s hopes partnership is a best seller!

Domino’s Pizza based on Bridge Street in Llanelli has begun a fundraising project to support Wales Air Ambulance by inviting its customers to donate their unwanted books in aid of this charity.

Wales Air Ambulance receives no national government funding and relies on the support of local people and businesses. It has charity shops located across Wales that sell unwanted books, bric-a-brac and furniture. As a brand, Domino’s Pizza says that it encourages all its franchisees to play an active part in the local community and this is a simple way for them to support such a worthy cause (like Domino’s, Wales Air Ambulance concentrates on providing a safe collection and delivery service).

Franchisee of the Domino’s store in Llanelli, Tracy Bevan, said: “Wales Air Ambulance does a fantastic job in supporting the community by coming to the aid of much needed people. We plan to reserve a space in our store especially for our customers to be able to leave their unwanted books. We are very happy to do our bit to support them and hope that this project really takes off!”

Paul Canning, community fundraiser for Wales Air Ambulance said: “We are thrilled to have the support of Domino’s Pizza. I look forward to seeing the results of our partnership and hope that Domino’s customers will get on board with this project. If this partnership proves successful we may look at working with other Domino’s stores in Wales.”

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Papa John’s marked the official opening of its 200th UK store recently – by serving up 200 free pizzas to the first 200 visitors to the outlet.

Papa John’s, the world’s third largest pizza chain, opened the doors to its 200th store on Duke Street in Glasgow on Saturday, 17 November 2012 at 1pm.

Papa John’s was created by ‘Papa’ John Schnatter, who built the company, starting out from a converted broom cupboard in his father’s tavern in the US, to become a multinational success. Currently Papa John’s has more than 4,000 stores across 33 countries.

Gareth Davies, vice president for Papa John’s UK, said: “We are delighted to be marking this special milestone which signifies the increasing number of people experiencing our ‘Better Ingredients. Better Pizza’ philosophy across the UK. Our 200th store opening is not

just a significant achievement for us in the UK, but an opportunity to thank our local customers in Glasgow for choosing Papa John’s by inviting them to share in the occasion with us.”

More than 100 new stores are expected to be opened by Papa John’s over the next few years, creating a substantial number of jobs across the UK. Papa John's is one of the largest pizza companies in the world and is rapidly expanding in 33 markets around the globe.

Papa John’s, which is renowned for its product quality, has opportunities for potential franchisees throughout the UK including the key locations of Yorkshire, Manchester, West Midlands, East Midlands, South West, North East, Wales & Scotland (further information can be found at www.papajohns.co.uk/franchise).

Hearty Calzone arrives in time for Christmas at PizzaExpress PizzaExpress has launched its latest menu featuring pizza royalty – Calzone.

A folded pizza, bursting with filling and traditionally eaten on the go with your hands, the PizzaExpress version, Calzone Proscuitto Pesto, has been created in the PizzaExpress kitchen by its master pizzaiolo (head pizza chef), Antenor Siqueira.

Calzone, meaning ‘stocking’ or ‘trouser leg’, relates to the crescent shape of the pizza which, when originally created, is thought to have resembled the shape of men’s trousers.

Made from very thin and, when cooked, crispy dough, the new dish contains salted ham hock (torn off the bone), seasoned and roasted mushroom and red onions, mozzarella and baby spinach, cooked in a steaming hot gruyere, Parmesan and pesto sauce. It is folded, sealed and finished with olive oil and Grana Padano and served piping hot alongside a pot of pesto and a fresh salad drizzled with PizzaExpress’ classic house dressing.

A new side dish made from the best polenta, which is sourced from the Vallesi family in Pulgia, Southern Italy, has also been developed - Polenta Chips flavoured with rosemary. Twice baked to give them a satisfyingly crispy outer with a fluffy centre, the new side dish is finished with a sprinkle of grana padano and served with a honey and mustard dressing, making them irresistible and extremely moorish.

Another new addition is Polpette Piccante, a flavoursome pasta dish made from meatballs and covered in a mouth-watering, spicy Bolognese sauce and flavoured with zingy red chillies, roquito peppers, gruyere and parmesan sauce and mozzarella. It is finished with fresh rocket, basil and shaved Grana Padano.

Calzone Proscuitto Pesto is made fresh to order in the same style that PizzaExpress’ other pizzas are served, and will be available across all PizzaExpress restaurants at £12.95.

MCE make changes to their insurance offering MCE Insurance, a UK provider of fast food delivery bike insurance, says that it has made some changes to its insurance offering this winter when many fast food delivery riders have to cope with a multitude of challenges from icy road conditions to long dark nights.

“Not only is there a market-leading 10% initial deposit on all policies but now, remaining instalments are spread over the course of 11 months, rather than the standard nine,” says MCE’s Emma Westley.

“In response to feedback from our multitude of existing delivery bike customers, we have reduced the initial outlay on our insurance deals to just 10% of the overall premium, a far cry

from industry standards of 20-25%.

“We’ve also gone even further in an attempt to ease the burden on the pockets of our customers by spreading the remaining payments over a longer period throughout the year, with 11 monthly payments rather than the standard nine months.”

Other benefits included in MCE policies include free RAC breakdown cover included in every quote and no restraints related to age, driving history or residency of riders using your vehicles this winter, point out MCE, who promise to provide their customers with the best price on their insurance as well as ensure that the cover suits their needs.

December 2012

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news

Pizza Hut Delivery announces major franchise recruitment plan Pizza Hut Delivery has announced that it will be supporting an aggressive expansion plan with approximately £4.5m of incentives that will see this famous pizza delivery chain open a further 100 stores by 2014.

This incentive will support a total investment of around £20 million to realise the 100 plus new outlets, say the chain, and a key part of the investment is the launch of a new franchise incentive scheme that has been developed to support franchisees in opening new stores. The incentive programme offers up to £65,000 support to existing and new franchisees for opening a new store by 30 November 2013, subject to some basic terms and conditions.

“We are committed to delivering a major investment in growing our UK system, creating significant new opportunities for existing and would-be franchisees. Our investment will increase our marketing spend, drive the outlet numbers, and visibility of Pizza Hut Delivery and create opportunities for franchisees to grow their businesses quickly,” said Mark Fox, managing director, Yum! III (UK) Ltd, franchise owner for Pizza Hut Delivery in the UK. “It is testament to the Pizza Hut Delivery brand, and our focus on quality and service, that we’ve seen strong system and same store sales growth over the past three years. The long-term goal is to establish a solid base of over 700 delivery stores across the UK, with an immediate business focus of delivering an

Mike Fox, managing director of Yum! III (UK) Ltd, will be spearheading a new franchisee recruitment and expansion plan for Pizza Hut.

additional 100 stores. We hope and expect the whole system to benefit from this great investment in the Pizza Hut Delivery brand in the UK.” Pizza Hut Delivery currently has around 300 stores in England, Wales and Scotland, both company-owned and franchise. The company says that it is actively seeking potential franchisees interested in running their own Pizza Hut Delivery business, and are encouraging existing franchisees to open additional units across England, Wales and Scotland.

World’s first pasta savoury snack A newly-launched snack product – Pastinos – is setting out to bring true convenience to the popular and growing Italian food sector.

Pastinos is made from 100% pasta and is fried and seasoned with a range of Italian flavours totally new to the premium snack category, claim its creators, Martorana Snacks - Originale, Sicilian Lemon and Black Pepper, Tomato and Basil, Arrabbiata and Chianti and Olive.

The proprietors of Martorana Snacks, Giuseppe (Joe) Martorana and chef, Roberto Perini, say that they decided to bring to fruition months of discussions about an idea that was originally Roberto’s.

“I had a vision five years ago,” said Roberto Perini.“The most famous Italian food is pasta, but wouldn’t it be great if you could eat pasta while cycling, walking, running or in fact eat pasta anywhere?”

Both men say that they have a real passion for Italian food, and both come from a traditional Italian family background. Born

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in Sicily, Joe Martorana is already a successful businessman and restaurateur, and has fond memories of his early years with his family.

“Food was always central to our family, and in typical Italian tradition was quite simple really, but always used the finest ingredients.

I wanted this concept to become inherent to our range of pasta snacks, we insisted we used all natural ingredients in the making of Pastinos,” he says.

Pastinos are currently available through Adnams Southwold who work with local farmers and producers to supply their brewery and hotels and aim to make Pastinos available to the wider market.

Pastinos have a 270 day shelf life, are made from 100% pasta and come in five flavours. They are available in 150g and 30g bags and case sizes of 12 x 150g and 28 x 30g. In addition to the launch, Pastinos is also being supported by a national promotional campaign involving many of the major UK consumer publications.

Atlantic Enterprises comes up with right package for Pizza Hut Hampshire-based Atlantic Enterprises reports that it has fought off stiff competition to secure a two-year contract to supply branded packaging for the entire Pizza Hut estate - some 750 outlets in total.

The agreement, which comes into place on the 1st January 2013, will see Atlantic Enterprises supply in excess of 35 million boxes per year to Pizza Hut around 90% of the company’s entire packaging requirement.

Believed to be worth in the region of £7m the contract is the latest major win for Atlantic Enterprises, a company established only as recently as 2009, yet which already boasts a number of blue chip companies in its portfolio.

Bill Hinge, Atlantic Enterprises’ MD, believes the company won the business by demonstrating a high level of commitment to the account in terms of product quality, logistics, cost, service levels and innovation.“Winning this contract confirms that we have a highly competitive product, proven quality and a passion to provide an unsurpassed level of service to our customers,” he said.

Jas Chopra, procurement manager at Pizza Hut added:“Atlantic Enterprises were awarded the new contract having been consistently proven to offer innovation, a high quality product and a highly competitive commercial offer.”

London sites sought for Gino’s pasta bar concept The celebrity chef, Gino D’Acampo, is to launch a new pasta bar concept that will set out to utilise only the best ingredients sourced from various regions in Italy.

Cedar Dean Gilmarc report that they have been instructed by the well-known TV chef to find sites for his new venture where customers can walk in, choose their type of pasta, a sauce and then finally add some toppings.

Morris Greenberg and Salvatore Di Natale of Cedar Dean Gilmarc say that they will be responsible for acquiring prime A1/A3 sites for the new concept, and that they will be looking for 800 to 2,000 square foot sites ideally all on ground level in high footfall areas.

Good window frontage will also be required, say the firm, whose target areas will be the London postcodes of EC1, EC2, EC3, EC4, W1, and WC1 and WC2.

December 2012

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news

SHORTS Handtmann has supplied new machinery to Glendale Foods.

New machines help with meatball production at Glendale Frozen food manufacturer, Glendale Foods (www.glendalefoods.com), which produces retail snack brands and supplies cooked components to the ready meal, sandwich making, airline catering and foodservice sectors, says that it has resumed virtually full production following a major factory fire in July.

In the true spirit of ‘keep calm and carry on’, the company reports that it now has its growth plans back on track, having invested in two new machines from Handtmann (a supplier of automation technology to the food processing industry) to complement the recently-installed, multi-zone moving belt cooking and spiral freezing line, which gives Glendale 60% more production capacity and thankfully survived the blaze with minimal disruption.

One of the new machines, the first of its kind in the country, will

enable the high speed production of round and cylindrical meat products, notably meatballs, at rates up to 3000 portions per minute, say Glendale. This multiforming device will also allow them to make products down to 4g with high portioning accuracy, producing small, perfectly round meatballs that are perfect for sandwich manufacturers, canners of soups and meals, pizza makers and ready meal producers.

“Over the last three years, we have noticed a trend towards smaller meatballs, which when presented in or on a food product, such as pizzas and submarine rolls, look more plentiful in appearance and attractive to the consumer,” said Glendale chairman, John Mortimer.“There’s been a real uptake in demand for meatballs, but most market offerings are squared-off cylinders, whereas ours will be truly round and add a far nicer finish to the product.”

retail news Little Dish launches fresh filled pasta Little Dish (www.littledish.co.uk) has launched a new range of fresh filled pasta – a bite-sized, pasta range, created for three to seven years olds.

Made with 100% natural ingredients, including free-range egg pasta, Little Dish Fresh Filled Pasta come in two varieties - Mini Tomato Tortellini with Four Cheeses and Mini Ravioli with Spinach and Ricotta – and are great way to get more vegetables into kids’ diets, suggest the makers.

Ideal for busy weekday meals, playdates and relaxed weekend lunches,

www.papa.org.uk

Little Dish Fresh Filled Pasta couldn’t be easier (or quicker) to prepare by simply plunging them in boiling water for three minutes before serving with tomato sauce or grated cheese for an instant meal.

Little Dish was founded by mum-of-two Hillary Graves in 2006, and claims to be the only brand offering a range of fresh, natural meals for toddlers and young children made from 100% natural ingredients with no added salt or sugar so as to provide a truly healthy and convenient option for parents.

Vion to sell off businesses?

After major investment in the UK, Vion is now rumoured to be looking sell its meat and poultry businesses here in response to spiralling feed costs.

The Sunday Times recently carried a report that Vion had appointed Rothschild to oversee a disposal, but that the company intended to retain its pork business. There are already concerns over the future of its Debbie & Andrew’s sausage brand, and Halls of Broxburn is closing.

One hurricane, five workers and 1,000 pizzas!

Small businesses looking to make a name for themselves in a crowded market, take note. Want to edge out your competition? Try staying open during a hurricane, then making - and even delivering - more than 1,000 pizzas in 30 hours, report US-based Fox Business. That’s what Uncle Paul’s Pizza (located on 46th St. and Vanderbilt Ave. in New York City) did during Hurricane Sandy. The start-up - less than four months old - managed to crank out more than 1,000 pizza pies with just five workers while the hurricane raged outside, according to the venture’s co-owner Dino Redzic.

Latin America fastest growing in foodservice According to researchers companiesandmarkets.com, the Latin American foodservice market recorded value growth of 11% in 2011, making it the fastest growing region throughout the globe, with Brazil forecast to see the third largest absolute growth in chained consumer foodservice in the world over 2011-2016, at just over US$6 billion. The two main players that have emerged in the region are McDonald's and the Tricon restaurants (KFC and Pizza Hut).

Unitech acquire Valera Unitech Industries have acquired the assets of catering and refrigeration specialist Valera. They have also purchased an agreement between Valera and Sanyo that secures the provision of spare parts for Sanyo microwaves for a period of seven years. In the same announcement, it was revealed that a new business - Corsair Wholesale Ltd incorporating Valera, headed up by Pratap Gadhvi - would start operating from Corsair Engineering's two acre site in Banbury where it will have its own dedicated office and warehouse facilities.

End of year promotion Jamie Cadenhead of the Sun Inn in Wigton, Cumbria is the latest in a long line of caterers to have won an iPad in 2012, simply by going to www.pritchitts.com/magicnumber and entering the unique product code found on their Pritchitts products – in Jamie’s case, a pack of Millac Gold. Time is running out for caterers using Pritchitts products to check their codes online, but with two iPads still up for grabs and the grand prize of a MacBook Air, there is all to play for…

World Cheese Awards 2012 Tiny artisan soft cheeses made in the mountains of Switzerland, robust wheels of cheese made in Denmark, squidgy, oozing blue cheeses made in Italy and cloth wrapped truckles made in the UK were showcased in the annual World Cheese Awards. The collection, from 30 countries representing the finest and most celebrated cheese varieties in the world, all competed in the event held at the BBC Good Food Show (www.finefoodworld.co.uk/wca).

New Domino’s jobs for Waltham Abbey Domino’s will be creating between 25 and 35 full and part-time jobs when it opens a new store on Sun Street in Waltham Abbey this month.

Domino’s Pizza is recruiting within the community for trainee managers, trainee pizza makers, customer service representatives and delivery experts. Randeep Sangha, co-owner of the new store, said:“First and foremost, we’ll be employing people who can deliver great customer service and demonstrate strong teamwork skills, as well as boundless enthusiasm. It’s also vital to be able to maintain a sense of fun while working under pressure.”

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news Market Research The Association is working with international research company Technomic to establish a programme of market research for the UK pizza industry. The project will be funded by a group of member companies who will have full access to the information. The results will also be used by PAPA to support its consumer campaign to promote pizza, pasta and Italian food. It is hoped the project will be underway for the New Year. Further information on the project can be obtained from Dwilkinson@technomic.com

New Consumer Web site The Association will be launching a dedicated consumer website in the New Year. The site – an outline of it can be seen at www.youlikeitalian.com – will be promoting pizza, pasta and Italian food as well as members.

On-Line Training The Association is currently investigating the possibility of making on-line training courses available covering crime management and delivery driver awareness.

Delivery Code of Practice Review A review of the current PAPA Delivery Driver Guidelines is being undertaken and the Association will be reviewing whether it should introduce a

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formal motorcycle training course. The current guidelines are available at www.papa.org.uk – comments on these would be welcome.

