Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food - Issue 162

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pizzapasta and Italian food magazine

Issue 162 June 2014 www.papa.org.uk

WE’LL GIVE YOU UP TO

£8,000

IF YOU FIND US THE RIGHT PROPERTY

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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 636339 jayson@jandmgroup.co.uk

Subscriptions telephone e-mail

01291 636333 membership@papa.org.uk

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

Welcome The search in now on for entries to this year’s Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Awards, and the Pizza Chef of the Year Competition. Don’t forget that there is also an opportunity to showcase your artistic side with a new addition to this year’s event – the Pizza Art competition (turn to page 20 to find out more). With the awards celebrating their 25th anniversary, and Italian celebrity chef, Aldo Zilli, in attendance, there never has been a better time to get involved!

Neapolitan pizza ingredients, pizza dough and ovens are covered in this issue, and we also report on a visit to Tulip in Denmark, the company behind the well-known SuperTops brand of pizza topping.

CLARE BENFIELD EDITOR clare@jandmgroup.co.uk

Contents NEWS 4 Refunds for sub-standard takeaway deliveries cost £291 million a year.

5 Chefs and foodservice operators more optimistic.

6 Welcome Italia adds trade day.

8 Prezzo presents a new menu.

PAPA 12 Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Awards 2014.

18 Pizza Chef of the Year 2014.

FEATURES 22 Oven theatre – pizza ovens that are at the centre of things.

36 Naples staples – the essential ingredients for Neapolitan pizza.

44 Top dough – consumer demand for quick, artisan pizza is impacting upon dough.

ARTICLES 32 A taste of Tulip – pizza chef SuperTops category winner, Simon Shrager, visits Tulip.

50 Improving energy efficiency – keeping tabs on energy costs.

PROFILES 17 Aldo Zilli – Italian celebrity chef.

35 Pizza My World – Space’s Mike Mellor.

REGULARS 52 Index of PAPA registered suppliers.

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news

Refunds for sub-standard takeaway deliveries cost £291 million a year

David Wild has been confirmed as Domino’s new permanent CEO after an interim period in the role.

Domino’s appoint new CEO Domino’s Pizza Group plc has announced that David Wild has been appointed as its chief executive officer with immediate effect.

“We are delighted that David will be joining Domino’s permanently as chief executive officer,” said Stephen Hemsley, Domino’s non-executive chairman.“Since becoming interim CEO in January, he has impressed the board with his passion and understanding of both the company and our franchisees. He has brought clarity of thought to our strategy, both in how to progress in the UK and Internationally. Having conducted a full and thorough recruitment process, we are confident he is the best person to take the business forward.”

David Wild added:“Since taking on the CEO role on an interim basis it has been clear to me that Domino’s is a fantastic company with a strong brand, quality products and excellent people. I have very much enjoyed the full time role within the business and look forward to continuing to work closely with our franchisees to grow the business across all of our geographic regions.”

New research conducted by a provider of tamper evident solutions in the UK (Versapak www.versapak.co.uk – who have previously supplied insulated food delivery bags for takeaway businesses) claims that delivering unacceptable dishes to customers in the UK is costing the takeaway industry as much as £291 million a year in refunded meals.

Versapak decided to poll a total of 2,031 UK adults aged 18 and over on their expectations regarding takeaway services in their local area, as well as the factors that would cause them to complain or ask for their money to be refunded.

According to their findings, 89% of the respondents said that they ordered takeaway food for delivery ‘regularly’ (defined as at least once per month).

When asked to estimate how much they would typically spend, per person, on a takeaway meal, the average answer from respondents emerged as £11.25. Participants who ordered takeaway food for delivery regularly were then asked if, in the past year, they had requested and been granted a complete refund from an establishment after having a complaint about a takeaway that was delivered. 58% of those polled admitted that they had done so, and when asked to disclose the particular reasons behind being given their refund, the top answers emerged as follows: 1. The food was cold when delivered - (37%) 2. The food delivered was the wrong order(21%) 3. The food was undercooked - (17%) 4. The food did not taste good - (8%) 5. The food was delivered late - (6%) Taking into account the number of respondents polled who had successfully been granted a refund on a takeaway meal that had been delivered to them, as well as the average cost spent per person on a takeaway, Versapak then used the findings to work out the average amount of money that sub-standard food deliveries is costing the takeaway industry in

the UK per year. Using official government population statistics, the total amount of money refunds is costing UK takeaway businesses worked out to be just over £291m per year.

There are 50,180,600 adults in the UK according Office for National Statistics. 89% of people, according to the poll, order takeaway food on a regular basis (once per month at least) which equates to 44,660,734 UK adults.

58% of these people admitted to having received a total refund for a takeaway that had been delivered to them in the past 12 months for whatever reason – equating to 25,903,225 people. If the average price per person for a takeaway meal that is delivered is £11.25, this multiplied by the number of people above equates to £291,411,289 that is refunded from takeaway establishments (at least) annually, calculate Versapak.

“I wish I could say the results of our findings were a shock but, unfortunately, the truth is that many takeaways establishments are simply not taking the best measures when delivering hot food to their customers,” commented Leon Edwards, group managing director of Versapak.

“With an increase in complaints and refunds being made, this is clearly putting a strain on the industry every year – almost £300m is such a huge loss. With such a wide array of takeaway options available for customers, their loyalty to one establishment will no doubt be compromised if they are continually delivered cold food.”

To help minimise these problems, Versapak say that their bags feature insulating material to help retain heat, and they also provide protection and ease of carriage during product transportation, claim the firm, making them suitable for takeaway companies using motorbikes or other vehicles for their deliveries.

“We’ve applied the same technology used in insulated medical bags to keep food warm and hopefully we’ve helped a few takeaway establishments to retain their customers for longer by making sure they deliver warm food time and time again,” added Leon Edwards.

Whole Foods Market to stock gluten-free range from Dell’Ugo Ugo Foods has announced that Whole Foods Market, the natural and organic foods supermarket chain, will now stock its chilled chickpea Fusilli and its gluten-free fresh Penne.

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Ugo Foods Group claims to be the first UK food brand to bring gluten-free fresh pasta to supermarket shelves in 2013, and is the first fresh gluten-free pasta brand to be listed at Whole Foods Market.

Dell’Ugo’s chilled chickpea fusilli won an Innovation Award at the ‘FreeFrom’ Food Awards 2013 and this year the gluten-free fresh penne won a Highly Commended Award in the pasta and pizza

category (both products were promoted during Coeliac Awareness Week - 12th – 18th May - with in-store customer tastings at Kensington and Piccadilly Circus).

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Chefs and foodservice operators more optimistic Chefs and foodservice operators are feeling more confident about future trading than they were 12 months ago, with 86% of those taking part in a recent survey anticipating an increase in sales over the next year and many less inclined to implement further cost-cutting measures.

According to Eating Out-Look (a new quarterly survey of consumers and foodservice professionals from Horizons and JRA), a quarter of businesses are expecting a large increase in trade over the next 12 months, significantly higher than in 2013.

Restaurateurs are the most optimistic about future trading with 34% of those surveyed anticipating large increases in food sales. A quarter of hotels and 20% of pubs and bars also expect to see large increases.

The survey, undertaken during March-April 2014, reveals that operators are now less likely to be planning cost-saving measures compared with this time last year.

In spring 2013 the majority (73%) said they would be re-

engineering menus to reduce costs. This year the proportion making similar plans has fallen to 67%.

“These results support our previous research that shows consumers are beginning to increase their spending on eating out. Operators are much more optimistic about future food sales than they have been, and are now confident to scale back on the cost-cutting measures they implemented last year,” said Emma Read, Horizons’ director of marketing and business development.

Last year nearly half (46%) were planning to withhold capital expenditure over the forthcoming 12 months. This year just one-third (32%) of operators are planning such cuts, say the researchers.

Likewise, the percentage of operators planning to renegotiate supply contracts has fallen from 68% last year to 65% this year, while those intending to renegotiate equipment maintenance contracts has also dropped, from 38% to 27%.

Easing up on cost cutting extends to staffing levels too. Last year 44% of operators were planning to reduce the number of hours their employees were working, report Horizons, while in spring 2014 38% had plans to do so. And over a third of survey respondents (34%) are planning to increase staff numbers, up from just 21% last year. Those planning to reduce, or freeze, wages has also dropped from 41% last year, to 30% this year.

Of the 300 operators surveyed many report that consumers are spending more when they dine out, with fewer spending under £6 than 12 months ago and significantly more spending over £20. Over two-thirds of businesses (69%) report an increase in food sales year-on-year, with 20% of those reporting a large increase.