PAPA ACTIVITY SCHEDULE FOR 2013 January 24th Management Committee Meeting (London)

June 19th Technical Group Meeting – at Bel UK, Sevenoaks

February 6th Technical Group Meeting at Byotrol, Daresbury

September 18th Technical Group Meeting – at Leathams, 2 Rollins Street, London, SE15 1EW

March 21st Management Committee Meeting (London) April 17th Technical Group Meeting – at Tri-Star, Enfield May 22nd Management Committee Meeting (London)

October 9th Management Committee Meeting (London) November 13th Technical Group Meeting at Campden BRI 14th PAPA Awards Dinner * Dates may be subject to change

PAPA Technical Meeting The Association is planning to hold a meeting of technical people from across the industry to discuss the Department of Health’s new salt and fat targets when they become available in the New

Year. A date for the meeting will be published as soon as the information becomes available. Anyone wishing to attend should register their interest by emailing jim@papa.org.uk

December 2012

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papa awards

The Pizza Pasta & Italian Food

Awards 2012 On the evening of Thursday, 15 November 2012, the twenty fourth Pizza Pasta and Italian Food awards took place at the Lancaster London Hotel in London. In the region of 400 people from across the pizza, pasta and Italian food industry gathered at the celebratory dinner hosted by entertainer, Ian Irving. This year’s event supported the Action Against Hunger charity with music provided by the Spectrum band and dancing until the early hours.

2012 PHOTOGRAPHS

Awards Sponsor Overall Operator Award Sponsor

Overall Independant Section Sponsor

If you would like to view and order copies of any of the photographs taken on the night (and at the Pizza Chef of the Year competition), then please visit http://www.kmphotos.com/papa2012/ to view thumbnails of the images available.

Party Packs Sponsored by:

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papa awards NEW INGREDIENT AWARD

Winner Hannan Meats (Moyallon Guanciale)

Highly commended: Elena’s Dialsi Range of Gluten Free Products

Shortlisted Rondanini – Mixed olives from Italy Rondanini – Diced chorizo Beacon Foods – Chargrilled pepper and olive compote Leathams SunBlush® whole baby plum/raisin tomato Livesey Bros – Quattro Funghi

Pictured from left to right: Gareth Davis (vice president – UK for Papa John’s), Jilly Dougan (Hannan Meats) and Ian Irving.

Sponsored by

ITALIAN RESTAURANT CHAIN AWARD

Winner Bottelino’s

Shortlisted Prezzo Frankie & Benny’s PizzaExpress Zizzi Pictured from left to right: Warren McFarlane (marketing manager, Galbani), Colin Wiltshire (Bottelino’s) and Ian Irving Sponsored by

A cash draw for £300, auction and a raffle (which raised £4000) for the charity Action Against Hunger was held on the night, drawn by the night’s comedian, Ian Irving, with help from Ian Kent of Stateside Foods and David Buttress of Just Eat. Prizes for the lucky winners included a meal for two at Housebites, a hamper from Black Garlic, some wine tasting vouchers, a framed foodie photo, a cheese hamper from Bel UK and a year’s takeaway donated by Just Eat. On offer in the auction was a Kaloli Beach Club holiday to the Gambia, as well as a Dine Your Way Around the World voucher.

www.papa.org.uk

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papa awards PIZZA RESTAURANT PLATINUM AND GOLD AWARDS

Platinum awards La Favorita (Edinburgh)

Gold awards Rossini’s (N. Ireland) Pizzeria Venezia (Rushden) Roberto’s Restaurant (Ocean Plaza, Southport) Little Pizza Kitchen (Liverpool) Bella Napoli (Glasgow) Zefferelli’s (Ambleside, Lake District) Pizza Metro Pizza (London)

Sponsored by

Pictured from left to right: Liam Ward (channel director for convenience and impulse at General Mills UK), Tony and Angela Crolla and Ian Irving.

Pictured from left to right: Liam Ward (channel director for convenience and impulse at General Mills UK), Roberto and Lesley Cinti (Roberto’s Restaurant) and Ian Irving.

Pictured from left to right: Liam Ward (channel director for convenience and impulse at General Mills UK), John Mullin (Rossini’s) and Ian Irving.

Pictured from left to right: Liam Ward (channel director for convenience and impulse at General Mills UK), Rob Tucker and Cesare Marinaro (Pizzeria Venezia) and Ian Irving.

Pictured from left to right: Liam Ward (channel director for convenience and impulse at General Mills UK), Alex Lawless (Little Pizza Kitchen) and Ian Irving.

www.papa.org.uk

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papa awards ITALIAN RESTAURANT AWARDS

Platinum awards Bar Italia (Edinburgh)

Gold awards Farrell’s Restaurant (Keynsham, Bristol) Battlefield Restaurant (Glasgow) Fumo, Waterloo Street (Birmingham) Milano Restaurant (Leominster) Il Forno (Liverpool) Fabrizio (London) La Piazza (Thornbury) Amarone (Edinburgh) Sponsored by

Pictured from left to right: Arlene Moore (general manager, Farrell’s Restaurant) and Ian Irving

Pictured from left to right: Warren McFarlane (marketing manager, Galbani), Fabio Martone (Bar Italia) and Ian Irving.

Pictured from left to right: Dino Ordu (Milano) and Ian Irving.

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Pictured from left to right: Darren Smith (Battlefield Restaurant) and Ian Irving.

Pictured from left to right: Carmine Saco (Fumo) and Ian Irving.

Pictured from left to right: Cassie Foreshaw (Il Forno) and Ian Irving.

December 2012

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papa awards

Pictured from left to right: Francesco and Caroline Boggian (La Tua Pasta) and Ian Irving.

Pictured from left to right: Linda Lewis (MD, Linda Lewis Kitchens UK) and Mehdi Gashi (Prezzo) and Ian Irving.

PIZZA RESTAURANT CHAIN AWARD

Winner

MANUFACTURED PASTA PRODUCT AWARD Catering category

Winners La Tua Pasta (Tortelloni Beetroot)

Prezzo

Shortlisted

Highly commended

PizzaExpress, Pizza Hut, Bottelino’s, Frankie & Benny’s, Zizzi

Brakes (Mini Mediterranean Selection)

Shortlisted Sponsored by: Cuppone (represented in the UK by Linda Lewis Kitchens Ltd).

Sponsored by

Ticco (Smoked Haddock Quadrotti) Bar Foods (Superfood Pasta)

Pictured from left to right: Adrian De Vito (Rondanini), Clare Benfield of Pizza Pasta & Italian Food magazine (receiving the award on behalf of Giovanni Rana) and Ian Irving.

Pictured from left to right: Sunit Mehta (commercial manager, Saputo), Sergio Raglio (sales and marketing director, Saputo), Gareth Davis (vice president UK – Papa John’s) and colleague, and Ian Irving.

Sponsored by:

PIZZA DELIVERY CHAIN AWARD

Winner Winner: Papa John’s

Shortlisted Domino’s Pizza, Firezza Ltd, Pizza Hut, Village Pizza

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Retail category

Winners Giovanni Rana (Gorgonzola and Walnut Tortelloni)

Highly commended La Tua Pasta (Deli Range)

Shortlisted Asda (Goat’s Cheese and Sundried Tomato Ravioli) Giuseppe Rolli (Spinach and Ricotta Canneloni) The Co-operative (Truly Irresistible Chicken and Chorizo Medaglioni) Tesco (Finest Pea and Wood-Fired Smoked Pancetta Ravioli) Hungry Joe’s (Mighty Meatball Pasta Feast) Piing (Pepperoni Pasta Pots)

December 2012

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We are specialist in the world of dough ball production our aim is not only to provide you with high quality dough balls but to make it your signature product.

BE PART OF THE TEAM!!!

we are now looking for more distributors throughout the UK, for more details please visit our website www.doughballpizza.co.uk email: doughballpizza@hotmail.co.uk call:01706831159

www.papa.org.uk

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papa awards MANUFACTURED PIZZA PRODUCT AWARD Everyday Pizza Product Category

JointWinners Asda (Extra Thin Sweet Chilli Chicken Pizza) Waitrose (Essential 10” Thin and Crispy Pepperoni Pizza)

Highly commended Aldi (Carlos Deep Pan Meat Feast Pizza)

Shortlisted

Pictured from left to right: Niall Quinlan (Bakkavor), Samantha Witherington (Waitrose) and Ian Irving.

Sainsbury’s (Takeaway Meat Feast Pizza) Morrisons (Stuffed Crust Pepperoni and Chilli Cheese Pizza) Co-operative (Italian Chicken Fajita Pizza) Asda (Stuffed Crust Cheese Feast Pizza) Iceland (Thin and Crispy Cheese and Onion Pizza Sponsored by

Pictured from left to right: Matt Whitwood (Freiberger) and Gareth Benjamin (Asda) and Ian Irving.

Pictured from left to right: Alan Edkins and Kathryn Nicholson (Morrisons) and Ian Irving.

Indulgent Pizza Product Category

Winner Morrisons (Bistro Calabrese Pizza)

Highly Commended

Innovative Pizza Product Category

Winner Iceland (Sweet Chilli Chicken Rising Dough Pizza)

Highly commended

Shortlisted

Goodfella’s (Take Away Pizza and Wedges range) Sainsbury’s (Taste The Difference Spiced Jamaican Jerk Chicken and CherryBell Pepper Handstretched Pizza)

Aldi (Cucina Italian Stonebaked Pizza with Tomato and Mozzarella) Asda (Extra Special Slow Roasted Cherry Tomato, Mozzarella and Pesto) The Co-operative (Truly Irresistible Chilli Chilli Bang Bang Pizza) Morrisons (Bistro Arrabiata Pizza) Asda (Wood Fired Mozzarella and Pesto Pizza by Giuseppe Rolli)

Asda (Extra Large Takeaway Three Chilli and Chorizo Pizza) Asda (Chicken Fajita Deli Product) Eat Balanced (Nutritionally Balanced Pizza) Waitrose (12” Goat’s Cheese and Mixed Pepper Pizza)

Waitrose (Regional Calabrian Inspired Pizza)

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Pictured from left to right:Per Larsen (DK Foods), Brian Metcalf (Iceland) and Ian Irving.

pizzapasta AND ITALIAN FOOD

Shortlisted

December 2012

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www.papa.org.uk

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papa awards INDEPENDENT PIZZA DELIVERY OPERATOR AWARD

Platinum awards Lupa (London Bridge, London)

Gold awards La Favorita (Edinburgh) Pizzaface (Brighton) Pizza Roma (Luton) Di Maggio’s (Glasgow) Romeo’s Takeaway (Derry) Pictured from left to right: David Buttress (MD, Just Eat) and Mohammad Mehmood (Lupa).

Pictured from left to right: Robi Miah (Pizza Roma) and Ian Irving.

Pictured from left to right: Tony Crolla and Kenny Scott (La Favorita) and Ian Irving.

Pictured from left to right: Bertie Van der Beek and Mavis Ang (Pizzaface) and Ian Irving.

Sponsored by

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December 2012

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papa awards

Pictured from left to right: Aimee Connor (Weber Shandwick on behalf of Aldi) and Nasir Mackmood (Avalon) and Rebecca Derry (Weber Shandwick on behalf of Aldi) and Ian Irving.

PIZZA CONVENIENCE AND DISCOUNT STORE RETAILER AWARD

Pictured from left to right: Paul Ugo (Ugo Foods), Samantha Witherington (Waitrose) and Ian Irving.

PASTA RETAILER AWARD

Winner

Winner

Aldi

Waitrose

Shortlisted

Sponsored by:

All supermarkets (no published shortlist)

Sponsored by:

Highly Commended Marks and Spencer

Pictured from left to right: Clare Benfield (editor, Pizza Pasta & Italian Food magazine), Stephanie Khalil, Lindsay Reed, Sarah Denyer (Asda) and Ian Irving.

CHILLED PIZZA MULTIPLE RETAILER AWARD

Winner Asda

Pictured from left to right: Richard Harrow (MD, Freiberger), Kay Saville (Sainsbury’s) and Ian Irving.

FROZEN PIZZA MULTIPLE RETAILER AWARD

Winner

Highly commended Marks and Spencer Sponsored by:

Sainsbury’s

Highly Commended

Sponsored by:

Iceland

www.papa.org.uk

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papa awards

Pictured from left to right: Clare Benfield (editor, Pizza Pasta & Italian Food magazine), Sinead Fitzsimons (Dairygold) and Ian Irving.

PAPA TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE AWARD

Winner

Pictured from left to right: Ian Kent (Stateside Foods), Simone Lavarini (Spaghetti House) and Ian Irving.

THE PAPA INDUSTRY AWARD

Sponsored by:

Sinead Fitzsimons, Dairygold (development of Calow cheese)

Winner Simone Lavarini (founder, Spaghetti House)

Shortlisted Eric Dunlea, Dairygold (development of Healthy Living range of cheese) Stefano Imperiale, Pasta Reale (creating filled pasta range with reduced range of ingredients)

Sponsored by:

2012 201 2

The Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food Association would like to thank all of the sponsors and judges of this year’s Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food Industry Awards for their support, as well as all the venues where the regional heats for this year’s Pizza Chef of the Year competition were held. Our thanks also go to Jestic for the use of their oven in the final.

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December 2012

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The Pizza Oven People Nationwide distributors of pizza, bakery and catering equipment.

• Pizza ovens • zanolli conveyor ovens • dough mixers • pizza rollers • Refrigerated prep tables • fridges & freezers • chargrills • food prep machines

Tel: 0151 548 5818 Fax: 0151 548 5835 E: info@cater-bake.co.uk W: www.cater-bake.co.uk UK agents for

www.papa.org.uk

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papa awards

Pizza Chef of the Year

Pictured from left to right: Alan Ribakovs (Whitworth Bros.), Ian Irving and Darren Smith (Battlefield Restaurant)

Pictured from left to right: Kim Hartley (2 Sisters Food Group), Ian Irving and Camilla Deane (foodservice controller, Bel UK)

Pictured from left to right: Robi Miah (Pizza Roma), Ian Irving and Graham Stoodley (Dell’ami).

Bel UK Boursin Cuisine Pizza Chef of the Year

Dell’ami Harissa with Rose Petals Whitworths Bros Flour Pizza Chef of the Year Pizza Chef of the Year

Category winner: Kim Hartley (2 Sisters Food Group) Shortlisted: Rob Tucker and Cesare Marinaro (Pizzeria Venezia, Rushden, Northants), Tony Macera (Di Vitos, Hamilton), Aurellio De Souza (Pizzaface, Brighton), Tom Mullin (Rossini’s Restaurant, N. Ireland) and Dino Ordu (Milano Restaurant, Leominster).

Category winner: Robi Miah (Pizza Roma, Luton) Highly Commended: Roberto Galici (Amore Restaurant, Glasgow) Shortlisted: Roberto Scarano (Eatalias, Edinburgh), Alex Lawless (Little Pizza Kitchen, Liverpool), Roberto Cinti (Roberto’s Restaurant, Southport), David Hurst (Portobello Restaurant, Aldridge) and Tom Mullin (Rossini’s Restaurant, N. Ireland).

Category winner: Darren Smith (Battlefield Restaurant, Glasgow) Highly Commended: Barry Dooey (Sandro’s Pizzeria, Hamilton) Shortlisted: Alex Lawless (Little Pizza Kitchen, Liverpool), Ersin Coskun (Times Pizza, Bermondsey), Dino Ordu (Milano Restaurant, Leominster) and Aldo Biscotti (Farrell’s Restaurant, Bristol).

Pictured from left to right: Camilla Deane (Bel UK) and Kim Hartley (2 Sisters Food Group)

Pizza Chef of the Year 2012 Pictured from left to right: James Faulkner (Leathams), Pasquale Spaziano (Pizzeria Rustica), Ian Irving and Maria Grazia Tavilla (Pizzeria Rustica).

Winner: Kim Hartley (2 Sisters Food Group)

Leathams Roquito Chilli Pepper Pizza Chef of the Year Category winner: Pasquale Spaziano (Pizzeria Rustica, London) Shortlisted: Darren Smith (Battlefield Restaurant, Glasgow), Philip McIntyre (Amaretto Ristorante, Bridge of Weir), Alex Lawless (Little Pizza Kitchen, Liverpool), Aurelio De Souza (Pizzaface, Brighton), Rob Tucker and Cesare Marinaro (Pizzeria Venezia, Rushden, Northants) and Lyndon Bradford (Bacaro, Newport).

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PIZZA CHEF of the year 2012

December 2012

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Bel UK is delighted to congratulate Kim Hartley from The 2 Sisters Food Group on winning not only the Boursin Category but also being named the overall Pizza Chef of the Year 2012.

Her “Alternative Cheese Board� pizza won the judges over with its exceptional taste and displayed her creative flair.

PIZZA CHEF of the year 2012

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Pizza Chef Final 2012

a z z i P f e h C l a n i F

The judges

PIZZA CHEF of the year 2012

After a series competitive regional heats, the finalists in this year’s Pizza Chef of the Year competition gathered in London at the Lancaster London Hotel on 15 November 2012 to compete for the coveted, overall title of Pizza Chef of the Year, as well as the awards for each of the individual pizza categories (sponsored this year by Bel UK, Dell’ami Mediterranean Foods, Whitworth Bros and Leathams).

A total of twenty one competitors took part in the final, competing in the Dell’ami Harissa with Rose Petals, Leathams Roquito® Chilli Peppers, Bel UK Boursin Cuisine cheese and Whitworth Bros flour categories. Each competitor was asked to make up their pizza in front of a panel of judges drawn from the industry.

Alan Ribakovs (from sponsors Whitworth Bros who supply flour to the industry) Camilla Deane (from Bel UK, who supply the Boursin cheese) James Faulkner (from Leathams, who supply the Roquito® Chilli Peppers) Angela Trofymova (from sponsors Dell’ami who supply the Harissa with rose petals) Maurice Abboudi (pizza industry consultant, Lanbury Associates) Elly Bell and Leah Hance (from Just-Eat) Lisa Moore (The Cheese Warehouse) Simon Roderick (executive chef)

Judging criteria In judging the competitions, the judges were looking for pizzas which scored well in terms of the following.

• Innovation – something difference from existing products in the market • Commercial viability – the product is viable to make and sell in retail or catering environment • Presentation – that it looks pleasing (enticing) to the eye • Eats well – and ideally has that ‘moreish’ factor that makes you want to eat more.

• Innovative use of the sponsor’s product It is a requirement of the competition that each of the recipes must use one of the sponsors’ ingredients and thus show their ability to be creative within defined limits.

PAPA would like to thank Jestic’s Michael Eyre (who provided the pizza ovens for the final of the competition) and colleague, Chris Brennan, for his help with organising the contestants on the day!

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BEL UK Boursin Cheese Pizza Chef of the Year Tony Macera, Di Vito’s, Hamilton.

Mozzarella, asparagus and spiced honey with Boursin Pizza: Pizza base topped with mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, raddichio, ground almonds, spiced honey with Boursin cheese Retail price £8.50

Rob Tucker and Cesare Marinaro, Pizzeria Venezia, Rushden.

Festino: Pizza dough spread with Boursin Cuisine, topped with smoked salmon, cherry tomatoes and caper, splashed with tomato sauce and finished with wild rocket.

Retail price £9.95 Aurelio De Souza, Pizzaface, Brighton.

The Wild: Pizza dough spread with tomato sauce, mozzarella, thin slices of boar and pepperoni, mixed roasted peppers, olives, Boursin and sprinkled with two pinches of ghost chilli flakes (naga chilli – one of the hottest chillies in the world). A pinch of smoked chipotle chilli is added to each dollop of Boursin. Topped with very thinly sliced fresh chilli.

Retail price £10

CATEGORY WINNER

Kim Hartley, 2 Sisters Food Group, Dronfield The Alternative Cheese Board: Red wine and raisin pizza dough base made with biga, French block yeast, dried grapes, rosemary and French fruity red wine, spread with caramelized red onion chutney, scattered mozzarella, whipped Boursin Cuisine, drizzled with olive oil and baked. Garnished with sprinkled celery and walnuts and served with fresh grapes.

Retail price £12 Tom Mullin, Rossini’s Restaurant, N. Ireland.

Cheeseboard pizza: Pizza dough spread prepared with butter, garlic and pepper, baked and topped as an ‘edible cheeseboard’ with Boursin Cuisine, selection of other cheeses, fruits and vegetables as a platter for sharing.

Retail price £9.00

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Dino Ordu, Milano Restaurant, Leominster.

Chargrilled vegetable and Boursin pizza: Pizza dough topped with Boursin Cuisine, chargrilled aubergine and courgettes, roasted peppers and asparagus.

Retail price £7.50

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Whitworths Bros Flour Pizza Chef of the Year Darren Smith, Battlefield Restaurant, Glasgow.

Calzone Battlefield: A deep filled calzone of Scottish beef fillet and wild mushrooms in a pepper sauce with Stornoway black pudding, garnished with fresh rocket salad and sour cream.

Retail price £9.90

Barry Dooey, Sandro’s Pizzeria, Hamilton.

Mascarpone fruit meringue pizza: Pizza base topped with mascarpone cheese, fruit del bosco crushed meringue and raspberry coulis.

Retail price £8.50

CATEGORY WINNER

Alex Lawless, Little Pizza Kitchen, Liverpool.

‘The Smoking Pig’: Pizza base spread with pomodoro sauce, topped with mozzarella, home pulled pork, pineapple, sweetcorn and Grana Padano, baked and then topped with Applewood smoked cheddar, pea shoots and bbq sauce.

Retail price £9.25

Dino Ordu, Milano Restaurant, Leominster.

Mozzarella, ham, scallops and artichoke pizza: Pizza dough topped with homemade tomato sauce, mozzarella, Parma ham, scallops, artichokes, fresh basil, sundried tomato, olives and peppers.

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HIGHLY COMMENDED

Ersin Coskun, Times Pizza, Bermondsey.

Fruity cheese and tomato pizza: Pizza dough containing a secret ingredient adding to taste and smell and topped with cheese, tomato and dried fruit.

Retail price £5.50

Aldo Biscotti, Farrell’s Restaurant, Bristol.

Duck, orange and caramelised onion pizza: Pizza base topped with tomato sauce, caramelised red onion, shredded duck, Parmesan, olive oil, capers and rocket.

Retail price £12.95

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Leathams Roquito® Chilli Pepper Pizza Chef of the Year Philip McIntyre, Amaretto Ristorante, Bridge of Weir.

Salsiccia meat ball and pepper pizza: Pizza base spread with tomato pizza sauce blended with chillies and pesto, topped with finely chopped red and white onion, Salsiccia meatballs, made with salsiccia and chopped sweet chilli peppers, mixed, rolled and halved, then Biancolatte mozzeralla and garnished with rocket and parmesan shavings.

Retail price £9.00

Lyndon Bradford, Bacaro, Newport.

Prosciutto and Pepper Pizza: Pizza dough spread with yellow capsicum sauce, smoked buffalo mozzarella, Roquito chilli peppers, prosciutto and chives.

Retail price £11.00

CATEGORY WINNER

Pasquale Spaziano, Pizzeria Rustica, Richmond.

Chicken, pancetta and spinach pizza: Pizza based topped with mozzarella, fresh baby spinach, Roquito chilli peppers, red onions and chicken wrapped in Barolo soaked pancetta.

Retail price £12.50

Rob Tucker and Cesare Marinaro, Pizzeria Venezia, Rushden.

Hades: Pizza topped with braised leg of lamb and Roquito chilli peppers, mozzarella, houmous, green olives and sundried tomatoes, finished with mint leaves and natural yoghurt.

Retail price £9.95

Darren Smith, Battlefield Restaurant, Glasgow.

Sweet chilli chicken pizza: Pizza topped with chicken, Roquito chilli peppers, fresh root vegetables and toasted almonds, dressed with lime and coriander.

Retail price £9.90 Alex Lawless, Little Pizza Kitchen, Liverpool ‘Angry Sal’: Pizza dough spread with Roquito infused base pomodoro, topped with salciccia picante, red onion, chillies, Roquito peppers, mozzarella balls and Grana Padano Retail price £8.50 Aurelio De Souza, Pizzaface, Brighton.

Tuna Piccante: Pizza base spread with tomato sauce and mozzarella, topped with sliced, roasted and seasoned mixed peppers, two tablespoons of drained Roquito chilli peppers, cooked and topped with finely sliced smoked tuna loin.

Retail price £10

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Dell’ami Harissa with Rose Petals Pizza Chef of the Year Roberto Galici, Amore Ristorante, Glasgow Beef and Harissa Pizza: Pizza dough topped with beef mince and harissa with rose petals which have been stir fried, a layer of fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced grilled aubergine and garnished with houmous, red onions and mint leaves.

Retail price £9.95

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Alex Lawless, Little Pizza Kitchen, Liverpool.

Atomic rooster: Pizza dough spread cherry tomato reduction and mozzarella and topped with harissa chicken, dried and fresh chillies, roasted squash and Grana Padano.

Garnished with garlic mayo.

Retail price £9.25

Tom Mullin, Rossini’s Restaurant, N. Ireland.

Sweet & spicy duck pizza: Pizza dough topped with tomato, mozzarella di bufala, duck marinated in harissa with rose petals, garlic, ginger and honey, then finely diced onion and cherry bell peppers.

Retail price £9.90

Roberto Cinti, Roberto’s Restaurant, Southport.

Harissa Rose with Chicken: Pizza dough spread with our own unique fresh tomato blend and sprinkled with mozzarella cheese, then spread with Greek harissa with rose petals and topped with chicken, roasted peppers and caramelized red onions.

Retail price £8.75

CATEGORY WINNER

Robi Miah, Pizza Roma, Luton.

Casablanca: Thin pan pizza spread Pizza Roma special tomato and harissa mix base sauce, covered in mozzarella mix, topped with chilli and tomato marinated lamb mince, fresh diced red onion, sweet pomegranate, fresh cherry tomatoes, fresh thyme, fresh coriander and finished with extra virgin olive oil.

Retail price 9” £5.99, 12” £6.99, 15” £7.99 34

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David Hurst, Portobello Restaurant, Aldridge.

Lamb and jalapeno meatball pizza Pizza base spread with harissa and fresh tomato sauce and mozzarella, topped with home made lamb and jalapeno meat balls, red onion rings, dried mint and coriander tzatziki to finish.

Retail price £12.00 Roberto Scarano, Eatalias, Edinburgh.

Harissa Pizza: Pizza base, topped with mozzarella and baked for 3-4 minutes. Pizza is then topped with lamb fillet in harissa sauce and chickpea puree.

Retail price £10.95 December 2012

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Pizza Chef of the Year 2012 The final two heats of the Pizza Chef of the Year competition took place in Bristol and Wolverhampton, the category winners all going on to compete with the other heat winners (Northern, Scotland and South East) in the national final held in the Westbourne Suite at the Lancaster London Hotel, Lancaster Terrace, London on 15 November 2012 (turn to page 28 for the overall winners).

South West heat Judging panel Camilla Deane Bel UK, Des Hillier Leathams, Ali Miah Just-Eat, Chris Williams Dell’ami/The Cheese Cellar

Boursin Cuisine category Joint winners Giuseppe Ferraro (left) from La Piazza, Thonbury, is congratulated by Camilla Deane of Bel UK, on being joint winner of this category with his Lamb, Boursin and Fig pizza.

Roquito® Chilli Pepper category Winner Lyndon Bradford (left), from Bacaro, Newport is congratulated by Des Hillier of Leathams, on winning with his Proscuitto and Pepper pizza.

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Tom Mullin (left) Rossini’s Restaurant, Nothern Island, is congratulated by Camilla Deane of Bel UK, on being joint winner of this category with his Cheeseboard pizza.

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Dell’ami Harissa with Rose Petals Category

Whitworths Pizza Flour Category

Winner

Winner

Tom Mullin (left) Rossini’s Restaurant, Nothern Island, is congratulated by Chris Williams of Dell’ami/ The Cheese Cellar on winning with his ‘Sweet and spicy duck’ pizza.

Aldo Biscotti (left) from Farrell’s restaurant in Keynsham is congratulated by Pam Sainsbury of PAPA, on winning the Whitworth Bros category with his Duck, Orange and Caramelised Onion pizza.

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pizza chef of the year

Midlands heat This competition took place on Wednesday, 17 November, at Freshway Chilled Foods, Stafford Court, Stafford Road, Wolverhampton, when five contestants competed in the four sponsored categories.

Judging panel Camilla Deane Bel UK Martin Hanner Leathams Sophia Idjer Just-Eat Ryan Schofield Just-Eat Philipa Highley Dell’ami/ The Cheese Cellar

Whitworths Pizza Flour Category Winner Dino Ordu, from Milano Restaurant, Leominster is congratulated, on behalf of Whitworth Bros, by Pam Sainsbury of PAPA, on winning this category with his Mozzarella, Ham, Scallops and Artichoke pizza.

Harissa with Rose Petals category Winner David Hurst (left) from Portobello Restaurant, Lichfield, is congratulated

by Philippa Highley, of Dell’ami/The Cheese Cellar on winning with his Lamb and Jalapeno Meatball pizza.

Boursin Cuisine category Joint winners Dino Ordu (left) from Milano Restaurant in Leominster is congratulated

by Camilla Deane of Bel UK, on being joint winner of this category with his Boursin and Chargrilled and Vegetable pizza.

Roquito® Chilli Pepper category Winner Rob Tucker (left) and Cesare Marinaro (right), from Pizzeria Venezia, Rushden are congratulated

by Martin Hanner (far right) of Leathams, on winning with their Hades pizza.

www.papa.org.uk

Rob Tucker (left) and Cesare Marinaro (right), from Pizzeria Venezia, Rushden are congratulated by Camilla Deane of Bel UK, on being joint winner of this category with their Festino pizza.

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preview

Major pizza competitions at IFE The European Final of Giropizza and the Pizza World Championship UK pre-selections will take place at IFE 2013 (ExCel, London, 17 – 20 March 3013). The well known Italian magazine, Pizza e Pasta Italiana (www.pizzaepastaitaliana.it), will be working together with IFE13 (Excel, London) to organise two events of importance to the global pizza sector, and Pizza Pasta & Italian Food magazine is looking forward to attending, as well as reporting, on the progress of UK entrants.

Prestigious competition The Pizza World Championship has now been taking place for 22 years, representing and promoting this most popular of dishes during three days of intense competitions and events.

The event owes its importance and prestige not only to the quality and international character of its competitors who participate, but also to the wide media coverage that every year helps to relay the emotions and messages of this competition to the world at large.

Needless to say, the press, national and international TV, as well as the world of specialised web show are increasingly demonstrating more and more interest in this lively and creative event. This year, as at the 2012 event, the competition will be broadcasted live via streaming on web TV (pizzaepastaitaliana.tv).

For 2013, the available spots for competitors - representing some 35 different countries (as in 2012) have been increased to 600, with all entrants able to compete in 10 different classes/specialities of pizza making.

The event also serves as a reference point and meeting place for entrepreneurs in the industry as a whole, many of whom view this 38

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particular world championship as a unique and privileged vantage point when it comes to assessing innovation and potential future trends in the sector.

The competition will close on the evening of the finals’ day on Wednesday, 17 April 2013 in Italy with a gala dinner and prize giving ceremony to crown the new Pizza World Champion 2013.

Dates for your diary Tuesday, 19 March 2013 The European Final of Giropizza of Europe - now in its ninth year - will take place at IFE13 with 80 competitors from all over Europe competing to produce the “best pizza of the house”,as judged by a skilled panel of experts.

The different Giropizza 2012-2013 venues will have covered, or be covering, the following locations.

■ Budapest, Hungary (Hoventa, October 17, 2012) ■ Italy, Rimini (Sigep, January 21, 2013) ■ Italy, Riva del Garda (Exporivahotel, January 28, 2013) ■ Lyon, France (Sirha, January 28, 2013) ■ Italy, Bari (Levanteprof, February 18-19, 2013)

■ Denmark, Copenhagen (Copenhagen - Food Fair February 25 2013) ■ Italy, Massa Carrara (Tirreno CT, March 4, 2013) It is the ten best from each of these competitions who will go on to participate in the European final to be held on 19 March 2013 at IFE, Excel, London.

Wednesday, 20 March 2013 On 20 March 2013, the UK Pizza World Championship (www.pizzaworldchampionship.com) pre-selections will take place with the successful contestants having the opportunity to compete in the World Pizza Championship final to

be held in Parma, Italy in April 2013.

Pizza has never been so popular in the UK and at an international level, and at IFE in 2013 it will be possible to see the world’s finest battling it out to win these coveted titles!

Registration regulations UK Pizza World Championship Pre Finals The registration for the preselections is free of charge and accepted only if carried out correctly.

1. By filling in the virtual application on the Internet (www.pizzaepastaitaliana.it), or December 2012

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new products Victor at Hospitality 2013 bringing energy to food display (Stand 261)

2. By filling in the coupon in Pizza, Pasta and Italian Food magazine, and then sending it via fax to 00 39 (0)421 81007, or 3. By calling the Pizza e Pasta Italiana editorial office: 00 39 (0)421 83148 4. By logging on IFE 13 web site at www.ife.co.uk/pizza The coupon has to be filled in correctly, with all the necessary data. It will be up to Pizza e Pasta Italiana to decide the participation order, and it will be

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published a few days before at www.pizzaepastaitaliana.it.

Competitors must show up at least one hour after the opening time of the exhibition area in order to obtain their participation number.

The first 10 placements will have access to the Pizza World Championship in Parma (15, 16 and 17 April 2013) and in order to take part to the World Championship, each of the 10 first UK rankings will have to pay an entry fee.

For the first time Victor’s recently launched Optimax range of merchandising units will appear at the Hospitality show to emphasise just how energy efficient they are in operation.

Ideally suited to the café and coffee shop business, the Optimax range includes hot, ambient and refrigerated cabinets for both self and assisted-service operation. All Britishmanufactured, Victor’s Optimax units have been designed to deliver considerable energy-savings at a time when operators are closely monitoring fuel costs.

A common problem when restocking refrigerated display cabinets is that when the rear doors are opened the refrigeration system is made to work harder in an attempt to maintain cabinet temperature. However, with Victor’s ingenious, patentapplied-for feature, this situation is a thing of the past (call 01274 722125 or visit www.victoronline.co.uk).