Over half the survey participants (51%) report they are now serving more meals at the weekends than they did six months ago, with 47% noting a particular increase in Sunday trade. This uplift is consistent

across outlet types, although pubs and bars report the biggest increase in weekend food sales.

There is also a rise in the number of lunches being served, with 53% of respondents saying they were seeing a significant increase in lunch sales.

While the downturn saw consumers cutting back on starters and desserts, operators in the Eating Out-Look survey say that fewer consumers are now doing so. The survey also revealed a significant decline in the proportion of operators who say customers are trading down to lower priced meals (24% compared with 33% in 2013).

“While operators reported that customers were still opting for meal deals or promotions and are trading down to lower priced dishes, this is in sharp decline compared with 2013. Consumers are still cost-conscious, and are likely to remain so, but with average spend rising operators are feeling much more optimistic for the future,” added Emma Read.

Foreign tourists fuelling UK growth Spend on retail, hospitality and leisure is set to rocket as overseas visitors flock to the UK over the next few years, according to a new report from Barclays.

The research, independently commissioned for Barclays’ Retail and Hospitality & Leisure banking teams, reveals that spending from foreign tourists is predicted to reach over £27 billion by 2017, an increase of 34% on 2013. Rapid growth in spend among tourists from emerging economies will be further boosted by loosening visa restrictions, and overseas visitors will deliver a significant boost to the economy this year and beyond, predict the researchers.

Visitors from the US currently spend the most in the UK, followed by France and Germany and this spending pattern will continue through to 2017. However, emerging economies such as China, the UAE and Russia are set to outstrip them in

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growth terms owing to the increasing wealth of consumers in these countries, in particular their growing middle-classes. The UAE and Russia are set to break into the top ten nationalities to visit the UK by 2017 and tourists from China alone will spend over £1 billion in 2017, up by 84% from 2013.

Richard Lowe, head of retail and wholesale, Barclays, commented: “Opportunities abound for both retailers and the leisure industry to capitalise on these growing tourist numbers and spend.

Businesses putting in the time and effort to understand their client demographic and to talk to their audience through whatever channels they use, be it social media or more traditional, will carve out an advantage that will enable them to offer something more tailored for each nationality that visits our shores.

“For our retailers, it is also worth considering that British-made goods remain

popular amongst overseas consumers, so it would be time well-spent evaluating how they market their products to audiences from overseas eager to snap up ‘Brand Britain’.”

The sectors that will benefit extensively from this rise in tourist spending are undoubtedly the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors, with both expected to boom. The retail sector is set to generate £9.3 billion from tourists in 2017, an increase of 36% from 2013. Expenditure within the fashion retail sector will increase by 38% alone, to £5.8 billion.

Spending on hotels, eating out and attractions will rise by 33% to £14.7 billion in 2017, it is predicted. Overseas visitors are set to spend £5.3 billion on eating out by 2017, up by 34%, with spend on leisure attractions increasing by 32% to £2 billion by 2017, and hotel accommodation attracting £7.3 billion in spend by 2017, an increase of 33%.

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‘Lunch and Learn’ served up for Stateside Foods The latest Thorite ‘Lunch and Learn’ event has been held at pizza maker, Stateside Foods.

Thorite is constantly devising for new ways to bring innovative products, solutions and services to the attention of its customers and has developed the Lunch and Learn concept for their benefit.

The event took place in Stateside's production facility in Bolton and brought food processing-related products and staff from 12 specialist manufacturers, Stateside's own decision makers, plus senior Thorite engineering experts together, enabling direct dialogue designed to help Stateside improve their products, reduce costs or discover new opportunities.

The informal three and a half

hour event, which included a buffet lunch and mini exhibition, was supported by leading manufacturers of compressed air, pneumatic, vacuum and process control equipment, including Norgren, Gast, Parker, Burkert,

Festo, Bonomi, Graco, SMC, Donaldson and Stauff, attracting many of Stateside's most influential production and management personnel.

Speaking after the event Alan Donkersley, Thorite's sales director

Welcome Italia adds trade day Welcome Italia, which claims to be the only show that brings together food, wine and the excellence of Italian cuisine under one roof, has added a trade day after its successful debut in September last year.

Market research conducted after the inaugural show, provided clear indication that the interest generated within the UK’s on and off trade would validate the action. At the same time, it became evident that the high-quality exhibitors which the show attracted, would benefit from a vis-à-vis with potential importers and stockists which will be offered this year, in advance of meeting the enthusiastic public which initially greeted the show, say the event’s organisers.

Leonardo Simonelli-Santi, president of the Italian Chamber of Commerce & Industry for the UK, said: ‘Italy’s closest trade ties are with other members of the EU, with the UK receiving 7% of their food and drink export. Consequently, we have invested heavily in a ‘Made in Italy’ strategy to build consumer loyalty.

“Products with specific geographical roots represent a significant segment of the overall value of Italian food production, and play a major role in Italy’s national food export marketing strategy. They are testament to that fact that our products are ‘high quality’, and that is what Welcome Italia is all about.”

The show will also offer a Theatre of Cooking featuring the UK’s best Italian

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chefs, led by celebrity chef Francesco Mazzei chef-owner of L’Anima restaurant and frequently seen on television cookery programmes. There will also be food seminars to introduce participants to the origins of Italian products, and wine tasting events.

Trade visitors will have exclusive access to the tutored demonstrations and tastings, and will be able to sample products new to the UK, talk directly to the producers attending, and pursue business opportunities in an un-hurried, professional and dedicated environment on the trade day, Friday 26 September 2014.

In its first inaugural year in September 2013, Welcome Italian attracted 4,000 under a space of 400 square metres, with almost 100 exhibitors, and eight cookery, food, wine and drink demonstrations over three days. This year the event will have a dedicated e-commerce platform through which exhibitors will be able to continue to sell their products online to the UK consumers. Thus, exhibitors will be able to sell before, during and after the show, maximising their participation.

To register for your complimentary trade media ticket, visit http://www.welcomeitalia.co.uk/index.php/it/progettobuyer/programma-buyer (advance consumer tickets are just £5 if booked by 30 June 2014 on the website, and are available at £10 after that date).

said: "Lunch and Learn has once again proved to be both successful and enjoyable. I'm confident it has generated many genuine opportunities for Stateside Foods to increase business efficiency, while also providing the ideal opportunity to create new relationships and strengthen existing friendships."

Interested customers can contact Alan Donkersley at Thorite on 07939 587934 or alan.donkersley@thorite.co.uk to discuss future Lunch & Learn events, or can visit any of the company's regional Sales and Service Centres in Blackburn, Bolton, Bradford, Doncaster, Huddersfield, Leeds, Rochdale, Sheffield, North Shields and Brierley Hill in the West Midlands to find out more.

New dessert products from Galbani Galbani® have launched a new dessert preparation product, created to help chefs reduce their prep-time, as well as offer the freedom to adapt and develop their own recipes using the ready-made products as a base, say the brand.

The ready-to-use format also offers flexible portion sizes with consistent, reliable results, say the company, and as all of the products are ambient, outlets are able to react quickly to customer demand, with much of the range setting in as little as two hours.

The Galbani® dessert preparation offering includes two Italian classics‘Tiramisu au Mascarpone’ and ‘Panna Cotta’. Made from 65% Mascarpone, Galbani® Tiramisu au Marscarpone offers a light and creamy tasting dessert that delivers a true taste of Italy, say Galbani.

Suited to individual portions, Galbani® Panna Cotta is a creamy and fresh-tasting dessert with a hint of vanilla. Quick and simple to make, it can be served with a range of accompaniments such as fruit coulis and cream liqueurs and is perfect for adapting the dessert to appeal to both adults and children, say Galbani.

June 2014

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MOLINO CAPUTO THE FLOUR FROM NAPLES

For further details on Caputo flour please see article on pages 42-43

UK IMPORTER

Casa Julia plc 11 Springwood Drive, Braintree, Essex CM7 2YN tel: 01376 320269 fax: 01376 34943 web: www.casajulia.co.uk email: info@casajulia.co.uk

THE STRENGTH OF TRADITION

We at G & O Foods are proud that we can supply the north of England with the worlds most famous pizza flour. Originating from Naples, Caputo flour is known as the best of the best in the pizza trade.

We are an independent family-owned company based in Manchester that has been trading since 1990 and can supply a vast array of authentic Italian food and wine. Through our partners in Italy we import the best food and wine that the country has to offer.

To find out more please contact us using the details below.

Tel: 0161 432 8070 Fax: 0161 432 8405 Find us at www.gandoitalianfood.co.uk Email: info@gandofoods.it We are also on Facebook & Twitter

THE STRENGTH OF TRADITION

THE STRENGTH OF TRADITION

We at Mercanti Ltd. are proud that we can supply the West country & South Wales with the worlds most famous pizza flour. Originating from Naples, Caputo flour is known as the best of the best in the pizza trade.

Through our partnership with Casa Julia we are able to offer the best food and wine from Italy

Tel: 0117 955 2099 1, Premier Estate, William Street, St Phillips, Bristol BS2 0G

THE STRENGTH OF TRADITION

We at Fresco Foodservice are proud that we can supply Scotland with the worlds most famous pizza flour. Originating from Naples, Caputo flour is known as the best of the best in the pizza trade.

We at A Di Maria & Son are proud that we can supply the Midlands with the worlds most famous pizza flour. Originating from Naples, Caputo flour is known as the best of the best in the pizza trade.

We are an independent company who can supply a large range of products To find out more please contact us using the details below

We are an independent company and can supply a vast array of authentic Italian food and wine. Through our partners in Italy we import the best food and wine that the country has to offer.

To find out more please contact us using the details below.

Tel: 0141 557 0239

Tel: 02476 680514

Block 4, Cowlairs industrial, Estate, 60 Finlas Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire G22 5DT

4,The Stampings, Blue Ribbon Park, Coventry CV6 5RE

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news

Prezzo presents Cimbali rolls out award winning PGS a new menu Prezzo has presented its new menu in time for the summer months comprising a brand new range of light flatbread pizzas, salads and desserts as well as a new Italian wine offering.

The new flatbread pizza range offers the perfect choice for a warm summer’s day, featuring a classic pizza without a mozzeralla base and topped with fresh salad (options include Caprese, Goats Cheese salad, and Prosciutto and Asparagus salad). New salads include crab cakes and a salmon Nicoise.

There’s also a new dessert - a light and crunchy Lemon Posset – and the new Italian wine offering features a Soave, Viognier and Gavi whites, and Montepulciano and Malbec reds.

A brand new lunch set menu has also been introduced comprising a selection of Prezzo’s most popular starters and classic main dishes including grilled goats cheese with beetroots and caramelised onions on ciabatta bread, mozzarella in bread crumbs lightly fried and served with pomodoro sauce, a choice of three of our favourite pizzas, our classic caesar and their well-loved spaghetti bolognaise. It is available weekdays 12pm to 5pm and priced at £9.95 for a starter and main course.

Prezzo executive chef, Paul Lewis, commented:“We are always looking to introduce new and innovative dishes to our menu. We are delighted with our new Italian wine offering which compliment these new dishes, and we are confident that the new menu dishes will prove popular with our customers and keep Prezzo at the forefront of Italian dining.”

Cimbali is extending its award winning, barista led, PGS (perfect grinding system) technology to the company’s best-selling superautomatics and the first bean to cup machine to benefit is the S54 Dolcevita series, designed for fast paced environments where it delivers exceptional quality at a high speed, say the company.

Now featuring Cimbali’s integral PGS, the S54 grinder burrs are automatically adjusted through the working day to ensure the quality of the finished drink is maintained across the speciality coffee menu.

“In a typical quick serve environment, someone is given the task of checking the grinder during each shift to make sure that no adjustments are required. These ‘espresso checks’ can be tricky and are often forgotten about especially when there are

queues at the till,” explained Matthew Tuffee, sales and marketing manager at Cimbali.

“As a result, over a period of time the coffee quality can deteriorate. Our new S54 PGS offers a failsafe way to deliver coffee to a predetermined quality without the need for regular checking and adjustments, freeing up staff to concentrate on other areas of the business.

“PGS technology was originally only available on our M39 traditional espresso machine via the Magnum on Demand Grinder.

Such has been the impact, that we are now rolling it out across our product portfolio, initially on other traditional machines such as the M100 but now to our super-automatic range too where it plays a vital part in driving up beverage standards within a pressurised environment.”

PizzaExpress’s lunchtime make-over PizzaExpress has made the biggest ever change to its menu with a range of dishes created especially for lunchtime.

The new menu has been designed to give busy people an excuse to escape for a quick and inexpensive lunch, and offers new choices as well as lunchtime-sized versions of old favourites (all items are available to eat in or take away from Monday to Friday and main dishes range from £3.45 to just £5.95).

Rebecca Farrer, brand director at PizzaExpress said: “It’s easy to feel like you can’t escape for lunch on a busy day but taking time out allows you to push the reset button so you can tackle the afternoon head on. Two big considerations at lunchtime are speed and value. Our new lunch menu has been created so people don’t have to resign themselves to the same sandwich every day or only treat themselves on a Friday –

they can get great value, handmade food throughout the week.”

New to PizzaExpress is a selection of Piadinas (bread pockets that are made using PizzaExpress’s dough, baked with Gran Moravia and filled with tasty, fresh ingredients). Two flavours of soup have also been introduced, served with warm bread made from PizzaExpres’s dough.

Lunchtime sized portions of PizzaExpres’s most popular salads have also joined the menu, including the Leggera Superfood Salad, which is glutenfree and contains just 256 calories. And for pizza-lovers looking for a lighter choice, eight Romanita pizzas have been created – smaller versions of PizzaExpress’ Romana range of thin and crispy pizzas.

Also featured are mini side dishes, including half portions of Dough Balls, rosemary infused Polenta Chips and a crunchy, zesty coleslaw.

New listings of the Bontà d’Italia pizza range DS-gluten free has announced that their authentically Italian, Bontà d’Italia pizza range is now available in selected Waitrose, Tesco, Morrisons, Booths and Ocado stores nationwide, with the new listings addressing consumer demand for a wider variety of deliciously authentic Italian food, feel the company.

A spokesperson from DSgluten free commented:“Our own 8

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consumer research illustrated that just 5% are satisfied with gluten free Italian food options available to them. We are committed to providing gluten and wheat free consumers with produce which is as great tasting as mainstream equivalents and have worked hard to gain wider distribution of consumer favourite, Bontà d’Italia.”

Available in melting

Margherita and sizzling salami, this mouth-watering new range is made with the finest ingredients, say the company - thin, crispy and stone baked, the gluten and wheat free pizzas are generously topped with creamy mozzarella, fresh basil, sun ripened tomatoes and a drizzle of the highest quality extra virgin olive oil for that perfect Italian flavour.

“Better access to gluten and

wheat free food is an essential area of development in retail and we hope the Bontà d’Italia range helps gluten and wheat free consumers reintroduce quality Italian food into their kitchen,” add DS-gluten free.“We are also supporting Coeliac UK’s Awareness Week which encourages consumer demand for improved availability to gluten free products in supermarkets.”

June 2014

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news

SHORTS Gruppo Campari acquires Fratelli Averna Gruppo Campari has reached an agreement to acquire 100% of the share capital of Italian spirits company, Fratelli Averna S.p.A, an independently owned business, based in Caltanissetta (Sicily, Italy). Averna Group is the owner of Averna, the second bestselling bitter in Italy, and one of the best well-known bitters worldwide. Averna Group owns a portfolio of premium brands, including Braulio (a herb-based bitter, particularly known in Northern Italy), Limoncetta (a natural sweet liqueur made of lemon peel) and Grappa Frattina, through which Gruppo Campari enters the grappa category.

'Bellini Week' celebrated at L’Anima With the peach season running from the end of May until midAugust, L’Anima Bar in London launched an exclusive ‘Bellini Week’ recently to celebrate when the fresh white peaches come in from Northern Italy’s Emilia Romagna region. L’Anima Bar makes its bellinis using fresh and perfectly ripe white peaches blended together with prosecco, following the traditional principle of leaving the soft rose skin on half of the peaches to give the long drink its unique taste and colour.

FriFri introduced Maxfry to Super Easy range FriFri has introduced its unique oil protection system, Maxfry, to its Super Easy range of fryers. The Hybrid Standard MaxFry system delivers a small measured dose (once an hour) of a 100% organic, vegetable-based additive, which is proven to extend the life of the oil. Trials have shown that it can at least double life span and protects frying oil from the effects of heat and oxygen and so improves the quality of fried food (it has been introduced as an option on all models in FriFri’s budget Super Easy range, including 211, 411 and 422, following the success of the system on the Basic+ and Vision fryers).

New Salamander range from Pantheon Pantheon’s new, durable, height adjustable salamanders can cook, brown, reheat and hold many different kinds of food and are also perfect for finishing foods, such as au gratin dishes, immediately prior to service and even for warming plates, say the company.

With a choice of cooking heights (adjustable up to 140mm) and a temperature range of between 50°C and 300°C, chefs have precise control over heat intensity and heat distribution.

Seegir’s Prestige adds a touch of magic to wine storage Seegir (www.seegir.com) has launched a new wine cabinet that recreates the optimum storage conditions provided by a traditional vaulted wine cellar.