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story ingredients

Telling the

It has long been said that one of the secrets to good Italian cuisine is to source fresh, high quality ingredients of good provenance. As we outline here, restaurant chains as well as the sector’s suppliers fully appreciate the value of this commitment to communicating the “what” and “where from” of the ingredients they use.

Menus for all regions In recognition of its commitment to premium and authentic ingredients, Ponti’s Italian Kitchen, specialists in Italian cuisine from the Emilia Romagna region, received a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award this year, showing how important these aspects of Italian cuisine have become to knowledgeable consumers.

The accolade, which honours hospitality excellence, is only given to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding reviews (currently, just 10% of businesses listed on TripAdvisor receive the prestigious award) and to qualify for the Certificate of Excellence, Ponti’s Italian Kitchen had to maintain an overall rating of four or higher out of a possible five, as reviewed by travellers (additional criteria included the volume of reviews it had received during a 12 month period).

Ponti’s Italian Kitchen has been a family run business since 1963. The family originate from Piacenza in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy and say that they are passionate and committed to the exceptional food of the region. Dishes are simply prepared, using the freshest quality ingredients with a generation’s twist on traditional classics.

Produce used at the restaurants comes from the A selection of regional Italian ingredients creates an authentic antipasto platter.

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Emilia Romagna region - Salame Felino, Prosciutto Crudo (Parma Ham), Parmigiano Reggiano, Italian Green Olives, Mortadella and Tortelli (individually hand-made in Piacenza) to name but a few, including several DOP certificated products (certificate of origin and authenticity) amongst them.

The restaurant chain Strada, who also pride themselves on being specialists in authentic Italian cuisine, have recently launched an impressive new menu featuring a range of dishes designed to showcase various Italian ingredients and regions, including Sardinia, Sicily, Campania, Le Marche and Trentino. All of their dishes are made from high quality ingredients, many of them imported direct from the dish’s region of origin.

Their latest menu exemplifies Strada’s ethos of serving simple, freshly-prepared dishes that provide a culinary journey by region through the streets of Italy, their head development chef, Maurice Maffeo, having helped devise, then launch, the new look menu via a live cooking demonstration.

Starters include large green Castelvetrano olives from Sicily and an antipasto platter featuring Parma ham, Napoli salami, speck ham from Trentino, buffalo mozzarella from Campania, vine-ripened tomatoes, olive tapenade and bruschetta pomodoro.

At Strada, head development chef, Maurice Maffeo, has overseen the development of a new, premium-packed menu.

The selection of mains now represents Puglia in the form of Strozzapreti Pugliese – a classic dish from the region that features hand twisted strozzapreti pasta, Luganica sausage, pancetta and broccoli with a red chilli butter and Grana Padano cheese. Simpler, but equally authentic, dishes are also available such as Risotto Zucca (pumpkin, butternut squash, pancetta, spinach and pine nuts risotto) and Orata al forno (a pan roasted whole sea bream with lemon and thyme, a green salad and roasted new potatoes).

Similar in style to a pannacotta, Bunet Piemontese – a soft rich custard made with Italian chocolate, hazelnuts, crushed Amaretti biscuits and a generous splash of Amaretto liqueur - now features on the dessert menu alongside affogato (iced nougat semi-freddo ice cream with a shot of hot, fresh espresso to pour over the top) and pistachio gelato (an artisan ice cream made to a traditional recipe in the central Marche region of Italy). Having served the illy brand of coffee in the past, Strada are currently serving the Musetti brand of espresso coffee sourced from Piacenza.

Provenance With more attention being paid to authenticity, provenance and the increased interest in the story behind the food on our plates, the premium ingredients company, Leathams, reports that it is continuing to innovate along these lines. One of their recent launches has been IQF Crescenza/Stracchino cheese.

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ingredients

This fresh, rindless cheese - known as either Crescenza or Stracchino - is made from whole pasteurised cow's milk and was historically made only during the autumn and winter months as the cows descended from the pastures of the Lombardy and Romagna regions of Italy. However, now thanks to Leathams, this unique cheese has been produced as an IQF crumb from, which allows manufacturers and caterers alike to be able to use this authentic and quality product all year round.

Traditionally, the physical exertion of the cows heading down the hills increased the butterfat content of the milk and the cooler temperatures preserved the freshness of the cheese. With its soft, creamy texture and short shelf life it has previously been difficult for UK manufacturers and caterers to work with it effectively, but now with this new IQF product it will become more accessible to a wider market.

“We are pleased to offer this high quality and innovative Crescenza or Stracchino cheese,” commented James Faulkner, ingredients sales director at Leathams.“As a result of the IQF process, this soft cheese has become ideal for handling when manufacturing pizza or pasta meals, as the texture remains firm and manageable during processing, but becomes soft and creamy when defrosted and melted.

“At Leathams we believe strongly in ensuring that we retain authenticity, provenance and quality when we deliver any

www.papa.org.uk

new innovations in food. Although an IQF product, it still has the aroma and taste that Crescenza or Stracchino cheese is renowned for. We are currently in conversations with a number of pizza manufacturers who are interested in launching the product into their retail pizza lines.”

The trend for authenticity and premium quality continues in the retail sector when it comes to Italian ingredients. Seggiano (www.seggiano.co.uk), for example, report that they work on many of the DOP extra virgin oils for the UK multiples and therefore place great emphasis on provenance.

Their Chilli, Olive and Artichoke Ricotta pasta sauces, for instance, are all made for them in the Puglia region, the olives being all local Puglia olive varieties and the matured ricotta being peculiar to Puglia too.

“These are made by a family who also run an olive mill and supply us with DOP Terra di Bari oils for Sainsbury and Tesco top ranges,” explains Seggiano’s Peri Eagleton.

The firm also place close attention to their pastas too.

“At first glance all pastas look more or less the same, but there are many hidden factors which influence the quality of the pasta. So many pastas are advertised as slow dried and brass extruded nowadays; the real difference is in the grain,” says Peri Eagleton.

“At Seggiano, we think that the organic guarantee in the case of pasta is really important, because of the high level of chemical exposure which conventional

commercial wheat is subjected to, both during cultivation and storage. It is obviously a less critical choice with products like artichokes or figs, which are unlikely to be chemically treated anyway.

“Also the quality of the water is an important factor in pasta making and whether it contains conditioners, such as water softener which, oddly enough, is not checked for organic certification. Seggiano pasta is made using water directly from Monte Amiata.”

Italian pasta is often made from cheap wheat, with no provenance or OGM guarantee, claim the company, whereas the durum wheat used in the Seggiano pasta is guaranteed grown in Tuscany, the same region as the pasta production. In fact, the Seggiano producer purchases the organic grain from farmers in the region. It's harvested and immediately transported to the organic mill, where each grain lot is stored in silos, flushed with Co2 and deprived of oxygen to inhibit any insect contamination. When needed, grain is milled and transported to the pasta producer, marked with the lot, date of harvest and the farm from which that grain originated. So there is full traceability on the Tuscan provenance of this organic durum wheat.

“Seggiano pasta is made from prime Italian organically grown grain which is high in wheat proteins and gluten, known as the parte nobile of the wheat, and its quality is the major factor in the final consistency and taste of the pasta,” adds Peri Eagleton.

“But the acid test is in the cooking! Try cooking Seggiano pasta for two or three times longer than the suggested cooking time and you will see that it doesn’t turn mushy or gluey like most other pastas – it remains al dente; it still has flavour. You can even cook it and reheat Seggiano pasta the next day and it will taste just as good. This is a true test not only of the quality of grain used, but is also witness to the real integrity of the production process, which doesn't cut any corners.”

Pasta which is dried quickly at high temperatures risks losing many of its proteins and gluten. Seggiano pasta, however, is slow dried for a minimum of 26 hours at a temperature below 45ºC in order to preserve the original proteins and gluten quality of the wheat, which in turn help to give the pasta its premium consistency and flavour.

The Italian premium confectionary product supplier, Dolciaria Luigia (www.dolciarialuigia.com), has utilised its sweet products expertise by developing a pasta range that features chocolate (cocoa) flavoured variants, enabling cooks and chefs to be even more creative and daring when it comes to devising new pasta dishes to tempt the palates of their customers. And using such a flavoured pasta does not prevent it from being combined with ‘traditional’ accompaniments such as a tomato or gravy sauce, suggest the company.

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ingredients most recently become a UK distributor for one of Italy’s finest brands of pasta too – Delverde – that includes Linea Chef (a selection of products specifically developed for catering professionals).

Recipe ideas Filippo Berio (www.filippoberio.co.uk), one of UK’s most popular olive oil brands, has added a touch of Italian culinary style to its presentation this Christmas, its latest Filippo Berio Extra Virgin St. Mark’s Square Special Edition Tin making an ideal Christmas gift, or front of house display.

Crunchy Roast Potatoes with Garlic Serves four

Italian Chestnut Stuffing Serves eight to 10

Ingredients 900g potatoes (peeled) ■ 6 tbsp Filippo Berio olive oil ■ 6 to 8 garlic cloves (unpeeled)

Ingredients ■ 1 bulb fennel (trimmed and finely chopped) ■ 4 shallots (finely chopped) ■ 4 tbsp Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil ■ 2-4 cloves garlic (finely chopped) ■ 400g sausages (Italian-style) ■ 200g peeled chestnuts ■ 2 tbsp fresh sage (chopped) ■ 1tbsp fresh thyme leaves (chopped) ■ 200g ciabatta bread (diced small) ■ grated zest of one lemon ■ 1 egg (beaten) ■ salt and pepper to season

■

Method 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F or Gas Mark 6, and put a large roasting tin in the oven to heat.

2. Cut the potatoes into large, even chunks. Boil in salted water for five minutes. Drain, return to the pan, cover with the lid and shake the pan to roughen up the edges of the potatoes.

Set aside.

3. Add the oil to the roasting tin and return to the oven for two minutes. Tip the potatoes into the hot oil, then turn to coat in oil. Roast for 30 minutes. Turn over the potatoes, add the garlic cloves and roast for a further 25-30 minutes or until crisp and golden.

4. Serve immediately.

Method 1. In a large frying pan, heat the extra virgin olive oil, stir in the fennel and shallots. Cook over a medium heat until soft then add the garlic. Cook for another 1 minute before transferring to a bowl to cool completely.

2. Remove the sausage meat from the skins and chop or roughly breakup the chestnuts. Add these and all other ingredients to the bowl and season well. Mix together using your hands.

This mixture can be kept in the fridge for up to 24 hours until needed.

3. Cook the stuffing either in the neck of the turkey (adjust the turkey cooking time according to new weight), or in an ovenproof dish for 45mins - 1hour until golden brown on top.

Filippo Berio has marked the festive season with a specially designed container to reflects the brand’s roots.

Filippo Berio established the company in 1867 in his home town of Lucca, Tuscany and to this day it’s still a family run business. Three years before Filippo Berio died, he formed a partnership with Giovanni Silvestrini, securing the future of his oil and in 1910, Silvestrini joined forces with Dino Fontana. Filippo Berio is still based in Lucca and is run by Dino Fontana's grandchildren and great grandchildren. Sophisticated modern equipment is now used in production and quality control: however, traditional methods are still used, with every batch of olive oil being personally tasted.

When Filippo Berio first started producing

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fine olive oil, tins were used for packaging to protect the olive oil from sunlight and to preserve its fine flavour. Back then, Filippo Berio’s tins and their contents, won international acclaim and awards for quality and taste, with this rich history now being the inspiration for Filippo Berio’s Special Edition Christmas tin, say the brand.

Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil is characterised by being rich and fruity, making it perfect for salads, jacket potatoes, vegetables, pasta, meat and fish as well as being ideal for dipping, basting and marinating. The company also produce a range of olive oils, pestos and olives, and have

Spaghetti Bolognese Secrets Everybody has their own recipe for spaghetti Bolognese, some closer to the dish’s original inspiration than others.

The Bolognese ragu’ that is found in Bologna is a pure meat sauce featuring olive oil, garlic, carrots and onions, sage and basil, and contains no tomatoes. Originally it was not often eaten with spaghetti, but with shorter pasta. It was a very rich and very meaty sauce, tomatoes being added when the recipe was exported so as to make it more acceptable to the British (and American) palate. Also, with spaghetti in the UK having just made a shy appearance in the mid 1950’s, there wasn’t the variety of pasta shapes that we enjoy today, so the Bolognese ragu’ became a Bolognese sauce and was added to spaghetti.

The London-based restaurant chain, Spaghetti House, were already cooking their own Bolognese recipe 57 years ago, long before many other Italian restaurants in London and elsewhere had ‘introduced it’, and long before restaurants such as Carluccio’s and Jamie’s Italian had even been thought of.

It is therefore understandable that they like to maintain a little secrecy about their recipe!

After all, that’s what the 12 Spaghetti Houses are there for - to go and try their food, and not least their spaghetti Bolognese.

Spaghetti House point out that they always use the right type of tomatoes for this sauce, namely tinned, Italian plum tomatoes (the rounder tomatoes being just too watery).

Also, from the beginning, they never mixed the sauce with the spaghetti and then plated the dish, but rather spooned it in the middle of a plate of spaghetti, so that diners could use their forks to pick up the spaghetti and the sauce at the same time. Otherwise you would have pasta on the top and sauce at the bottom, as the sauce is heavier than the spaghetti (the spaghetti being long, the sauce slides off easily). This is why in Bologna, the Bolognese ragu’ usually accompanies a short pasta.

The recipe Spaghetti House’s founder, Simone Lavarini and his family have kindly agreed to share with us here is the one they use when they cook this dish at home, and is

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ingredients very similar to the one found at Spaghetti House itself (where they like to make a fresh batch of Bolognese daily so that their customers can taste the freshness).

Spaghetti Bolognese To serve eight people Note: The meats are always cooked separately.

Ingredients ■ 600g minced beef ■ 600g minced pork ■ 60ml virgin olive oil ■ 2 onions, finely chopped ■ 4 carrots peeled and finely diced ■ 1/2 garlic bulb, cloves peeled & chopped ■ 500g tinned chopped San Marzano tomatoes ■ 400g double concentrate tomato purée ■ 1/2 75cl bottle of good red wine ■ 60g freshly ripped basil ■ 4 x bay leaves ■ Salt and pepper to taste Method 1. In an eight to 10 litre pot, heat 30ml of your olive oil and gently fry the onion, garlic and carrots over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, using a wooden spatula to move the mix around frequently.

2. Now turn the heat up to full and add the minced beef, again using a spatula, move your meat frequently to prevent large clumps forming, keep stirring until the beef is brown. Carefully transfer your

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3.

4.

5.

6.

browned beef into a separate pot or casserole dish and return your pot to the stove ready to cook your pork.

Now add the remaining olive oil into your pot, and keeping the flame high add the minced pork, and bay leaves, repeat the browning process used for the beef, again remembering to stir frequently. When the pork is browned, reduce heat to low and add your beef, onions, garlic, carrots and any juices that have formed back into the pot.

Carefully remove the lids from your tinned tomatoes and puree, add the contents of the tins along with the red wine in with the beef and pork.

Adjust the heat to medium, and allow the contents of your pot to come up to simmering point. Now add half of your ripped basil leaves to the pot. Reduce the heat back down to low, season lightly and leave your ragu’ to cook slowly, without a lid, for approximately 1.5 hours, stirring every 10 minutes or so. You should end up with a thick, concentrated sauce with only a trace of liquid left in it, taste to check the seasoning, adjust to taste if required. Now add remaining ripped basil and stir to incorporate.

For an individual serving add 180g of your ragu’ to 225g of spaghetti cooked al dente.

Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Local sourcing For smaller operators, local sourcing offers a good way to find high quality, premium ingredients, and regional food shows are good places to sample what’s available in their immediate area. A new show - the Food & Drink Trade Show - will take place in Cheltenham early next year and is already 90% full, report the show’s organisers. It will take place on the 25 and 26 February in Cheltenham Town Hall, and bring together fine food producers and members of three regional food groups in particular - Taste of the West, Heart of England Fine Food, and Wales the True Taste - all under one roof (www.thefoodanddrinktradeshow.co.uk).

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health and safety

Silver service for ductwork The Mediterranean diet may be hailed as a very healthy one, but that does not prevent the build-up of fat, grease and oil deposits in the extract ventilation ductwork of the kitchens in which it is prepared, warns Gary Nicholls, managing director of ductwork cleaning company, Swiftclean (www.swiftclean.co.uk). Here, he explains how this fire hazard can affect your business, as well as how best to combat it.

Weakest link?

Even the most meticulously cleaned kitchens are vulnerable to the accumulation of fat and grease deposits in extract ventilation systems.

We tend to think of extract ventilation taking harmful elements such as airborne grease particles out of the kitchen environment, keeping the indoor air quality clean and healthy. And in fact it does. However, as the air leaving the kitchen cools, it deposits droplets of grease or oil as it travels along the ductwork.

Eventually, the entire surface of the ductwork will become coated with grease, fat and oil. As time passes, these deposits can become substantial, developing a grease load that has the potential to spread a fire with devastating consequences. The extract system is usually fairly difficult to access for your average cleaner, so, understandably, normal cleaning simply won’t be carried out within its confines.