Manufactured by Chambrair in Hamburg, the Prestige is designed as a stylish, high-end solution for storing and showcasing wines in hotels and restaurants.

The Prestige has capacity for 160 bottles with two individual chambers that allow for red and white wine to be stored within the same cabinet, with temperature and humidity separately controllable. The cabinet also incorporates antibacterial measures, ultra-violet protection and vibration control systems, helping replicate the environment of a traditional cellar while keeping the wine in top condition.

Stainless steel telescopic wire shelves give easy access to the contents for servers

while the frameless glass door has an integrated LED lighting system. The mirrored stainless steel interior and the reflected LEDs combine to present the wines in an eyecatching, sophisticated manner in keeping with the ethos of a high-end restaurant experience. The Prestige is 196cm high, 83.5cm wide and 79cm deep, and the exterior is customisable with a wide range of wood stains and matt or lacquer gloss finish options, to match the site’s decor.

Tasting the British spring the Italian way Seasonally bridging the land and the sea, the new spring menu at Spaghetti House will surprise and delight diners with some new dishes, and a quality of food not often associated with restaurant 'groups', claim the company Time spent developing a relationship with some of the UK's best farmers, means that ingredients with certified provenance are received 'just picked', often on the same day, are only cooked to order, are always fresh, never frozen, and seasonal.

On the menu, just for May, asparagus featured, grown by Norfolk Country Asparagus in Wisbech. After meeting the

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farmer, Spaghetti House say that they secured the crop for their restaurants. Picked by hand at first light, the picking team carefully select and cut the spears to a correct size, box them and deliver them within a day. Then, in the Spaghetti House kitchens, the chefs turned them into three specials, on offer throughout May for diners to enjoy.

“It's this quality and the care we take in sourcing seasonal products that sets us apart from other high street groups,” says executive chef, Chris O'Neill, who has come up with Chargrilled fresh Norfolk Asparagus with fried duck egg, rosemary, parsley and

pancetta, Zuppa di Asparagi and Tagliatelle with fresh Norfolk Asparagus & mascarpone, a hint of anchovy, pangrattato and fresh basil.

Among the most popular dishes is Roast Salmon with warm minted asparagus, broad beans, peas and tomato. For this dish Loch Duart Salmon is used - the closest you get to wild salmon as it swims freely, being farmed in a humane, sustainable and ethical way, with no colour added, say Spaghetti House.

It has a low fat content and is obtained in limited supplies. In June, the seasonal offer from Spaghetti House will be juicy Norfolk strawberries, say the restaurant group.

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news

Bookatable launches new restaurant booking and deals app May saw the launch of Bookatable’s sophisticated new mobile app, which provides consumers with an even faster way to make bookings and locate the most desirable restaurant deals across the UK, freely available on iOS. Having completely redesigned its mobile app proposition, the Bookatable app now enables users to take full advantage of exclusive ‘Star Deal’ and ‘book now, pay later’ promotions, which are targeted to correspond with the user’s local city and driven through the app’s inbox, say the app’s creators. Mobile users will also receive first-look notifications, meaning they will gain primary access to the best deals and tables a day earlier than everyone else.

Bookatable’s speedy restaurant finder offers a broad selection of choice. With thousands of

restaurants on its booking platform, mobile consumers can find a perfect venue for all occasions, from swanky Michelin star restaurants to popular gastropubs, afternoon tea hot spots and popular high street chains.

Sharing with friends is now also integrated into the app, meaning that users can share deal information with friends via email, text or social channels, so friends could be quickly rounded up, and decide which restaurants to go to.

Users are also encouraged to provide feedback on offers and reviews of their experiences, which Bookatable is using to organically improve its mobile solution so that customers can find the best deals at the best restaurants around the UK. “The demand for mobile reservations has significantly increased within the restaurant

booking marketplace over the last few years, with mobile bookings taking a 40% share of all reservations on the Bookatable

platform. The redesign of our mobile application is very much in acknowledgment of this trend and we hope to give our mobile customers the best experience possible,” said Joe Steele, CEO of Bookatable.

“The modern diner wants to be able to book tables on the move with their connected devices, and our sophisticated booking app provides them with everything they need to find the best deals near their location in such a way that is convenient to their busy lives. Online restaurant booking really is starting to have a dominant presence on mobile and by shoring up our mobile proposition; we fully expect this trend to continue.”

The Bookatable app is freely available to download from the Apple App Store (https://itunes.apple.com/app/id4 02188354).

Educational campaign launched for mozzarella di bufala Campana DOP The Italian Cultural Institute in London was the venue for a recent promotional visit by representatives of the Consorzio Tutela Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP in order to showcase this important cheese and educate representatives of the food business here.

The venue was chosen because mozzarella di bufala itself is part of the heritage and culture of Italy. When compared to other cheeses from other countries, it is relatively ‘new’ to the market – a 10 to 15 year association in the UK and US, for example - and its properties and what makes it authentic in terms of its DOP status, are not always fully understood, pointed out the Consorzio’s director, Antonio Lucisano.

Indeed, many products colloquially termed ‘(buffalo) mozzarella’ are in fact not, and it is misleading to then think they have been made from buffalo milk when they have not.

However, this latest campaign – in conjunction with one for San Marzano tomatoes - will be seeking to change that and widen knowledge here, not least by drawing attention to the way in which the product’s packaging must be labelled to confirm authenticity (the mozzarella di bufala Campana and DOP trademarks being required).

A fresh spun cheese and totally additivefree, in order to enjoy mozzarella di bufala at its best, it was explained that it is necessary to eat the cheese when it is ‘warm’ (room

www.papa.org.uk

temperature or above), so that the cheese’s fats can melt and bring out the true flavour of the cheese. Buffalo milk has 9-10% fat content compared to 3-5% for cow milk.

Thus, it is a very precious, rich milk, and in order to ensure that the milk delivers the right fat content, special feeding of the animals is essential to its making.

This DOP mozzarella is the fourth DOP brand in Italy, and the most important one for the south of the country. It involves some 110 dairies, 15,000 people and 37,000 tons of the cheese were produced in 2013 (equating to a value of 550 million euros). The Consorzio’s aims are to protect, monitor and offer technical assistance to producers, as well as provide surveillance on farms and in dairy shops to ensure that the product on sale complies with the DOP regulations.

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Overall Supermarket Section Sponsor

Overall Independent Section Sponsor

2014

The Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Industry Awards 2014 T his year the Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Industry Awards celebrate their 25th anniversary and continue to provide a great opportunity to put your business in the spotlight.

Whether your business is a major high street name or an independent, the Awards are an opportunity for gaining recognition for your success as well as for promotion.

Between now and the annual industry awards dinner, we will be scouring the country for the very best examples of pizza, pasta and Italian food to showcase in the awards. So make sure you are not left out by entering now – all it takes is a phone call or email to get yourself on the nomination lists. There is no cost involved.

The aim of the awards is to recognise excellence in all aspects of the market, from designing pizzas to manufacturing and selling pasta products. And the results will be announced at the annual industry gala dinner, to be held this year at the Lancaster London Hotel, in London, on 13th November 2014…….but judging starts this summer, so don’t delay in getting your entries in.

Not only are the awards a great opportunity for measuring your business against others but they can provide a huge endorsement for all those working with you and who have helped to make your

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pizzapasta AND ITALIAN FOOD

business a success.

Judging for this year’s awards will take place over the summer and early autumn when we will be sending a team of people out to give us independent reports on restaurants and retail outlets across the country. Their aim will be to view outlets from the customer’s perspective and to report back to the main judging panel on what they find.

All judges will be bound by confidentiality agreements.

To ensure that there is absolutely no bias in judging, all those involved on the main judging panel are excluded from entering awards or having strong links with those entering. Furthermore, at least one panel member will be a representative of the Secretariat to ensure fair play.

But the time to enter is now – although the deadline for entries may not be until later this summer, our ‘spies’ will be out and about over the summer to check out those who are entered.

So, to get on the first rung you need to send us your nominations – which must reach the Association by no later than Monday 1st September 2014.

Nominations can be accepted from anyone….you can even nominate yourself!

– and you don’t even need to fill in any forms, simply email pam@jandmgroup.co.uk stating which

category you wish to enter, details of what you are entering and why you think it deserves consideration.

The Awards Overall Operator This lifetime award will be presented to an individual, company or organisation who the judges consider deserves recognition for the contribution made to the industry.

Nominations should state simply why they should be considered for this award.

Pizza Restaurant Chain of the Year Award This award will be given to the pizza restaurant chain (a business with more than 10 restaurant sites) which the judges consider to have done the most in the last year to develop their business and which sets a standard for others to follow. For the purposes of the awards, a pizza restaurant is defined as one where pizza forms the main focus of the business. In assessing entries the judges will be focusing particularly on standards in terms of product, service and overall atmosphere. Judging will be done by a central panel of industry experts who will consider market data, submissions from

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entrants as well as reports from independent ‘mystery shoppers’ who will visit a sample site and report on the restaurant from a customer’s perspective.

What to send in: Your entry should include a brief note saying why you think the business deserves to win, data on demonstrating the businesses success plus a voucher for a meal for two to be used by the ‘mystery shoppers’. Please also include a list of locations which can be visited.

Pizza Restaurant Platinum and Gold Awards These awards are given to independent pizza restaurants (businesses with 10 or fewer sites where pizza is the predominant item on the menu) that set a standard for others to follow. In assessing entries the judges will be focusing particularly on standards in terms of product, service and overall atmosphere. Platinum awards will only be given if one or more restaurants is exceptional. Judging will initially involve entries being assessed on the material submitted and those short-listed will be asked to provide a voucher for a meal for two which will be used by ‘mystery shoppers’ who will report on the restaurant from a customer’s perspective– a copy of their reports will be available to entrants after the awards are presented, on request. What to send in: Your entry should include a brief note saying why you think the business should win, a copy of the menu and photographs showing the outside, the customer area and preparation areas (with preparation underway).

www.papa.org.uk

The Italian Restaurant Platinum and Gold Awards These awards aim to identify the best in genuine Italian restaurants in the UK. To this end they will be presented to specialist restaurants where the food served is rooted at the heart of Italian cuisine and which offers a genuine taste of Italy and experience. Judging: Those judging these awards will be looking for restaurants (whether independent or chains) which set a standard for others to follow. Judges will be focusing particularly on standards in terms of menu choice, food quality, service and the ambiance of the restaurants that enter. Platinum awards will only be given if one or more restaurants is exceptional.

Judging will initially involve entries being assessed on the material submitted and those short-listed will be asked to provide a voucher for a meal for two which will be used by ‘mystery shoppers’ who will report on the restaurant or chain from a customer’s perspective a copy of their reports will be available to entrants after the awards are presented, on request. What to send in: Your entry should include a brief note saying why you think the restaurant or chain should win, a copy of the menu and photographs showing the outside, a voucher for a meal for two for the ‘mystery judges’, customer area and preparation areas, (with preparation underway). If your entry is for a chain, please provide a list of sites which can be visited by judges.

Independent Pizza Delivery Store Award This award aims to recognise the independent operators who are successfully driving their businesses in the delivery/takeaway sector. Judging: Those judging this award will be looking for an individual operator (up to 10 stores) who sets a high standard in terms of the overall operation – from customer service and food quality to delivery. What to send in: Entries will be initially assessed on the material submitted, which should include a brief note saying why you think the business should be considered for an award, a copy of the menu and photographs showing the business premises, the preparation areas (with preparation underway). Entrants should also outline any marketing/promotion initiatives undertaken in the last year as well as details of their success. All those short-listed in this category will also be asked to provide a voucher for a meal for two which will be

used by independent judges who will order a delivery and report on it from a customer’s perspective - a copy of their reports will be available to entrants after the awards are presented, on request.

Pizza Delivery Chain Award This award aims to recognise the chain operators who are successfully driving the delivery/takeaway sector. Judging: Those judging this award will be looking at chains (more than 10 stores) which set a high standard in terms of their overall operation – from customer service and food quality to delivery - and which are positively driving the market. Details of the overall performance of the business in the last year will also be required. Those short-listed will also be asked to provide a voucher for a meal for two which will be used by the ‘mystery shoppers’ who will order a delivery and report on it from a customer’s perspective - a copy of their reports will be available to entrants after the awards are presented, on request.

Frozen Supermarket Pizza Retailer Award This award aims to recognise those supermarkets who are actively driving the frozen pizza sector of the market. All retailers are automatically considered for this award. What to send in: Retailers are asked to complete a short questionnaire and to briefly state why they should be considered for the award. Judging: The judges will consider data on volume and value growth, promotional activity, innovation and general category development.

Pizza Convenience Store Retailer Award This award aims to recognise those convenience store retailers who are actively driving the convenience pizza sector of the market. All retailers are automatically considered for this award. What to send in: Retailers are asked to complete a short questionnaire and to briefly state why they should be considered for the award.

Judging: The judges will consider data on volume and value growth, promotional activity, innovation and general category development.

CHEESE

Chilled Pizza Multiple Retailer Award This award aims to acknowledge those retailers who are actively driving the chilled pizza sector of the market. All

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papa industry awards 2014 retailers are automatically considered for this award. What to send in: Retailers are asked to complete a short questionnaire and to briefly state why they should be considered for the award.

Judging: The judges will consider data on volume and value growth, promotional activity, innovation and general category development.

Pasta Retailer Award This award aims to recognise those supermarkets which are actively driving sales of pasta. All retailers are automatically considered for this award.

What to send in: Retailers are asked to complete a short questionnaire and to briefly state why they should be considered for the award. Judging: The judges will consider data on volume and value growth, promotional activity, innovation and general category development.

Manufactured Pizza Product Award This award aims to encourage new product development in the pizza market by rewarding those who are striving to develop the market through innovation and recipe development. This category is open to any product launched within the 12 month period leading up to the closing date of 1st September 2014 and which is still on sale at the time of judging.

Products short-listed for this award will

be presented to a panel of judges for sampling.

Three separate awards will be presented within this category under the following headings: • Best new ‘everyday’ pizza product • Best new ‘indulgent’ pizza product • Best new ‘innovative’ pizza product What to send in: Initially written entries should be submitted stating the category being entered and supported by details of the product, when it was launched, its retail price and data showing its performance. Sample products will be required at a later date for judging.

Manufactured Pasta Product Award This award aims to encourage new product development in the pasta market by rewarding those who are striving to develop the market through innovation and recipe development. This category is open to any product launched within the 12 month period leading up to the closing date of 1st September 2014 and which is still on sale at the time of judging.

Products short-listed for this award will be presented to a panel of judges for sampling.

Two separate awards will be presented within this category under the following headings: • Best new retail pasta product • Best new catering pasta product What to send in: Initially written entries should be submitted stating the category being entered and supported by details of the product, when it was launched and data showing its performance.

ENTRY FORM Contact name:..........................................................................................................................

Business name: ........................................................................................................................

Address: ..................................................................................................................................... .....................................................................................Post Code: ............................................

Tel No ........................................................................Fax No. ...................................................

Email:...........................................................................................................................................

Details of person or business nominated, if different from above: Contact name:..........................................................................................................................

Business name: ........................................................................................................................

Address:...................................................................................................................................... .....................................................................................Post Code:.............................................

Tel No ........................................................................Fax No ....................................................

Email:...........................................................................................................................................

Please tick the award categories you wish your entry to be considered for: Pizza Art Award Pizza Chef Award Pizza Restaurant Chain of the Year Award Pizza Restaurant Platinum and Gold Awards The Italian Restaurant Platinum and Gold Awards Independent Pizza Delivery Store Award

New Product or Ingredient Award This award aims to recognize those suppliers who are developing/sourcing new equipment, products and ingredients for use by manufacturers or restaurant/delivery businesses. The judges will be looking for innovative ideas which can positively benefit the market. What to send in: Entries should state details of the products being entered and explain the benefits they offer to the manufacturer/restaurant etc. Those short-listed in this category may be invited to submit samples (or make presentations) for judging in the Autumn.

The Pizza and Pasta Marketing Award This award is aims to recognize successful marketing and promotional initiatives by businesses operating in the UK pizza, pasta and Italian food industry. This award is open to all those involved in the market, including suppliers. What to send in: Entries should provide details of the marketing/promotional activities undertaken with, where appropriate, examples of marketing/promotional material. Details should also be provided to show the results of the activity. Judging: The judges will consider the material supplied.

The Award Qualifying Period is 1st September 2013 to 31st August, 2014 AWARDS CLOSING DATE 1st Sepember 2014

To enter the PAPA Awards 2014 simply complete this form and return it with the material requested to PAPA Awards 2014, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow NP16 5DB to arrive by no later than 1st September 2014.

Frozen Multiple Pizza Retailer Award Chilled Multiple Pizza Retailer Award Convenience Pizza Retailer Award Pasta Retailer Award Manufactured Pizza Product Award Manufactured Pasta Product Award New Product or Ingredient Award Pizza Delivery Chain Award The Marketing Award If you are entering a catering or retail award category, please state how many units you operate under this brand name? _________ units If you would like to book places at the PAPA Awards Dinner on November 14th in London. Please complete the following: I would like to book: ____ table(s) of 10 places at the 2014 PAPA Dinner at a cost of £2,250+ VAT ____ place(s) at the 2014 PAPA Dinner at a cost of £235 + VAT each Please note that all bookings must be accompanied by the appropriate remittance. Cheques can be made out to either The Pizza, Pasta and Italian Food Association or PAPA. Alternatively payment can be made by credit card by completing the section below. No refunds can be made if cancellations are made within 20 days of the event and any cancellations before this time will be subject to a 25% cancellation charge.