This causes a number of problems. Firstly, there could well be an odour problem which will persist no matter how meticulously you clean every other part of the kitchen. Secondly, it can pose a very real health hazard as accumulated fat is an excellent breeding ground for cockroaches and various types of bacteria. Behind the scenes, the kind of unhygienic conditions that would not be tolerated in the kitchen itself can easily develop. In fact it is fairly inevitable.

Fire risk If that were not bad enough, there is a far more serious potential hazard posed by fat

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deposits in the extract system.

In any kitchen, where quantities of hot fat are involved, there is always a real possibility of fire. Many kitchen fires can be brought under control with little harm done. However, should the fire reach the extract ventilation system, and fat and grease deposits have been allowed to accumulate without a planned preventative maintenance system in place, there is a very serious potential fire hazard indeed.

The extract system often carries air from the kitchen over some distance, frequently through other parts of the property, including the areas occupied by customers and the front of house team and, often, living accommodation too. If fire is allowed to spread through ductwork, large parts of the property other than the kitchen itself may be damaged and lives can be put at risk.

Just like more visible cooking receptacles of hot oil, when heated, hidden fat deposits can ignite, causing extensive and costly fire damage. Almost all restaurateurs and fast food outlet proprietors take their responsibilities towards compliance with Health & Safety and to safeguarding their employees’ safety extremely seriously. At least they do where they can see the hazard, but the statistics show an alarming picture of how unaware proprietors can be of the importance of cleaning ductwork on a regular basis.

Hidden cost According to the Association of British Insurers, pay-outs on fires caused by improperly maintained extractor ducts are

running at around £65 million a year. This is not the entire picture, however. There are also a large number of cases every year in which insurance companies refuse to pay out on restaurant and fast food outlet fires.

This can happen when the investigation into the root cause of the damage caused by fire proves it to be the grease deposits in ventilation extract systems which have not been effectively cleaned on a regular basis. The true cost of not cleaning ductwork regularly is many millions of pounds each year, but in cases where accumulated grease deposits are to blame, the cost will fall on the proprietor, not the insurance company.

Effective fire safety cleaning is what’s required. Ductwork cleaning is an expert service that general cleaning companies do not normally provide. Most do not fully comprehend what is involved, are not insured to undertake such work and cannot truly offer this service. In order to clean effectively, you need to gain access to the inside of the ductwork, which often means installing access hatches to allow the cleaner to enter the ductwork system to remove grease deposits completely.

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health and safety about ductwork, which, being out of sight, can easily be out of mind as well. A specialist cleaner, however, will help you to devise a cleaning schedule that will keep you compliant with regulations and safeguarded against prosecution.

Regular cleaning also keeps your insurance valid. Should the worst happen, and your kitchen is damaged by fire, you may be out of business for some time. You need to be up and running again in the least possible time, and that means a fast pay-out from your insurance.

If you use a specialist ductwork cleaner, you will also have certified records that demonstrate that you have complied with the requirements of your insurance and have also, therefore, complied with the law. This should streamline your claim and enable you to be operational again in the fastest possible time. It will also help to protect you from prosecution.

Cleaning regularly is also vital, and there are recommended intervals for cleaning ductwork, according to how much use is made of each kitchen. This will often be governed by how long you spend on food preparation or how long your opening hours are.

Guidelines The recognised authority for ductwork cleaning in kitchens is the Building & Engineering Services Association (B&ES Association) which issues guidelines.

These are published as TR/19 section 7, which covers the Internal Cleanliness of Ventilation Systems. This is widely recognised as the leading guidance document for controlling fire risk in kitchen extract systems, although it obviously also helps to prevent infestations of cockroaches and the occurrence of bacteria in ductwork.

It recommends that kitchen extract systems which are in heavy use – 12 to 16 hours a day – should be cleaned at least quarterly. Those in moderate use – six to 12 hours a day – should be cleaned half-yearly.

Finally, those in light use - two to six hours a

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day – should be cleaned at least once a year.

There are also guidelines in TR/19 based on the thickness of the grease layer, requiring it to be kept below 200 microns. Some fast food outlets that have experienced fires in the past take this issue very seriously to the extent where they instruct their specialist fire safety cleaning contractor to clean as frequently as every four weeks in their very busiest of outlets to keep the grease layer below the 200 micron limit and the resultant fire risk under control and within TR/19 guidelines.

Out of sight, but not out of mind Commercial food outlets will almost certainly fall into the moderate or heavy use brackets which means that all restaurants and fast food outlets should be employing a specialist ductwork cleaner every three to six months without fail.

The best way to ensure that you keep up with this cleaning programme is undoubtedly to enter into a regular ductwork cleaning contract. With so much else to concentrate on when running a food establishment, it is far too easy to forget

Statutory requirements Not complying with recommendations for regular cleaning can prove expensive, far beyond the cost of replacing kitchen equipment.

In January 2012, the owner of a relatively modest fast food restaurant in Salford was fined £13,000 after pleading guilty to nine offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Breaches of this order included failing to carry out a suitable fire risk assessment and failing to provide the building with a fire alarm.

The introduction of the Fire Safety Order (FSO) in 2006 introduced new risk assessment practices for restaurants. Regulations impose a Statutory Requirement to regularly test and inspect ventilation systems, and business owners must comply with current Workplace Regulations, Approved Codes of Practice.

Fire dampers should be regularly tested in accordance with Fire Safety Regulations.

Building managers must ensure in accordance with Fire Safety and Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations that kitchen grease extractor systems (canopies, filters, ductwork, risers and fans) areas are risk assessed to establish if there are risks of fire, then carry out actions to reduce such fire risks identified. A member of staff must also be appointed to manage the risk, implement and manage precautionary measures, and keep records of the precautions implemented. Essentially, this means you must be able to prove that you have regular effective cleaning to remove grease deposits.

Providing fire alarms and extinguishers seems fairly obvious and it’s a pretty safe bet that you’ve got all that covered. What you do need to guard against is being caught out by the less obvious hazard of grease in kitchen ductwork. It too needs some silver service to keep it clean – and to keep you, your customers and your team safe.

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profile

Italian spirit in the heart of Edinburgh Quattrozero – “40”, named after the number of the property it is located at - is a new modern café and restaurant in Edinburgh’s West End. It specialises in authentic, fresh Italian cuisine in order offer the true ‘Spirito Italiano’ (Italian spirit) say its creators.

Something different Quattrozero serves good, traditional, Italian food in a modern, funky environment. The décor is sleek and stylish – contemporary and minimalist, yet warm and bright. The colour scheme is red, white, green and black with clean lines and modern mood lighting.

On entering the restaurant, there is a feeling that something new and special is happening; it feels welcoming and relaxed, inclusive and fun. In one corner there might be the hubbub of friends chatting, in another a couple enjoying a glass of wine and next to them a family in an alcove eating their way through a large pizza.

Delicious smells of freshly cooked Italian food fills the air, and the friendly waiting and bar staff keep everyone entertained and looked after with welcoming warm smiles on their faces.

The design concept of this new venture is the brainchild of Daniele Giannuzzi, art director at Rightproportion, who, working closely with owner, Giorgio Crolla, set out to create a modern, fun eating experience for diners. The high quality food on offer is complemented by the bright, lively and tasteful décor which characterises Quattrozero.

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“Our aim was to create a stimulating space that radiated a tangible energy and established a fresh, vibrant atmosphere,” says Daniele Giannuzzi.

“Many people have a perception of what Italian restaurants should look like - cosy with candle light! But we wanted to challenge that perception, so we used bright, lively colours, clean lines and striking, deliberate features.

“We approached the layout design of the restaurant with the same incisiveness. The bar and take-away section are separate from the main dining space, creating two distinct areas. This design allows people to enjoy a sit-down meal in a relaxed, controlled environment, separate from the hustle-bustle of diners on the go in the take-away section.

“The lighting is important.

People like to see what they are eating! We wanted to mirror the exciting, attractive local food being served - from the

satisfyingly snappy green of the herbs and the sizzling red of the spicy chorizo, to the flashy tones of the citrus fruits. We're delighted to have delivered a restaurant that is modern, confident, full of vigour and proudly stands out from the crowd.”

Pizza by the metre Quattrozero describe their menu as being eclectic and that they make a point of only using the finest, locally produced ingredients combined with authentic Italian staples. The restaurant also boasts a traditional log-fired oven, bringing a new taste experience and authenticity to those choosing from the varied pizza menu.

Something new to the Edinburgh restaurant scene is Quattrozero’s ‘pizza measurements’, with customers able to order pizza by the metre.

This is perfect for friends sharing and creates convivial atmosphere at the table when the king-size pizza arrives. Regular sized pizzas

“Our aim was to create a stimulating space that radiated a tangible energy and established a fresh, vibrant atmosphere,”

with an extensive array of toppings are also available for those not brave enough to eat it by the metre! Yet the Quattrozero dining experience is about much more than just pizza, say its founders.

All day menu Quattrozero’s breakfast menu is served from 0745 and has a range of dishes to suit all appetites. Their full Scottish breakfast, for example, is a great way to start a cold morning. Hot and sizzling, it features sausage, bacon, two eggs, black pudding, haggis,

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profile seafood, the emphasis is also on value for money as it is on choice.

Traditional dishes such as spaghetti alla carbonara sit next to melanzane alla Parmigiana (layers of fresh aubergine, parmesan, tomato sauce, smoked mozzarella, basil and oregano).

Quattrozero’s use of fresh local produce is demonstrated in the QZ burger – an eight ounce 100% Scottish ground beef burger, which is topped with Monterey Jack cheese, burger sauce, crisp lettuce and tomato, and served in a bun with fries.

Seafood lovers can choose dishes such as le cozze – mussels cooked with white wine, garlic, shallots, parsley and fresh cream or salmone alla griglia – pan fried salmon served with Hollandaise sauce, roast potatoes and crisp salad leaves.

For the children, Quattrozero says that it has designed a menu to keep the fussiest of little eaters happy with a range of small-sized pizzas, desserts and drinks. The

mushrooms, potato scone, baked beans and toast with butter, and is sure to satisfy the hungriest customer. Other traditional breakfast meals include eggs Benedict, eggs royale or a selection of toast. For those with a sweet tooth, there are Belgian waffles with maple syrup, banana and almonds, offering a great way to kick-start the day.

When it comes to main meals, which are served all day, there is a wide range of starters from arancini (delicious crisp rice balls coated in breadcrumbs – one with mozzarella centre and the

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other with mushroom and smoked scamorza cheese) served with a rich, spicy fresh tomato sauce to zuppa del giorno – freshly prepared homemade soup to take the chill off the coldest winter’s day.

In addition to the starter menu, there is an extensive choice of pane e stuzzichini, or breads, with old favourites such as bruschetta, garlic bread and homemade focaccia to share.

For the main course, the choice is as wide and varied as the clientele, say Quattrozero. With pasta, pizza, salads, steaks and

menu itself will also keep little ones entertained too with games and puzzles on one side and Italian phrases to learn on the other with the staff also on hand to help perfect the pronunciation!

Sweet treats If there is room left, it is hard not to look at the dessert menu - a tantalising mix of Italian cakes and ice cream. Coppa Pulcinella fuses vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and hot chocolate fudge sauce, topped with toasted nuts and a chocolate flake. Diners of all ages cannot fail to be impressed

with the range of sweet treats at Quattrozero.

Cassata della casa is a selection of Italian cakes and desserts which changes daily, however, the most unusual dish on the dessert menu has to be the calzone dolce (a chocolate and mascarpone filled sweet pizza, and perhaps best ordered on a non-diet day).

To accompany the meal Quattrozero boasts a full bar and a wine list and their cocktail menu is diverse and tempting with Caipirinhas, Martinis and Mai Tais and for the more adventurous, there is the Japanese Slipper (Midori, Cointreau, fresh lemon juice, sugar syrup, shaken and served in a chilled Martini glass).

Soft drinks, beers, champagnes, tea and a wide range of Italian coffees are also available.

Family appeal “Whether you are looking for a strong Italian coffee, or searching for an authentic home-cooked pizza for a quick lunch, the ambience in the restaurant is very informal and welcoming, just like mamma’s table back in Italy,” says owner, Giorgio Crolla.

Quattrozero is a restaurant for the whole family to enjoy.

Children will enjoy the range of pizza and pasta dishes and the vast array of Italian ice cream, while Quattrozero’s wine list, broad menu and value for money is sure to impress the adults. In fact, the family theme is an important one at Quattrozero, as owner Giorgio Crolla explains.

“My family has been running restaurants in Edinburgh for around 40 years. For Italians, there is nothing more important than family life. That’s why the restaurant, the menu and everything we do caters for the whole family,” says Giorgio Crolla.

“We have an extensive menu just for the kids where they can solve puzzles while waiting for their food to be served – after all, they are my customers of the future! Food is a passion for a great many Italians and Scots and we are delighted to be opening our latest venture offering the true Italian spirit here in Edinburgh.”

Quattrozero can be found at 40 Queensferry Street in Edinburgh, and is open daily from 0745 until late.

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wine

Consumer interest in Italian wines has taken off alongside the ever-broadening knowledge of Italian food, bringing about additional opportunities for operators to boost their authenticity credentials, as well as their profits.

Learning about a particular wine region, or indeed an individual winery, should also not be under-estimated as a very good way of engaging with your customers.

Artis has launched Royale - a new range of high quality, technologically advanced crystal glassware created by Luigi Bormioli.

A love affair with Italian wine Luisa Welch, who runs educational consumer wine tastings (www.euposia.co.uk), as well as organising the yearly Let’s Drink Italy trade show and advising restaurants, reports on the popularity of Italian wines, and proposes a few wine options of her own for restaurant owners and pizza operators.

Italy is home to some of the oldest wine producing regions in the world, where production is believed to have started with the Romans around 4000-3000 BC, although the earlier Etruscan and Greek settlers planted their own vineyards before then. Today, Italy is the second largest producer after France, although trade insiders say that it’s only a matter of time before it overtakes France to claim the top spot.

Exports to the UK have increased year-on-year, the UK being one of Italy’s biggest markets with the USA and Germany. Even in the Asian region, Hong Kong has developed a thirst for Italian wine. With a production of 40.3 million hectolitres of wine in 2011, 20 million litres were consumed in Italy, the rest exported. And with nearly 400,000 wine makers, wine is a sizeable industry, where export plays an 48

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important part.

Pre-war Italian immigrants who brought pasta and pizza to the UK, also opened up the wine market and the UK’s love affair with Italian wine is still going strong day.

Who can forget those strawcovered Chianti flasks hanging from the ceiling of the first Italian trattorias, the fizzy Lambruscos and the sometime dubious Soaves? Yet we owe it to those restaurants for creating a wine niche which has since become a mainstream business.

Today’s UK wine drinkers have developed an educated and sophisticated palate and expect the best. They are well travelled,

have tasted the world’s best wines, and want them available here.

Whilst competition is fierce, with Australia, Argentina and Chile able to supply the large quantities often required by the supermarkets, there is also an increasing popularity and appreciation for the better quality wine, the family-run vineyard, the small upmarket producer, and this is where Italy fares well.

Greater opportunities Restaurateurs and buyers today have greater opportunities to source new wines from Italy, as many regions are opening up and starting to export for the first time.

Emerging wine regions include Basilicata for example, a top producer of the Aglianico del Vulture grape, considered the ‘noble variety of the south’. This little known region is located in the ‘instep’ of the foot of Italy and sandwiched between Calabria and Puglia. Once produced in its regional rustic and powerful style, today a good Aglianico is made with more refined techniques thanks to better wine making techniques and better vineyard management, and can proudly hold its own on any Italian wine list, having achieved DOC status.

Yet it represents excellent value for money for the importer, and ultimately for the consumer, whilst still offering good profit margins for the restaurateur. Basilicata is certainly making ‘wines to watch’, with new DOC’s emerging, and with Aglianico del Vulture Superiore having achieved the highest classification status, the DOCG. Basilicata’s neighbouring region, Calabria, is another region to watch, with its straightforward Gaglioppo wine, which is also the main component of Ciro’ - classed as the region’s best wine. L’Anima restaurant in London, headed by chef-patron Francesco Mazzei, who hails from Calabria, has done much December 2012

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wine customers to discover new wines, and find out for themselves that there is life beyond the safe choice of a Pinot Grigio or Merlot! Some branches of Spaghetti House are now experimenting with a ‘wine flight’, where three different glasses of wine specifically chosen and recommended by the wine waiter, can be purchased at a special price to accompany dinner dishes. This is gentle and enjoyable education for the customer, who can experiment with new wines and commit to a glass, not a whole bottle, should a wine not be to their liking. But it’s like a blind date – how would they know if they didn’t try it out?

Wines to accompany pizza I am frequently asked which wine I would recommend to drink with pizza, Italian or otherwise.

Regardless of topping, pizza is always a fairly earthy and substantial fare that in my opinion begs for red over white. A pizza wine should have plenty of juicy

to promote these wines to the consumer.