Credit Card Payment Card No: ______ ______ ______ ______ Valid From ____ /____ Expiry date: ____ /____ Last 3 digits of Security No. on Reverse _____ Name on Card:_______________________ Post Code_____________ House No. ________ (for security purposes only) Please return this form, with the appropriate remittance, to: PAPA Industry Awards, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow NP16 5DB

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papa industry awards 2014

Celebrate

25 years

of the PAPAs! T

o mark the 25th Anniversary of the Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Industry awards, celebrity Italian chef Aldo Zilli has not only agreed to present the awards again this year but will also be joining the judging panel for the Pizza Chef of the Year Award as well as cooking one of the courses at the dinner!

The Awards, which aim to recognise and reward the ‘movers and shakers’ in the UK’s impressive and diverse Italian food sector, take place at the Lancaster London Hotel on 13th November.

Aldo Zilli – restaurateur, familiar face on our television screens and newspaper columnist – is keen to encourage the development of Italian cuisine in the UK and is a strong supporter of the awards which he has attended on a number of occasions.

As well as acting as head judge for the Pizza Chef of the

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pizzapasta AND ITALIAN FOOD

Year Final, Aldo Zilli will also be judging a new Pizza Art competition this year where contestants are encouraged to create unique pizzas with a ‘message’.

Entries for this year’s awards are already starting to come in with many aspiring pizza chefs from across the country having already put their names down for the heats of the Pizza Chef award.

If you haven’t yet entered, there’s still time to secure an opportunity to receive significant publicity and prestige for you and your business should you win (turn to page 18 for more details).

Win a day in Aldo Zilli’s kitchen! will be This year, the chosen charity for the awards night cause, and tant impor this of rt suppo In UK. r Cance l Bowe has very as a special treat for one raffle winner, Aldo Zilli holder ticket lucky a for tion invita kindly offered a fantastic for a n kitche own his in him with day a to come and spend trade’ the of unique chance to learn some invaluable ‘tricks yet to and skills, direct from the man himself. If you have and lete comp please then table, book your awards night ?. page on return the form

June 2014

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papa industry awards 2014

Profile:

Aldo Zilli A

ldo Zilli is an awardwinning celebrity chef and restaurateur who specialises in Italian, vegetarian and seafood cuisine. One of nine children, he was born in the small seaside town of Alba Adriatica in the central Italian region of Abruzzo and first learnt Italian home cooking from his mother in Italy and catering college.

He was the founder and chef-patron of some of London’s most exciting and innovative restaurants, Signor Zilli, Zilli Fish, Zilli Green, Zilli Café and Zilli Bar. His Italian seafood restaurant, Zilli Fish, which was located on Brewer Street, was a Soho institution and welcomed customers for over 15 years until March 2012 when Aldo decided to hang up the chef's whites and embark on pastures new.

Of late, Aldo, who flavours delicious small and uncomplicated dishes, has been providing the award-winning San Carlo group with his industry expertise. The San Carlo group owns Cicchetti and Signor Sassi restaurants in London, Birmingham and Manchester as well as an international portfolio including venues in Kuwait, Beirut and Bangkok.

Aldo Zilli is the brand ambassador for Divo Cheese and features prominently on packaging and in consumer marketing. Aldo has handpicked five popular Italian recipe cheeses to feature in the new range, each of which is designed to offer superb quality and taste in versatile formats that cater for the needs of British shoppers. The innovative range of premium Italian cheeses offers a modern, unique twist on the Italian cheese

www.papa.org.uk

category that is now available online with Ocado and in Morrisons, with more retailers looking to stock the range very soon.

Aldo has written 10 books including two autobiographies, Being Zilli and My Italian Country Childhood, as well as various cook books, with his signature Italian recipes. His Fish Cook book showcases some of the fresh seafood recipes that he is so famous for.

Zilli Fish and Zilli Light share his healthy Italian recipes with tips on how to eat well and still eat delicious food. His most recent book, Fresh & Green, with over 100 new exciting vegetarian recipes made the Telegraph’s Top Ten in 2012.

Great food and Aldo’s exuberant personality means Aldo appears regularly on television and radio both as presenter and chef. Most recently Aldo appeared on BBC2's Country Show Cook Off series which aired in Spring 2013. He travelled around the English countryside with fellow chef Silvena Rowe battling it out for first place in local cookery competitions! Before that, he appeared on the UK Good Food channel where he and fellow chef Enzo Oliveri embarked on a culinary journey across Sicily, cooking up delights in Mount Etna, Trapani and the island's capital, Palermo. The show was so successful that a second series is soon to be filmed. He has also had regular slots on ITV1’s Alan Titchmarsh Show and Daybreak. He further had his own primetime ITV documentary Home Is Where The Heart Is back in 2011, where he and his wife Nikki mentored a homeless boy, took him into their home and

changed his life around completely. Previously he had appeared on Celebrity Fit Club in which he lost two stone and six pounds, gained a new svelte figure and increased popularity as well as leading his team to victory. It was, however, with his winning stint on Celebrity X Factor on ITV1 where he captivated the nation. He charmed the audience with his songs in Italian and proved enormously popular making it through to the last stages of the competition.

On another note, Aldo has worked with various companies and brands, firstly with Thomson Airways by inspiring some creative ideas for airline meals, and then with Kraft Foods by preparing six recipes with Philadelphia soft cheese for the Heavenly Inspiration website and You Magazine. He has also featured in many other magazines and newspapers, and currently writes his own weekly column for the Daily Express Saturday Magazine, appearing recently in Channel 5's adverts for the newspaper.

Aldo was a big part of the Kellogs campaign advertising Optivita cereal. He has since collaborated with M Kitchen at

Morrisons Supermarkets nationwide to create two pizzas for their ‘Inspired By’ celebrity chef range, whilst adding more recently his pasta chitarra and Puttanesca sauce. His Pizza Calabrese with Nduja – Calabria’s signature soft salami – quickly became a best seller throughout stores and won Best Indulgent Pizza at the PAPA Industry Awards in 2012.

Since selling his restaurant chains, Aldo has been busier than ever. Aside from the numerous books he has written and countless TV appearances he has made, he has also launched his own brand new PR and marketing company, Zilli Media. Aldo now offers his services and over 30 years’ experience in the business as part of a package for new and existing restaurants, bars, cafés and chefs who may need his help. Aldo is currently working with the San Carlo Group of restaurants as their executive chef, offering his advice and expertise alongside devising new seasonal menus for their numerous restaurants (more information about Zilli Media can be found at www.zillimedia.com, or follow @ZilliMedia on Twitter).

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Pizza Chef e h t f o 4 1 0 2 Year to win £500 PIZZA CHEF of the year 2014

Enter now

PIZZA CHEF COMPETITION REGIONAL HEATS Scotland Heat 10.30am, Monday 6th October Bella Napoli, 85 Kilmarnock Road, Glasgow G41 3YR Northern Heat 11.00am, Tuesday 7th October Stateside Foods Ltd, 31-34 Great Bank Road, Wingate Industrial Park, Westhoughton, Bolton BL5 3XU Midlands Heat 11.00am, Tuesday 14th October Portobello Restaurant, 16 Silver Street, Tamworth, Staffs B79 7NH South West Heat 2.00pm, Monday 20th October Farrells Restaurant, 44 Temple Street, Keynsham, Bristol BS31 1EH South East Heat 11.00am, Tuesday 21st October Equipline, Ashley House, Ashley Road, Uxbridge UB8 2GA

o celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the PAPA Awards, we have introduced some changes to the Pizza Chef competition: The judging panel of the competition final will be led by celebrity chef, Aldo Zilli and as well as the considerable publicity, the overall winner of this competition will win a trophy plus £500.

Also, in the Whitworth category, contestants will be asked to create a cheese and tomato ‘margherita-style’ pizza which will be judged at the regional heats and the final by ‘blind judging’. The pizzas will be brought to the judges by PAPA staff and the winner’s identity will be revealed at the end of each competition.

Sponsors, Tulip, are inviting the winner of their Super Tops category on a visit to Denmark.

The Pizza Chef competition offers the chance to network with colleagues and suppliers in the industry and test your creativity and innovation. You will receive considerable publicity and prestige for you and your business by winning a regional category and ultimately the overall Pizza Chef of the Year, plus the cheque for £500.