By the same token, Giancarlo Caldesi of Caffe Caldesi has done much to introduce a wider range of affordable Tuscan wines to its customers, like Morellino di Scansano, from the coastal Maremma area, where the Sangiovese grape - the same that makes Chianti - displays a vibrant but gentler style. Its medium bodied character makes it a perfect accompaniment to a wide variety of dishes, making it an excellent choice for a restaurant’s wine list. Many think it’s the ‘new Chianti’, and it achieved DOCG status with the 2007 vintage.

Today, I see Morellino appearing on an increasing number of wine lists.

Other restaurants, like the Spaghetti House group, have taken the bold decision to turn their whole wine list into a ‘by the glass’ experience. From an elegant Sauvignon DOC from Fruili, to one of the best Chardonnay from Puglia, from Chianti Classico DOCG to the appealing Barbera D’Alba DOC and Salice Salentino, each and every wine is available by the medium and large glass, by the carafe or as a full bottle.

As can be imagined, such a tempting selection encourages

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flavours which, in turn, bring out the flavours not just of the toppings, but also of the crispy dough base.

Given the unparalleled number of grape varieties shown in Italy, and the amount of tomato-based dishes the country produces, it is easy to find an array of red wines that are moderate on the tannin to accompany pizza. Barbera d’Asti or Barbera D’Alba from Piemonte is the first wine I think of, as Barbera is noted for its high acidity and low tannin, ideal with tomato based dishes, it is also juicy and packed with red fruit flavours therefore to me it makes a great accompaniment to pizza.

At the other end of Italy, exactly 1,000 miles south, Sicily makes many lively fruity reds from the local grapes Nero D’Avola and Frappato. The light Frappato adds brightness and perfume to the blend, as well as a savoury note, making it another very good accompaniment to pizza. And

Launch of Vinoglass Elite wine dispensing and preservation system Earlier in the year, Vintellect (www.vinoglass.co.uk), a UKbased wine preservation company, launched Vinoglass Elite - a stylish-looking, stateof-the-art plug-and-play system, which is simple to use and does away with complicated installation requirements and associated costs, claim the company.

The system was showcased at this year’s Hotelympia, and has been designed to deliver the required measure of wine at the ideal temperature and in perfect condition, providing a significant opportunity for pubs, bars, hotels and restaurants to offer more expensive wines-by-the-glass, cut out wastage, control stock, and create a powerful visual impact. Ultimately, such systems have been proved to help generate a significant increase in sales and profit from wine with a very quick return on investment, observe Vintellect.

“Given the tendency for the on-trade to serve an increasing amount of out-of-

condition wine, especially red, and coupled with the deregulation of 75ml measures of wine allowing establishments to offer samples or ‘wine flights’, now is the perfect time to invest in cabinet dispensing systems, and we have made it affordable for any bar or restaurant to do so,” says Vintellect director, Clare Young.

“The system is working really well,” reports Eric Lagre of the East India Club. “In all honesty, it is so simple to use that I am glad we didn't spend more on something more sophisticated.”

sometimes, why not break the mould, as the Italians do, and try a good Prosecco from North East Italy with your pizza? You’ll be surprised what a few bubbles will do for pizza!

Sampling Many of these new wines can be sampled at the increasing number of trade shows taking place in the UK, and dedicated exclusively to Italian wines, where potential buyers can often speak directly to the producers, tasting their range to find new wines to add to their list. These shows afford excellent opportunities for sourcing a lot of new wines in a relatively short period of time.

But how can potential buyers make the most out of a wine tasting event? Apart from the networking and the tasting opportunities, potential buyers need to decide what they are looking for when planning their attendance. Are they looking for a new house wine? Or are they looking at adding top quality wines to the list? Or are they looking at broadening their regional choice? These are timesaving considerations worth spending a moment pondering over.

Some shows are ‘generic’ in that they offer a panoramic view of Italy – like the excellent yearly show Italy Under One Roof, which mainly concentrates on wines already imported in the UK. This is a great show for the off-trade, as many exhibitors are able to offer the quantities that supermarkets and off-licences are looking for when preparing their new lists. That said, there is also a full spectrum of wines for the on-trade, from very decent entry level wines to the top quality ones. An increasing number of gastro pub operators are now attending shows like this, as their customers are demanding better wines to match the often excellent grub on offer.

Other shows are supported by a region’s promotional and marketing initiatives, like Sicily for example, which recently showcased its wines at a tasting in London. Sicily is enjoying a revival and has increased its popularity on the UK market of late, and 40 wine producers, half of whom were new to the UK, exhibited at the show.

Valuable masterclasses were on

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wine offer to those attending, providing in-depth learning on the wines.

Sicilian wines account for 17.5% of the national production, and its red wines are causing an international stir. According to the Italian wine bible, Gambero Rosso, Sicily is enjoying a “golden period or winemaking”,with over 15 Sicilian wines being awarded the prestigious Three Glasses.

A boutique wine event is Let’s Drink Italy, which focuses on both entry level and award-winning wines from Italy’s best vineyards, most looking for an importer. The show is funded entirely by its exhibitors and offers a platform for UK importers of Italian wines to discover new potential and new wines in what could be considered a saturated market. The show is kept purposely small with a manageable 100 to 120 wines to taste, so that each and every wine can be tasted by those attending.

The wines presented are consistently ideal for restaurants looking for that all important price:quality ratio. A masterclass led by well known MW’s (Master of Wine) is always offered, providing valuable insight in some of the lesser known wines. The consistent high quality of the wines presented is drawing comments from many sommeliers and MW’s who have attended the show for the last two years.

Specialist Italian importers such as Mondial Wine, Enotria, Alivini, Amordivino, Liberty Wines and Berkmann among others, are now more prone to bring in traditional, family-owned wines, sometimes

independent sector (www.sittastings.com). Visitors to this event tend to be buyers from the independent on and off trade (dates for their next tastings are shown below).

SITT Spring Monday, 25 February 2013 The Lindley Hall, Royal Horticultural Halls, London.

Wednesday, 27 February 2013 The Point, Lancashire County Cricket Club, Manchester.

SITT Autumn 17, September 2013 The Lindley Hall, Royal Horticultural Halls, London.

Wine events are very well attended and provide the ideal opportunity to sample up and coming, as well as award-wining, wines. not in large quantities, to satisfy the increasing demand for sophisticated, unusual Italian wines new to the UK.

Other wine events At wine tasting events, most wine producers are only too happy to talk about the characteristics of their wines and how they are made, as well as discuss the possibility of sommelier training in specific wines. Many wines that are showcased may well already have representation in the UK, but many

are new to the market and from small producers, giving hospitality businesses the chance to source something new and distinctive.

Often at such events, it is possible to taste other products too, such as olive oils, meats and cheeses.

This year’s autumn Specialist Importers Trade Tasting (SITT), for example, was held at Northumberland Avenue near Trafalgar Square in London on 24 September. The ethos of SITT is to bring together specialist importers, agents and boutique wineries who are passionate about serving the

Packaging change for cooking wines Cooks&Co, the RH Amar-owned (www.rhamar.com) professional chef and caterer ingredients range has announced that its white and red cooking wine products have moved to a PET format from bag-in-box. The move follows industry-wide increases to the cost of wine from the beginning of 2012 and predictions for small grape harvests across Europe and California that are likely to lead to further price increases going forward, say the company.

Cooks&Co (www.cooksandco.co.uk) has also introduced two new size

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options - two litre and five litre to its existing cooking wine range to deliver better value and respond to the needs of both the smaller and larger caterer.

“The transition to PET format and its associated economies have so far allowed us to offset increases to the cost of the wine,” explains Anne-Marie Cannon, product marketing manager for Cooks&Co.“Our cooking wines are very popular in the professional kitchen. With 4.2% alcohol content while exempt from VAT they offer a high quality, great value wine for the preparation of ever popular

wine-based dishes.”

The new PET format eliminates product wastage from drips when the tap is turned off. Meanwhile the transparent PET packaging also allows for chefs to more easily measure quantities as well as easily being able to see how much product is left for reordering purposes.

Such has been the explosive growth of Carlo Grossi’s eponymous Italian wine importing business that, at this year’s SITT autumn event, the company went from not being ‘eligible’ to appear in 2011, to being able to justify a double table spread with three sparkling, nine whites and eighteen reds encompassing no less than 25 different grape varieties. And following their nomination for the award of Best Italian Specialist Importer last year, they now have high hopes of capturing that prize this year after their second successive nomination.

Stringently adhering to their criteria for supplier excellence, this company says that they still only consider small, hand-crafted wines from producers with output below 20,000 cases a year or vineyards with a maximum of 30 hectares, and the excellence they achieve is evidenced by the fact that more than half the wines they entered for the 2012 IWC won medals.

Dates have also been confirmed for the 17th Vinexpo exhibition – the world’s biggest wines and spirits exhibition - to be held in Bordeaux 2013. It will be held at the Bordeaux Lake Exhibition Centre from the 16 to 20 June 2013. Exhibitors at the 2011 exhibition represented 47 countries and a similar attendance is anticipated for 2013, say the organisers.

Each year this exhibition introduces interesting attractions such as the Floating Bridge across the lake and Tastings by Vinexpo.

Initiatives for 2013 are to be unveiled in the coming months.

November 2012

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wine

Under the volcano As part of a recent Real Italian Wine (www.therealitalian wine.co.uk) tasting event organised by Allora Solutions and held in London, Tom Atkin MW gave an informative presentation called The Etna Enigma, which served to highlight some of the highly regarded wines from the island, and the specific nature of the Etna location in particular, Sicily having very much become a wine region ‘of the moment’ due to the fact that it is home to many good quality wines.

Tom Atkin started off by pointing out that Sicily is effectively a continent as opposed to merely being a region, and that it is climatically diverse with its altitude and proximity to the sea being crucial.

Only 5% of its vineyards are on mountains he pointed out, with 112,000 hectares of land producing 64% white wine and 36% red. The island boasts one DOCG wine (Cerasulo di Vittoria) and 23 DOC wines.

Sicilian white wines include Catarratto, Trebbiano, Inzolia, Grecanico. Chardonnay, Grillo, Viognier, Carricante and Zibibbo.

Reds feature Nero D’Avolo, Syrah, Merlot, Nerollo Mascalese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Frappato and Nerello Cappuccio, and there are believed to be some 453 wine producers on the island.

Just as in the Campania region of southern Italy is dominated by Vesuvius and its resultant fertile plains that are home to many producers of vegetables, the same can be said of the slopes and region that surround the Etna volcano (for the most part dormant, but with smoke regularly seen spouting from its often snow-capped peak).

Locals call it “The Etna”,and it is still active (it last erupted in 1992, but there were lava flows as recent as 2002), the largest in Europe, and a comparatively young volcano at 500,000 years, and is still moving west. It is bounded by the Alcantra valley, the Simeto basin and the plain of Catania on one side and the sea

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on the other. It is 3447 feet, at its highest point and its vegetation features scrub, wood and broom, and ash. Bare stone and ash can be found above 7,500 feet, and it always experiences breeze, even at the height of summer.

Etna is in fact the coolest region of Sicily with a 15oC diurnal variation during summer (35 to 15oC) and is comparatively wet in autumn and winter, being wettest on the east side and driest on the north east. The latest the grapes are picked is in November, and altitudes vary from 400m to 1300m, with most plantings at 400 to 800m, reported Tom Atkin. Etna’s first DOC was granted in 1968 and the region has 61 producers covering 440 hectares, with ‘outsiders’ (Cornelissen, de Grazia, Franchetti and Mick Hucknall) as well as Sicilian companies.

Etna’s soils – the only ones in Italy apart from in Campania and Lazio - are made up from lava beds, basalt, tufa, ash and lapilli (smaller stones from eruptions), plus iron, silica, potassium, magnesium, aluminium, sand and clay, and as they are high in minerals they are very good for plants, explained Tom Atkin. The light soils have more vigorous wines that are bush trained with stakes.

The grapes are grown on three sides of Etna – north, east and south – and the vineyards are often small and spread out (an archipelago within and island and ‘The Burgundy of the

Mediterranean’). The highest vineyards are on the southern side (1100m) with the best reds to found on the northern slopes between Piedimonte and Randazzo, felt Tom Atkin - some 45% of the total – due to the higher iron content in the soil there. The best whites on the other hand, are to be found on the south side and to the east.

This area has a lot old vines (Phylloxera arrived in 1900, for example), and there is a high percentage of ungrafted wines.

DOCG application is unlikely, felt Tom Aitkin, but there is the possibility of village names (contrade) appearing on labels in the future so as to identify different terroirs. Terraces can also be found on the contours of the mountain.

The Etna DOC status, granted in 1968, applies to the following communities of wine producers – Biancavilla, S. Maria di Licodia, Paterno, Belpasso, Nicolossi, Pedara, Trecastagni, Viagrande (400 to 500m), Aci S. Antonio, Acireale, S Venerina, Giarre, Mascali, Zafferana, Milo (900 to 1100m), S Alfio, Piedimonte,

A tutored wine tasting is another good way to learn more about a particular region or winery (Allora Solutions’ third edition of Real Italian Wine took place on 8 October 2013, and a special tasting is also planned for 4 March 2013, both events to take place in London – www.allorasolutions.com).

Liguaglossa, Castilgione and Randazzo. Wines can be described as IGT Sicilia (now DOP) if Nerello Mascalese is used on the label or bottled away from the mountain.

White wines from this area must have a minimum of 60% Carricante and no more than 40% Catarratto and can include up to 15% Minella and Trebbiano.

Red wines must be 20% Nerello Capuccio and can include up to 10% of “other grapes”,including white varieties.

Carricante tends to be grown at higher levels on the south side and is generally unoaked, said Tom Aitkin, and can resemble Chablis, Sauvignon Blanc, Marsanne and even Riesling. It is high in acidity and minerality, ages well and has a low pH, and can be labelled as Etna Bianco Superiore if it comes from Milo.

Tom Atkin described Nerallo Mascalese as a bridge between Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo and questioned whether it is related to Sagiovese, and if its origins were in Catania or Etna. A late ripening variety, Tom Atkin felt it was better as a varietal wine, noting that it dominated most blends to a level of 90% (by law, it has to be 80%). It has been grown in Etna for some 400 years and is the area’s most planted variety with around 50% of the area under vine, reported Tom Aitkin.

Nerollo Capuccio offers lots of colour, said Tom Atkin, and ripens at the same time as the Nerello Mascalese. It is rarely made as a varietal wine, and only rarely as DOC Sicilia and has a lower acidity than Nerello Mascalese. It often makes up five to 10% of blends and can’t exceed 20% by law. It is also known as Nerello Mantellato.

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profile

C Y N F O E A SLIC So far, restaurant reviewers of the New York style pizza joint, Brooklyn Bite (www.brooklynbite.com) which opened earlier this year all seem a tad bemused as to its location on the King’s Road in Chelsea, London. But if you’re after well-heeled, well-travelled customers looking for something different, then perhaps there’s no mystery at all. How long before Brooklyn Bite, and New York style pizza in particular, arrives elsewhere in the UK should perhaps be the real question.

The idea The man behind Brooklyn Bite is Ilias Nathanail, an American of Greek and Italian heritage with experience of running a similar pizza business in New York. Now UK-based, he is working in conjunction with several business partners (co-founder of the exclusive VIP clubs Chinawhite and Aura, Angad Paul, and entrepreneur Aditya Khanna, founder of Michelin-starred Tamarind), and has set his ambitious eyes on opening many more Brooklyn Bites, firstly in London, then across the rest of the UK and eventually, he hopes, in Europe too.

“When it comes to high end pizza here, people are spoilt for choice,” says Ilias Nathanail, who searched for a year and a half to find the right place, trialling different areas across London.“But I saw that there was a niche opportunity for New York style pizza with lots of toppings, served with fun and flair! There were plenty of other 'normal' pizza restaurants, but no New York pizza joint!

“In the US food is often more pedestrian and there’s a need to raise the bar and deliver quality food fast. Here in London we have the right demographic, with an edge, and I think it’s important to do what you do well, and offer something different.”

The pizza The pizza served is of course traditional New York style pizza and so it’s large (18 inches, as opposed to the more usual eight

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to 12 inches). It’s served with lots of sauce and lots of cheese because at Brooklyn Bite, it’s all about generous helpings and toppings that are perhaps more familiar to our US cousins. Equally generously-topped, large slices of pizza are also available and popular as a take-out option (a whole pizza base is part-baked then sliced and put to one side before topping as required prior to further baking).

New York-style pizza is really synonymous with New Jersey, Brooklyn and The Bronx, and is thought to have been ‘created’ in the late 1950s by Italian Americans. It can be thought of having a puffy, bread-like, outer crust which becomes very thin and crisper in the middle. The crust is usually dark brown and somewhat charred in appearance.

No pans are used in the cooking process, the pizza being placed directly on to the oven deck via a pizza peel (wooden paddle). It is the hot stone deck of an oven

Ilias Nathanail

that ensures rapid, efficient cooking in the absence of a pan ‘container’, drawing the moisture out of the crust so that it can become crispy on the outside but remain soft and bread-like on the inside.