T

THE COMPETITION There are four categories, each centred on a sponsor’s product and you are required to show innovative use of the sponsor’s product in your design. Free sample products will be sent to entrants for experimentation and design.

Entries can be made into all four categories (up to two in each) but entrants must enter at least two of the four categories. Judges will be looking for presentation, commercial viability, innovative use of the sponsor’s product and of course, flavour.

THE FOUR CATEGORIES Bel UK Boursin Cuisine Pizza Chef of the Year - Contestants are required to create a pizza using this product.

With a sophisticated taste and rich texture, Boursin is a deliciously creamy premium cheese available in a variety of flavours. The versatility of Boursin adds a subtle extra dimension to your cooking. It melts smoothly, mixes easily with other ingredients, hot or cold, and gives a creamy bite to classic dishes.

Whitworth Bros Vivo Italian Style Pizza flour Pizza Chef of the Year - By popular request, we have introduced a blind tasting category sponsored by Whitworth Bros.

If you wish to take part in the Pizza Chef of the Year Award competition 2014, please either telephone Pam Sainsbury on 01291 636341, leaving your full name, address and telephone number, or email pam@jandmgroup.co.uk with your details by 4th July.

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pizza chef of the year

Entrants are required to enter a cheese and tomato “Margherita-style” pizza using Whitworth Bros Vivo flour.

Where the sponsor is unable to deliver the flour, contestants may use their own choice of pizza flour.

Vivo, Italian Style Pizza Flour is made from high protein hard wheat and is milled to give a flour that will produce a firm, strong dough. Suitable for all types of bases – will produce thin and crispy, or crisp crust and a chewy crumb for that authentic Italian pizza taste.

Beacon Foods Candy Garlic Clove Pizza Chef of the Year – Contestants are required to create a pizza using this product.

Hand selected Spanish garlic cloves that have been caramelised to a gorgeous golden brown and fantastic candy sweet flavour with a soft texture that melts in your mouth. Perfect for garlic lovers and hated by vampires.

www.papa.org.uk

Tulip SuperTops Pizza Chef of the Year – Contestants are required to create a pizza using one or more products from the Tulip SuperTops range.

This year the winner of this category will be a guest of Tulip on a factory visit to Denmark.

SuperTops is the market leading and longest established brand of ingredient ranges on offer to the professional caterer.

Developed to provide consistent highquality, without excessive fat in/cooking out, each topping is designed for use in high temperature ovens. A one-stop-shop for all your meat ingredients includes pepperoni, salami, ham, pork, bacon, beef, meatballs and chicken.

JUDGING Written entries will be selected by a panel of judges to go forward into one of five regional heats. In these live bake-offs, entrants will prepare their pizzas for judging and each of the four category winners will go forward to compete in the final on Thursday, 13th November, at the Lancaster London Hotel, Hyde Park.

Judging in the final will be a panel of experts in the Pizza industry led by Italian celebrity chef, Aldo Zilli.

The winners of each category and the

Overall Pizza Chef of the Year Award winner will be announced at the Awards Dinner, on the evening of Thursday 13th November, and will receive a trophy, a cheque for £500, considerable publicity and the kudos that this competition confers.

HOW TO ENTER For entry forms and to receive free samples of the sponsor’s products, please send your name; postal address (including postcode) and telephone number to Pam Sainsbury before Friday 4th July 2014. Pam can be reached on pam@papa.org.uk or telephone 01291 636341.

Sample products will be despatched in late July/early August to allow chefs to devise their entry. Completed entry forms must be returned no later than Monday 1st September and clearly state: • The name of the pizza • A list of the ingredients • Method • Short description of the pizza • Proposed selling price • Target market • Where the pizza will be sold

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pizza art competition

ENTER TO WIN

£500 Sponsored by:

In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the PAPA Awards and in recognition of the ingenuity of Britain’s pizza makers, this year’s PAPA Awards will see a new competition – The Pizza Art Competition.

What’s involved?

This competition will appeal to all the artists among you. Can you create spectacularly artistic works in the medium of pizza? Do you see Marilyn Monroe in your cheese topping? If so, we want to see it. Take a photo of your creation and send it in to us.

There will be an online public vote to decide the finalists who will present their designs live at the Pizza Chef Final on 13 November at the Lancaster London Hotel. The winner will receive the plaudits, a trophy and a cheque for £500.

Judging The judges will be looking at the aesthetic aspects of the pizza only – the visual art. Some entries will be best represented cooked and some un-cooked so a taste test will not form part of the judging. There are no restrictions on ingredients used or the image represented.

Entries will be judged by our panel of experts, led by celebrity chef Aldo Zilli. Aldo is an awardwinning celebrity chef and restaurateur who specialises in Italian, vegetarian and seafood cuisine. One of nine children, he was born in the small seaside town of Alba Adriatica in the central Italian region of Abruzzo and first learnt Italian home cooking from his mother in Italy and catering college.

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HOW TO ENTER Photos of entries should be sent to pam@papa.org.uk no later than 1 September 2014 for an online contest with a public vote.

These fantastic images are genuine pizza art creations from Domenico Crolla of Bella Napoli, Glasgow.

Frank Sinatra

Ant & Dec

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From dealing with issues on legislation to providing advice and help to support members, the Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association is committed to encouraging and promoting excellence across the pizza, pasta and Italian food sector in the UK.

tel: 01291 636333 web: www.papa.org.uk

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The current trend for ‘gourmet’, artisan pizza, made in a theatre-style setting is placing greater demand than ever before on outlets to source the right oven. Here, we look at some of the options and new products, and air the advice of the sector’s suppliers.

Current trends “The big development in pizzas is speed, with operators setting up Subway-type operations where customers go to the counter, order pizza with a simple choice of toppings, pay for it and then pick it up, after about three minutes, from the other end of

Wood Stone’s latest Bistro 4836 Stone Hearth Oven.

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the counter. This type of operation requires big ovens that cook quickly at high temperatures,” comments Nick Oryino, chair of CESA (the Catering Equipment Suppliers Association, www.cesa.org.uk).

“Stone deck ovens with revolving bases are becoming more popular as they cook the pizzas evenly, so chefs don’t have to move them around the deck.

Meanwhile, conveyor ovens are an alternative to traditional gas-, electric- or wood-fired ovens, because they are so simple for staff to use - pizza goes in at one end and comes out the other, fully cooked.

“Another way for operators to speed up pizza service is to parcook them in a traditional stone deck or conveyor style oven, then finish them off in a convection microwave oven, which is fast and still browns the topping. This allows operators to serve pizza in seconds, but is usually most

The stone hearth of a Marana Forni oven. appropriate for slices.”

The other predominant trend impacting upon choice of pizza oven, is the demand on the part of consumers for authentic, ‘artisan’ pizza, and for many operators, this means that only a wood-fired oven, or its equivalent, will do. Indeed, the oven itself becomes a centrepiece of their business.

“Innovation has been widespread in the ovens market in recent years, especially with those manufacturers of equipment specifically designed for producing quality Italian cuisine,” agrees Michael Eyre, product director at oven supplier, Jestic Foodservice Equipment (www.jestic.co.uk).

“Offering impressive quality, delightful flavours and pleasing aesthetics, stone-hearthed pizza ovens in particular will intrigue customers and provide a restaurant with a real point of difference when it comes to a quality food menu.”

Theatre-style Since the early 1990’s, Wood Stone – supplied by Jestic in the UK - has gained a reputation for developing speciality cooking equipment and stone hearth ovens capable of withstanding the rigours of commercial kitchens. Steady growth in the UK has led to the company now being considered to be one of the leading brands in theatre-

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www.papa.org.uk

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ovens style cooking appliances.

Installing appliances in leading high-street chains including Zizzi, Prezzo and Strada, Wood Stone equipment can now be found in over 900 establishments in the UK, report the company.

“Available as both a gas fired and traditional wood fired oven, and manufactured in a wide range of sizes and styles, operators will be able to work closely with one of the experts from Jestic Foodservice Equipment to ensure their new appliance provides the optimum level of service they require,” adds Michael Eyre. “Equally suitable for positioning within a kitchen environment or in an open plan, customer facing set-up, customers and operators alike will also adore the rich, smoky flavour associated with cooking in the oven.”

Wood Stone’s latest Bistro 4836 Stone Hearth Oven is the pinnacle of Wood Stone’s speciality oven series, say Jestic.

Featuring a compact design, this model is ideal for kitchens pushed for space, but who are looking to produce high quality pizzas and more on a compact footprint, say Jestic.