Brooklyn Bite’s pizza dough is made fresh every day to a secret recipe that features the essentials of flour, water and live yeast, and is allowed to “cure”, or to rest for at least 24 hours before it is hand thrown, ready to be turned into a hot and delicious pizza. The proportions of these basic, but essential, ingredients, are key to making successful pizza of any style, but particularly New York style pizza, it seems. Some say that New York water with its high mineral content should be used, but at Brooklyn Bite, hard London water has proved to just fine for the job so far.

It was twelve years ago back in the US when Ilias Nathanail first undertook his own specific pizzamaking training. After doing some research he identified what was widely believed to be the “best December 2012

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profile slice in town” being served at place called Mario’s in Hoboken, New Jersey. So he promptly moved to the area and asked the owner for a job, offering to work for free and do anything required to help out. Deciding that he “looked like a nice guy”, the owner took him on, and he eventually became privy to the secret of Mario’s pizza. Now, at Brooklyn Bite, Ilias Nathanail has trained up his own team of skilled pizza chefs, based on his experience and knowledge.

The pizza crust should be thin, he says, and crispy but not in any way dense so that it’s light but can still deliver a crunch or bite when it’s eaten. The tomato sauce that they used to top the pizza is also homemade to a simple recipe featuring tomatoes and herbs.

With lots of cheese being a characteristic of New York style pizza, it’s also important to get this ingredient right. A low moisture mozzarella cheese is used, and sourcing supply of the right type has been challenging, admits Ilias Nathanail, who says that he would call ‘Danish’ mozzarella the closest to what he would use in the US. Customers can select their own combination of toppings, or be guided by the New York themed menu which is a talking point in its own right. The pizzas carry light-hearted names evoking characteristic Brooklyn banter, and include the Fugetaboutit (red sauce, mozzarella, pancetta, ham, pepperoni and salami) for the carnivores, whereas vegetarians might prefer to opt for Benny Blanco from the Bronx (tomato, mozzarella, ricotta, garlic and basil, generously drizzled with extra virgin olive oil). The Fun Guy offers a mix with spinach, olives, mushrooms and salami.

The oven in use is a custom made one, and has been imported at some premium from the US. Gas powered and stone decked, it was made by the famous New York-based Simon Attius oven company (www.attiasco.com) who specialise in bespoke ovens. In the case of Brooklyn Bite, given the small kitchen area, an additional deck to the oven was required in order to make best use of the space, as well as ensure that demand is met.

www.papa.org.uk

communal eating if required, but still allow for couples or families to have their own space.

Downstairs there is a speakeasy style cocktail lounge which has multiple uses, and means that Brooklyn Bite is successful in appealing to a wide range of customers of all age groups as a venue, whether they be dining alone, as a family, or partying in a group. The shelves also carry a good selection of wines.

The oven can reach temperatures of 650oC, and it takes about four minutes to cook a pizza, says Ilias Nathanail, who, understandably given a competitive pizza sector, is a little vague about some of the exact specifics of his ‘pizza magic’!

In addition to pizzas, meat, veggie or five cheese calzones are also available, as well as a variety of sub sandwiches, such as the Meatball Sub or Eggplant Parmesan, and fresh salads including the traditional Caesar salad or a Grilled Vegetable Salad with a tasty basil lemon dressing.

They also offer a take-out service, which is currently delivered via a bicycle fitted with a bread basket and has a range of one and half miles. In about three

to four month’s time, they plan to open a satellite store in Battersea where there will just be a counter service to allow people to call by and collect pizzas ‘to go’.

The look The vision for the store was New York ‘village’, says Ilias Nathanail, and so it features chic industrial décor in predominantly black and red. It is deliberately minimalist, but effectively so, providing an easily maintainable but statement environment that looks the part via its New York inspired murals and graffiti artwork.

There’s exposed metal ductwork and brickwork, urban style functional stools and tables, as well as red leather banquettes of seating that facilitate

The future As for future expansion, Ilias Nathanail says that he would be apprehensive about pursuing a franchising route, happier to focus for the present on the training up of chefs to the required standard.

In New York, he reflects, it’s not unusual for seasoned pizza chefs to evidence their pizza making experience via the number of burn scars to be found like military stripes of rank along their arms!

So far, the feedback from customers has been very positive and welcoming, many of whom are from the US themselves and are already familiar with, and appreciate, a slice of ‘home’.

“Situated in the heart of Chelsea, the regulars and destination visitors are hungry and leave full,” concludes Ilias Nathanail, who has found the UK very different to the US.“It’s very different, but I’m sensitive to the UK’s more sophisticated palate when it comes to pizzas.”

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pizza my world

A Pizza My World Alex Fisher is the general manager of the very popular Vapiano pizza and pasta restaurant in Great Portland Street, London. His brief is to look after 120 staff and ensure that the restaurant runs perfectly. The Vapiano (www.vapiano.co.uk) chain has a worldwide presence, including two outlets in the UK, and is expanding.

6.30am

6.30am I love early mornings there is something about the stillness and calmness of the world before it comes to life during the morning rush hour. I grab a banana, chuck on my joggers and I am out the door no more than five minutes after getting up. I always try to get in a run before my morning shift. It helps me be alert and sharp for my shift at the restaurant!

8.00am

8.00am I walk in the door and am greeted by Magda and David, the cleaners, who inform me that they did a little extra cleaning today on the glass mezzanine - they do such an amazing job. They have been with us since we opened four years ago and they still take as much pride in what they do as they did when we opened, keeping the place looking sparkling after it has had 2000 people stomping through it on a daily basis…

8.15am

8.15am After a quick walk around the site, checking on how it looks, I grab a cup of tea and head to the office to check my daily emails. I see on the CCTV, Terry the fruit and veg delivery driver is tapping on the front door. He’s also a very chirpy person in the morning someone I really get along with, we have a good chat about the football over the weekend. Nicky, my prep supervisor, comes up from the changing room and starts to inspect the delivery. Nicky is a ‘day oner’. He is someone that will, without asking be here seven days a week 365 days a year. He holds a huge amount of respect from the entire team due to his relentless drive for perfection and his unswayable commitment for Vapiano.

Back in the office, the emails have been flooding in - 47 unread emails and it’s only 8.30am! Most are requests for bookings.

Unfortunately, Vapiano operates a no booking policy, this is because we want all guests to feel relaxed about dining here, whether you have planned to come or just are in the area.

We are a very big restaurant so finding a seat should not be an issue. However, one of our staff will always be on hand to help out.

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9.00am

9.00am I proceed to go through my opening checklist, making sure the staff have everything they need to have a successful shift, from mop heads to gloves. I learnt very early on in my career, back in my TGI Fridays days, and it’s a cliché, but the six P’s always come to mind Proper Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance. I then check the basics, all fire doors clear, light bulbs working etc.

9.45am

9.45am I take a long hard look through the entire prep kitchen. Fresh produce is an absolute cornerstone of Vapiano. A lot of brands talk about “fresh this” and “fresh that” but as my grandfather always said “talk is cheap”. At Vapiano, we eat, sleep and breath it. I would much rather waste a 10kg batch of bruschetta that I tasted and it did not blow me away with flavour than let any one of our guests have it served to them. Although this does not make financial sense and my food cost takes a hit, it is all about the product, every product. I start in the walk in fridges to look at the prepped items for today. My attention turns to the courgettes, they do not like being in a gastronome container for more than a few hours, I call over to Jean one of my top guys and show it to him, he looks at it, as nods in agreement. He doesn’t

even need to taste it. He knows immediately and instructs one of the other prep chefs to stop what they are doing and start to prep some more courgettes for the lunch service ahead. I continue to look through the three giant walk in fridges for the next 15 minutes, and Jean joins me in what can only be described as our quest for perfection. It might seem a little strange to be so pedantic, but we are that obsessed with being able to offer the best product that we possibly can.

10.45am

10.45am Time for pre-shift, and one of my favourite times of the working day. Every day, 15 minutes before we open the doors we get the crew fired up. We start by giving them the news/information from Vapiano - new openings, new staff etc. Today we have some really special news. We have just opened our 115th site in Ribeirao Preto, Brazil, our 27th country in under 10 years. The staff all cheer, they love hearing that our family is growing, it also means of course that if they decide to go travelling they can work in any Vapiano around the world. Then we have real fun; we play games and normally have a dancing competition. The winner gets a dessert of their choice. It is nothing too serious just a way of getting the staff laughing and the blood pumping. I absolutely love my team, there are December 2012

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no less than 25 different nationalities mixed with all kinds of characters, most have been found through our selection process called castings.

It a nutshell, we invite 100 or so people that would like to apply, we talk to them as a group about Vapiano, the history and what we do, then we call them up individually to speak with the five managers on hand. They each will have one minute to answer one question that the manager will ask. After the minute has passed they will go to the next manager until they have spoken to each of us. Each manager grades the applicants, the successful ones go through to the next round, which is a formal interview. After that, if they are successful they will get the opportunity to have a trial shift with us and if successful they will then be offered a job. This helps us bring the right people into our team. Very rarely will we hire anyone with restaurant or kitchen experience.

What is important to us is that they have a passion and zeal for life and the right attitude.

In my opinion, skills can be taught but behaviour is very hard almost impossible to teach or train, you either have it or you don’t.

Thankfully through this process my team most definitely has it.

0am

11.0 11.00am Doors open. We normally have a few guests standing at the door, waiting for us to open. I greet them all personally, welcoming them for lunch. These guests are some of our loyalist, they usually come with work colleagues or friends that have never been here before and take great pride in introducing them to the team and how the concept works. We try very hard to build a strong relationship with our regulars, but I prefer the term Ambassadors as it is these Ambassadors that spread the good word for us.

11.05am

11.05am I jump behind the cooking line and start the walk through with my kitchen manager Michele. Michele has been what I can only describe as a legend over the two years that he has been with us. He came to us through a ‘casting’. The moment I laid eyes on him I could see that he had the can do attitude that you want in your team. He spoke very little English and struggled through the first stages of the process but when we saw him with other people we knew that he would fit in perfectly.

That was two years ago when he started as a pasta chef, now he is the kitchen manager. We discuss the team that are working the line today; it’s a strong team. We start to open every fridge draw. This is not to be nosy but to check that the produce that we are going to use today is the best we can offer. I spot some cherry tomatoes that are a little greeny/orange and not the vibrant red that we should have.

We both taste a few, they are sharp and not the

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on the floor. By doing this I feel that you can only truly gauge guest feedback, it also gives you an opportunity to speak to your regulars and have a catch up with how they are getting on.

3.00pm

3.00pm The lunch rush is starting to wind down a notch. I start to organise the staff so that they can take breaks and get the ‘top up’ started for the evening’s service. That was a very busy lunch and everything from the artichokes to the Italian hard cheese will need replenishing. sweet and fruity taste they should be. Michele immediately asks Sam his deputy to check the entire cooking line for any other cherry tomatoes bearing the same colour and or taste.

We proceed down the rest of the cooking line and find everything else in perfect order. Sam returns with four gastronomes full of the cherry tomatoes in question. He weighs them and writes the amount on to the wastage sheet. He, like everyone else who works in Vapiano, knows that we do not compromise on quality. A lot of companies call me asking if we will do special offers for there clients, or discount for certain people, the answer is always no. This is because we have very narrow margins on what we offer. Our beef is only fillet, our Grana Padano will always bear the mark DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) and our balsamic vinegar is only from Modena. Our product is always and always will be the best we can possibly offer. All our dishes are at very competitive prices when you do a comparison with the competition. You can easily come in for lunch and leave stuffed and with change from £10.00.

12.00pm

Noon We have started to get busy. A queue has started to form at the pasta stations and there is a short wait at the pizza station. I often find myself talking to guests who are waiting. Do they work locally? Have they been here before?

If so, how was it? If not, what are they thinking of having today. I like to guide guests through our unique dining experience so that they can get fully involved with what we offer. I love to see how their day is going, what they did over the weekend and thank them for coming to eat with us. After all, people have so much choice.

1.00pm

1.00pm We are heaving now, the restaurant looks amazing - a sea of people eating, drinking and laughing. When we are busy, all the staff step up to another gear to reflect that. The service staff slide effortlessly across the restaurant floor, picking up debris, wiping down tables and ensuring that everything looks perfect. I try to speak with as many guests as possible when

4.00pm

4.00pm The evening manager comes in and we have a briefing on how the day went, operational issues, maintenance problems, staffing issues.

We walk around the building together starting from the upstairs, checking everything from the toilets, both bars, an attentive sweep of the kitchen, all the back of house areas, finishing up in the basement prep area. In prep we catch up with Nicky and talk about any potential food issues that we may have this evening or tomorrow. Nicky is excellent at ‘feeling’ the needs of the business. After a busy lunch he will go and check on how much of each product we have and ask his team to make some extra portions if needed.

5.00pm

5.00pm My shift on the floor is winding down now, I am left with writing the management report.

Communication is key in this business. It is especially true in our site. Our management team is so large, due to shift patterns you may only see your colleagues once in the entire week. I also need to have a de-brief with Manuel. He is spending 10 days in our Vapiano to train. After which he will leave to become the general manager of our site in Bahrain. We receive a number of general managers, assistant managers and crew members sent here to train. We have focused very hard on becoming the busiest Vapiano in the world. We have a terrific team and due to the volume of guests we serve daily, it has become the perfect platform to train. I discuss with him how his shift was on pizza. The poor man looks exhausted but is still very upbeat. A true Vapianisti! He tells me what a pleasure it is to work with the team, how fast they are and that they seem to communicate with looks rather than speech. I go on to explain that especially on the pizza station it is a team effort and that sometimes you just need to know instinctively what your colleague is doing. I assure him that he will pick it up it just takes a bit of time. We shake hands and he goes to get changed for the day.

I grab a quick tea at the bar and settle down to check my emails before I head home for some well earned rest.

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Rimini Horeca Expo to host new events RHEX (Rimini Horeca Expo), the new Rimini Fiera event launched to showcase the previous SIA Guest and Sapore expos, in collaboration with Reed Gourmet and Grande Cucina magazine, will take place between the 23 and 26 February 2013.

New events It will host Ristorazione a Cinque Stelle (Fivestar Food Service), pitched as a global gourmet experience of four exciting days under the banner of show cooking by chefs of restaurants from some of the most prestigious hotels. The six chefs assembled members of the highly regarded of Italian food service - will show RHEX visitors their own personal idea of hospitality, service and cuisine.

Starting from the conviction that excellent hospitality is a combination of great dishes, table settings, service quality and atmosphere, alongside their own show cooking, each chef will also set up a permanent exhibition with the reproduction of two tables from their own restaurant - one for the exhibition and the other for serving the dishes.

The key players include Sergio Mei (executive chef, Four Seasons Milan, a five star luxury hotel), Marco Sacco (executive chef Piccolo Lago, with two Michelin stars) and consultant chef of the Golden Palace Turin a five star luxury hotel, Andrea Aprea, as well as the executive chef from Park Hyatt, Milan, a five star luxury hotel, Fabrizio Ferrari (one Michelin star), plus the executive chef from Hotel Excelsior San Marco, Bergamo, a four star hotel.

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Tasting design Visitors will also be able to let themselves be absorbed by the event organized by the international magazine, Code - an exhibition laid out in four full-scale installations conceived by the creative fantasy of four architects and realised thanks to the collaboration of companies from the contract design sectors, with the ambitious aim of outlining the new frontiers in design in food service venues.

At RHEX, the spotlight will be turned on four new food service formats, addressing varied public targets and budgets and linked with specific themes: Low cost gourmet (i.e. the new challenge of acclaimed chefs, looking to open up to an increasingly wide public, without renouncing on quality); New generation stores, which, starting from a revival of the direct relationship with one s trusted shop owner, aspire to becoming For more information, or to request a free entrance card, contact mrkgestero@riminifiera.it, or call +39 0541 744632 (www.rhex.it).

places for meeting and socializing, and are able to ensure in-depth product knowledge and involvement of the public; Bio (the quality of the raw materials used and attention to and respect for people and the environment are now real necessities for zero-mile organic, sustainable and natural restaurants, and street food, a modern concept of cuisine, distinguished by food service formulae that are fast but good quality, in sync with today s increasingly rapid lifestyle).

Thanks to the collaboration of several chefs, who will transform the food products of exhibiting firms into real dishes to taste, the installations will come to life and become real hands-on sets.

The event, conceived and co-ordinated by Loredana Villani and organised by the Gritti Grollo Studio, will be enhanced by an initiative dedicated to in-depth focus. Alongside the installations, some key gastronomic journalists and critics will host an area dedicated to conversations, seminars, workshops and demos on the most topical issues in professional food service and in hotel catering.

At RHEX, food will therefore stand out as a manifesto of culture, say the organisers, by also offering an opportunity for learning, meeting and discovering the local area.

December 2012

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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, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow NP16 5DB Telephone: 01291 636335 or email kevin@jandmgroup.co.uk

REGISTERED SUPPLIERS 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 AB World Foods Ltd. 18 Aubrey Road, Harborne, Birmingham B32 2BB Contact: Craig Miles Tel: 07713 313601 craig.miles@abworldfoods.com www.abf.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 Bakkavor Pizza Forward Drive, Christchurch Avenue, Harrow, Middlesex, HA3 8NT Contact: Soum Ghosal Tel: 0208 4242666 / Fax: 0208 4200606 soum.ghosal@bakkavor.co.uk www.bakkavor.co.uk BD Foods Ltd 68 Castleham Road, Castleham Industrial Estate, St. Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex TN38 9NU Contact: John Davis Tel: 01424 853000 john@bdfoods.co.uk www.bdfoods.co.uk

www.papa.org.uk

Bel UK Ltd Suite 1, 2nd Floor, 160 London Road, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1BT Contact: Camilla Deane Tel: 0333 900 2020 Fax: 01732 467596 cdeane@groupe-bel.com www.bel-uk.co.uk Benier UK 56 Alston Drive, Bradwell, Abbey, Milton Keynes MK13 9HB Contact: David Marsh Tel: 01908 312333 / Fax: 01908 311481 www.benier.co.uk sales@benier.co.uk C.Carnevale Ltd Carnevale House, Blundell St, London N7 9BN Contact: Mr C Carnevale Tel: 0207 607 8777 / Fax: 0207 607 8774 Cater-Bake UK South Boundary Road, Knowsley Industrial Park, Merseyside, Liverpool, L33 7RR Contact: Mark Hutchings Tel: 0151 548 5818 / Fax: 0151 548 5835 www.cater-bake.co.uk sales@cater-bake.co.uk Continental Quattro Stagioni 8 - 33 Royal Elizabeth Yard, Kirkliston, West Lothian EH29 9EN Contact: Mr Paolo Veneroni Tel: 0131 3191919 Fax: 0131 3315566 p.veneroni@continental-wine.co.uk www.continental-food.co.uk

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 www.mcstechproducts.co.uk

Dawn Farm Foods Ltd. Lodge Way, Lodge Farm Industrial Estate, Northampton NN5 7US Contact: Ian Ritchie Tel: 01604 583421 / Fax: 01604 587392 iritchie@dawnfarmfoods.co.uk

DeCecco UK Ltd 1 Kimbell Mews, Humfrey Lane Boughton, Northampton, NN2 8XB Contact: Stephen Barlow Tel: 01604 820022 / Fax: 01604 820033 sales@dececco.org.uk www.dececco.com Dingley Dell Enterprises Ltd. PO Box 3534, Kidderminster, Worcestershire WR9 0LQ Contact: Jay Emery Tel: 01905 621636 / Fax: 01905 630311 www.dingley-dell.com dingleydellenterprises@hotmail.co.uk

BY APPOINTMENT TO HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN FINE FOOD INGREDIENT IMPORTERS AND DISTRIBUTORS DONATANTONIO LIMITED BOREHAMWOOD

Donatantonio Ltd. Lupa House, York Way, Borehamwood, Herts WD6 1PX Contact: Simon Bell Tel: 0208 2362222 / Fax: 0208 2362288 www.donatantonio.com sbell@donatantonio.com Doughball Pizza Ltd. 353 Manchester Road, Haslingden, Rossendale, Lancashire BB4 6PT Contact: Giovanni Pillitteri Tel: 01706 831159 doughballpizza@hotmail.co.uk

Eurilait Ltd Leighton Lane Industrial Estate, Leighton Lane, Evercreech BA4 6LQ Contact: Paul Bates Tel: 01749 838100 / Fax: 01749 831247 paulbates@eurilait co.uk www.eurilait.co.uk Freiberger UK Ltd Broadgate House, Westlode Street, Spalding, Lincolnshire PE11 2AF Contact: Richard Harrow Tel: 01775 767655 / 01775 767656 richard.harrow@freibergerukltd.co.uk General Mills UK Ltd. Harman House, 1 George Street, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 1QQ Contact: Liam Ward Tel: 01895 201246 / Fax: 01895 201101 liam.ward@genmills.com www.generalmills.co.uk Giovanni Rana (UK) Ltd 6 Valentine Place, London SE1 8QH Contact: Stephen Hull Tel: 0207 921 9550 shull@giovannirana.co.uk Glanbia Cheese Ltd 4 Royal Mews, Gadbrook Park, Rudheath, Northwich, Cheshire CW9 7UD Contact: David Cruddos Tel: 01606 810900 / Fax: 01606 48680 Heineken UK Ltd 2-4 Broadway Park, Gyle, Edinburgh EH12 9JZ Contact: James Woodman Tel: 07884 113534 james.woodman@heineken.co.uk

Integer 167 Heywood Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 1LB Contact: Geoff Whittle Tel: 0161 7987307 / Fax: 0161 7733151 geoff@integeruk.com www.integeruk.com Jestic Units 3+4, Dana Industrial Estate, Transfesa Road, Paddock Wood, Kent TN12 6UU Tel: 0845 5048050 Fax: 0845 5048051 Email: info@jestic.net www.jestic.co.uk Just-Eat.co.uk Ltd. Imperial Place (IP4), Maxwell Road, Borehamwood WD6 1JN Contact: Lucy Milne Tel: 0208 7362001 Email: Lucy.Milne@just-eat.co.uk www.just-eat.co.uk Kingdom Cheese Co. Glenfield Industrial Estate, Cowdenbeath, Fife KY4 9HT Contact: Phil Morgan Tel: 01383 610114 / Fax: 01383 610526 phil@kingdomcheese.com www.kingdomcheese.com Kiren Foods Unit 3 Small Bridge Industrial Park Riverside Drive, Rochdale Lancashire OL16 2SH Contact: Mr Nazir Mackmood Tel:01706 526732 / Fax: 01706 869749 nazir@kirenfoods.com La Tua Pasta Ltd. 52 Gorst Road, London NW10 6LD Contact: Francesco Boggian Tel: 0208 961 8022 / Fax: 0208 965 6006 info@latuapasta.com www.latuapasta.com 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 Maranaforni Di Marana F. Via Turbina 98, Verona, 37139 Italy Contact: Eleni Olivieri Tel: 0039 0456704503 / Fax: 0039 0457156118 elena.commerciale@maranaforni.it

Martin Mathew & Co 140 High Street, Cheshunt Herts EN8 0AW Contact: Mr M.J. Donnelly Tel: 01992 641641 / Fax: 01992 641333 matthewdonnelly@martinmathew.co.uk www.martinmathew.co.uk

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classifieds PD Catering International Unit 2, Nile Street, Bolton BL3 6BW Tel: 01204 382800 Contact: Hamid Naraghi info@pizzadirect.com Meadow Cheese Co. Limited Hazel Park, Dymock Road, Ledbury, Herefordshire HR8 2JQ Contact: Robert Kennedy Tel: 01531 631300 / Fax: 01531 631300 robert.kennedy@meadowcheese.co.uk www.meadowcheese.co.uk Montana Bakery Limited Blackthorne Road, Poyle Industrial Estate, Colnbrook, Berkshire SL3 0AP Contact: Jonathan Mellows Tel: 01753 760 800 / Fax: 01753 760 801 jonathan@montana.bakeries.co.uk Pasta King (UK) Ltd Plantation House, Milber Trading Estate, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 4SG Contact: Lesley Treeby Tel: 0800 458 7898 / Fax: 01626 334481 www.pastaking.co.uk lt@pastaking.co.uk Pasta Reale Ltd Pasta Reale House, Fleming Way, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 9JW Contact: Donald Boyne Tel: 01293 649700 / Fax: 01293 649741 don.boyne@pastareale.com www.pastareale.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 Pizza Trading Co Ltd Unit 14 Somerville Court, Banbury Business Park, Adderbury, Banbury, Oxfordshire OX17 3SN Contact: John Mullen Tel: 01257 423376 /Fax: 01257 472086 john@pizzatrading.co.uk Saputo Cheese (UK) Ltd The Creamery, Aberarad Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire, SA38 9QD Tel: 01239 710424 / Fax: 01239 711843 www.saputo.com ServEquip Assistance Ltd Suite 8 The Swift Centre, 41 Imperial Way, Croydon CR0 4RL Contact: Diane Bowker Tel: 0208 6868855 / Fax: 0208 6817509 info@servequip.co.uk www.servequip.co.uk

Solarsoft Business Systems Solarsoft House, Hampshire International Business Park, Crockford Lane, Basingstoke Hampshire RG24 8WH Contact: Andrew Godliman Tel: 01256 685242 Fax: 01256 685201 andrew.godliman@solarsoft.com www.solarsoft.com

The Fresh Pasta Company Shepherds Building, Rockley Road, London W14 0DA Contact: Sole Nasi Tel: 0845 603 7746 pasta@thefreshpastacompany.com www.thefreshpastacompany.com Ticco Ltd Unit B2Y, Skyway 14, Calder Way, Colnbrook, Slough SL3 0BQ Contact: Emma Hallam Tel: 07779 167474 Fax: 01753 689813 emmahallam@ticco.co.uk

Sorrento Express Ltd. Unit 10 Southall Business Park, 142 Johnson Street, Southall, Middlesex UB2 5FD Contact: Alfonso Amitrano Tel: 0208 843 4990 sales@sorrentoexpress.com www.sorrentoexpress.com

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 Technomic Inc Knowledge Center, 300 S Riverside Plaza Suite 1200, Chicago, Illinois, IL60606 USA Contact: Patrick Noone pnoone@technomic.com Tel: (01) 205 991 1234 Fax: (01) 205 980 3770 www.technomic.com The Fresh Olive Company 74 Long Drive, Greenford, Middlesex UB6 8LZ Contact: Ali Kirk Tel: 0208 838 9629 Fax: 0208 813 2986 ali@fresholive.com www.fresholive.com

W&H Marriage & Sons Ltd. Chelmer Mills, New Street, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 1PN Contact: Hannah Marriage Tel: 01245 354455 / Fax: 01245 261492 hmarriage@marriagemillers.co.uk www.marriagesmillers.co.uk

Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Limited Cottingham Way, Thrapston Northamptonshire, Kettering NN14 3EP Contact: Sophie Whitaker Tel: 01832 737210 / Fax: 01832 734433 sales@whitcoltd.com Whitworth Bros Limited Victoria Mills, Wellingborough Northants NN8 2DT Contact: Alan Ribakovs Tel: 01933 441000 Fax: 01933 222523 enquiries@whitworthbros.ltd.uk

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P&PDec12_p57-60_Layout 1 03/01/2013 17:18 Page 59

index of products BEVERAGES

COMPUTING SOLUTIONS

Durum Semolina

Griddles

Pasta (Fresh)

Beer

Allied Mills

Jestic

Giovanni Rana (UK) Ltd.

Carnevale Ltd.

Computers/Software

Carnevale Ltd.

Holding Ovens

La Tua Pasta Ltd.

Heineken UK

Integer Computers

DeCecco UK Ltd.

Coffee

Solarsoft Business Systems

Flour

Online Ordering Solutions Just-Eat.co.uk Ltd.

Carnevale Ltd.

Servicing & Spares

DeCecco UK Ltd.

Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd.

Carnevale Ltd. Mineral Water Carnevale Ltd. Soft Drinks Carnevale Ltd. Wine, Spirits & Liqueurs Carnevale Ltd. Sorrento Express Ltd.

BREAD, CAKES & DESSERTS Bread Rolls & Wraps

Allied Mills

DELIVERY & PACKAGING

W&H Marriage & Sons

Computer Delivery Management Systems

The Fresh Pasta Company Ltd.

Integer Computers Heated Pizza Delivery Bag Systems Cooktek (MCS Technical Products)

Sorrento Express Ltd.

W&H Marriage & Sons Whitworth Bros. Limited Icings

Jestic ServEquip Limited Refrigeration General Mills UK Ltd.

Pasta Reale The Fresh Pasta Company Ltd Ticco Ltd.

Serving

PIZZA DOUGH, BASES & CRUSTS

Pasta King (UK) Ltd.

Dough Balls

MEAT

Doughball Pizza Ltd.

Bacon

Kiren Foods

Dawn Farm Foods

Montana Bakery

Leathams PLC Beef

Allied Mills

Leathams PLC

Pizza Plus Foodservice Stateside Foods Ltd. Pizza Bases & Crusts

DOUGH & PIZZA EQUIPMENT

Improvers

Chicken & Other Poultry

Allied Mills

Leathams PLC

Premixes (Bread & Cakes)

Ham

Kiren Foods

Desserts

Dough Preparation Equipment

Carnevale Ltd.

Montana Bakery

Ticco Ltd.

Cater-Bake (UK)

Allied Mills

Dawn Farm Foods

Pizza Plus Foodservice

Leathams PLC

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Stateside Foods Ltd.

PIZZA TOPPINGS

Ticco Ltd. Cakes & Confectionery Ticco Ltd.

Ice Cream

PD Catering Internatonal

General Mills UK Ltd.

Pizza Accessories

CHEESE, DAIRY & EGGS

Pizza Plus Foodservice

Cheese

Pizza Making Systems & Equipment

FOOD WHOLESALERS

Ticco Ltd.

Doughball Pizza Ltd.

Fish

Continental Quattro Stagioni Ltd.

Italian Meat & Sausages

Leathams PLC

Dawn Farm Foods

Carnevale Ltd.

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Donatantonio Ltd.

Fruit & Vegetables

Ticco Ltd.

Ticco Ltd.

Carnevale Ltd.

Pancetta

Meat

Carnevale Ltd. Pepperoni

999 Pizza Toppings (UK) Ltd.

Carnevale Ltd.

Carnevale Ltd.

BD Foods Ltd.

999 Pizza Toppings (UK) Ltd.

Benier (UK) Ltd.

Bel UK Ltd. Carnevale Ltd.

Cooktek (MCS Technical Products)

Donatantonio Ltd.

Jestic

FRUIT & VEGETABLES

Eurilait Ltd.

Maranaforni Di Marana F.

Chargrilled Vegetables

Glanbia Cheese Ltd.

Pizza Direct UK

Dawn Farm Foods

Kingdom Cheese Co. Ltd.

ServEquip Limited

Carnevale Ltd. The Fresh Olive Company

Leathams PLC

Pizza Ovens

Olives

Carnevale Ltd.

Meadow Cheese Co. Ltd.

Benier (UK) Ltd.

OILS & VINEGARS

Saputo Cheese (UK) Ltd.

Dingley Dell Enterprises Ltd.

Donatantonio Ltd. Leathams PLC The Fresh Olive Company

Donatantonio Ltd.

Donatantonio Ltd.

Leathams PLC

Pizza Plus Foodservice

Maranaforni Di Marana F.

KITCHEN & SERVING EQUIPMENT

PD Catering Internatonal

Bakery Ovens

PASTA, POLENTA, GNOCCHI & RICE

Pizza Trading Company Ltd.

Pizza Plus Foodservice

Sorrento Express Ltd. Stateside Foods Ltd. Eggs Leathams PLC Mozzarella

Cater-Bake (UK)

Cater-Bake (UK) Jestic

Salami

Olive Oil BD Foods Ltd.

Dawn Farm Foods Pizza Plus Foodservice Stateside Foods Ltd. Pizza Sauces BD Foods Ltd.

Cater-Bake (UK)

Gnocchi

Stateside Foods Ltd.

ServEquip Limited

Drinks Systems

READY PREPARED

Glanbia Cheese Ltd.

FISH & SEAFOOD

Carnevale Ltd.

The Fresh Pasta Company Ltd

Saputo Cheese (UK) Ltd.

Other Fish & Seafood

Food Safety & Hygiene

Carnevale Ltd.

Parmesan

Leathams PLC

DeCecco UK Ltd.

Eurilait Ltd.

FLOUR & BAKERY

Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd

Sour Cream

Concentrates

Kingdom Cheese Co. Ltd.

Allied Mills

Carnevale Ltd. Eurilait Ltd.

Pasta (Dry)

Prepared Pasta Meals Bakkavor Pizza Freiberger UK Ltd.

Donatantonio Ltd.

Giovanni Rana (UK) Ltd.

Fryers

Leathams PLC

Pasta King (UK) Ltd.

Jestic

La Tua Pasta Ltd.

Pasta Reale

Prepared Pizza (Chilled) Bakkavor Pizza Stateside Foods Ltd. Prepared Pizza (Frozen) Freiberger UK Ltd. Pizza Plus Foodservice Stateside Foods Ltd. Ticco Ltd.

SOUPS, SAUCES, STOCKS & DRESSINGS Chutneys, Relishes & Sauces AB World Foods BD Foods Ltd. Garlic Spreads & Mixes Stateside Foods Ltd. Mayonnaise & Other Dressings AB World Foods BD Foods Ltd. Pasta Sauces BD Foods Ltd. DeCecco UK Ltd. Leathams PLC Pasta King (UK) Ltd. The Fresh Pasta Company Ltd Pesto BD Foods Ltd. Pizza Sauces Leathams PLC Pizza Trading Company Ltd.

SPECIALIST FOOD CONSULTANCY & MARKET RESEARCH Specialist Food Consultancy Technomic Inc Market Reasearch Technomic Inc

TOMATOES Canned Tomatoes DeCecco UK Ltd. Donatantonio Ltd. Martin Mathew & Co. Ltd. Passata DeCecco UK Ltd. Donatantonio Ltd. Martin Mathew & Co. Ltd. SunBlush© Tomatoes Leathams PLC Sun-Dried Tomatoes Carnevale Ltd. Donatantonio Ltd. Leathams PLC

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