Cast in moulds to make strong monolithic domes, these hand crafted ovens are more reliable and consistent than those made of standard clay or brick, claim Wood Stone. The hearth and dome perimeters are surrounded by a tensioned steel exoskeleton ensuring structural integrity and longevity whilst it is also wrapped in spun ceramic fibres for added insulation. With a hearth capacity range allowing up to eight 8”, six 10”, four 12” or two 16” pizzas in the oven at one time, cooking pizzas in a traditional style for a modern paced environment is also made easier.

In addition, the new Bistro Oven features a visible flame giving it that authentic look, but also provides high temperature cooking able to produce delicious pizzas in just three to five minutes, point out Wood Stone.

“The delicate art of pizza cooking is for many professionals and top chefs, time-consuming, expensive and labour intensive,” says Michael Eyre. “However, I

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Latest Sirman Vesuvio pizza oven. believe that the latest Bistro Stone Hearth Oven from Wood Stone guarantees excellent quality pizzas cooked as a result of the perfectly developed hearth oven technology, which is impressively tailored in to such a compact unit.”

The Wood Stone Bistro Stone Hearth Oven has been created to provide the ideal solution for any establishment looking to introduce or develop a pizza offering to complement their menu. A compact model, it features easy to use operation, a gas fuel configuration, and arrives fully assembled for your convenience, say Jestic. A quality finish and visible flame also help to make the oven an ideal choice for a front of house setup or open plan kitchen, introducing an element of theatre to the intrigued diners.

Electric deck ovens The Vesuvio 85 and 105 are the latest Sirman electric pizza ovens to be available from Foodservice Equipment Marketing (FEM), and they have been designed to mimic the cooking conditions of traditional wood- or gas-fired pizza ovens, say the company, enabling authentic tasting pizzas to be quickly and easily produced. As such, they are perfect for smaller catering establishments, such as takeaways and cafés, feel FEM. Their robust stainless steel construction makes the pizza ovens durable and hardwearing, and there is a stone baking deck for that traditional pizza texture.

Interior lighting and the Vesuvio’s glass door allows the user to monitor the cooking process. The ovens are controlled by easy-touse electronic controls.

The top of the range Vesuvio 105 - which can cook six, 14 inch pizzas - has two thermostats (one for the stone baking deck and one for the chamber giving the user total control over the cooking process, ensuring crisp bases and juicy toppings). Digital temperature displays allow monitoring during cooking without opening the oven door (this 9kW oven measures 1395mm (w) x 920mm (d) x 395mm (h)). The smaller, 5.3kW Vesuvio 85, measures just 1190mm (w) x 905mm (d) x 395mm (h) and can cook four, 14 inch pizzas, making it ideal for smaller venues. The oven chamber temperature itself can be monitored by thermometer and adjusted with a general thermostat, say FEM. These ovens are also stackable, to save space, and come with an optional ventilation hood. Available from FEM with a full one year parts and labour warranty, more information can be found at www.fem.co.uk.

Tom Chandley’s current pizza ovens, which are available in mini or maxi formats, are manufactured to each customer’s specification, depending on the quantity and type of products that are being baked, report the company.

“Each Compacta pizza oven features stainless steel shell, Vienna type doors, steam dampers and heating elements that are manufactured at Tom Chandley’s specialist electronics department. The combination of the ceramic baking sole and expertly graded heating elements on each deck offers a truly mellow bake,” says Martin Dyson, sales Director at Tom Chandley Ltd. “The ovens are available from one to three decks high, and each deck can hold up to eight 10” pizzas. A pull-out shelf can be incorporated into the base, particularly useful with pizza production.

“The majority of our customers who require pizza ovens are restaurants and fastfood outlets. Pizza ovens have uprated elements for a fast recovery - meaning the oven temperature returns to the right temperature ready for the next batch of pizzas.

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promotion

Pizza Direct to launch New Website and Showroom Kitchen Pizza Direct, our business started in 1986 supplying ingredients for the preparation and cooking of pizzas, and then later added essential catering equipment suited to meet the demands of various catering outlets, in which to make and prepare a wide range of dishes. Today, Pizza Direct are now one of the top leading suppliers of pizza equipment in the UK and specialise in the supply of high quality catering equipment to companies up and down the country and across Europe.

Every product that Pizza Direct stock has been carefully selected and our wide selection of ovens and other abundant catering related equipment represents what we believe to be the best that is available on the market right now.

Along with Pizza Direct’s wide

variety, our prices are among the most competitive in the industry and all items are delivered in the shortest time possible. In addition to our low prices that we offer on a wide range of products, we can also arrange leasing contracts at very attractive rates.

Pizza Direct provide alternative methods of contact to suit every person’s situation, as customers can either order over the telephone, through the website or simply pop in to our warehouse and showroom in Bolton, Greater Manchester, and order direct from our wide range first hand.

A look through the Pizza Direct’s website (www.pizzadirect.co.uk) will give a general overview of the type of products that we deal with including major famous brands, such as: Blodgett, Pitco, Lincat, Archway, Blue Seal and many

more. If you require another brand not mentioned, feel free to contact us through our various different contact details to discuss your personal needs and requirements and we will provide the best service and professional advice that there is to offer.

Pizza Direct are the number one UK retail dealer for Blodgett Conveyor Ovens, which are the leading pizza conveyor ovens and cannot be beaten for energy efficiency and overall quality which a long performance time making it a machine you can rely on for years to come.

Our quality assurance procedures ensure that all the equipment we provide is safe and reliable, and our comprehensive warranties are put in place to give all our customers peace of mind.

In our continual effort to improve our customer service Pizza Direct will be launching a new kitchen show room coming soon, which will allow our customers to see the equipment and test selected lines before they purchase, making Pizza Direct one of the few places in the country where the customer will be able to see an on selected line. We are also about to launch a new improved website with a range of new features making it a more flexible shopping experience.

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ovens

Wood fuel alternative For many operators, the theatre and romance of using a wood-fired oven can present challenges when it comes to sourcing and using the right wood on a consistent basis. However, the suppliers of ‘O Sole Mio (Eco-Fuels - www.ecofuels.eu) say that they can offer an alternative in the form of a patented wood briquette specially developed for use in woodfired pizza ovens.

‘O Sole Mio consists of 100% beech wood, which is compressed into a high energy briquette, say the company, offering a number

“We have found that independent bakers tend to utilise their existing deck ovens to cook their pizzas, rather than purchasing an oven solely for pizza cooking. However, deck ovens are not specified for pizza production and as a result, the recovery time takes slightly longer. Tom Chandley has a small percentage of pizza oven clients that are independent bakers.

However, as eating habits and trends change, this number is growing.”

Rotating deck Whites Foodservice Equipment have become the exclusive distribution partner for Marana

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of key advantages over traditional wood logs – a factor that has helped to make it a favourite with over 12,000 pizza chefs in Italy, claim the firm.

The product comes with chemical and bacteriological certification, so complies with HACCP to be used in a food environment. The briquette is high in energy, meaning you use it sparingly, and it is consistent each time. It can also be broken into smaller pieces so that you only use the amount required to maintain the cooking temperature in the oven.

Marana Forni’s rotating deck oven was on show at the recent Hotelympia.

Forni in the UK, and the company say that they have studied the impact of the rotating deck, concluding that it is gaining great momentum and following from its birth place in Italy.

The World Pizza Championships held in Italy are sponsored by Marana Forni, with several ovens taking centre stage for the event and so used by some of the world’s finest pizzaioli.

Marana Forni say that they invented the rotating deck oven, along with the rise and fall mechanism, that rotates and lifts the deck in the air, Mr Marana the founder of the rotating oven – having been used to manufacturing and supplying traditional wood fired ovens.

“He found the skills required to use wood fired ovens were becoming more and more difficult to find in Italy,” explains Tim White. “You need experience to operate a wood oven, and to control the heat and manage the fire inside the oven.

“Too much heat over fires the oven, and too little has the opposite effect. The fire takes up floor space inside the oven and the heat variation alters nearer to the flame. Pizzaioli need to manually turn and circulate the pizzas inside the oven to ensure they get an even bake. During busy periods, the skills of the pizza chef are tested to maintain the temperature inside (the deck having variations in temperature across its surface).

“So, Mr Marana designed an oven with the fire inside the oven. It is contained its own area, and with its own ash removal bin underneath. He manufactured a round deck, which rotated inside

the oven, which when heated has an even temperature across its surface. Heat and air can circulate completely around the floating deck, to give a constant even temperature. More importantly, the rotating decks surface is 100% useable, unlike a traditional oven, where the deck space is determined by the fire and useable area left inside the oven.”

To bake 10-12 pizzas in ‘one go’, the skill to load, turn, bake and operate may take more than one person, with long tools to reach inside the traditional oven.

However, with the rotating deck concept, it is simple to operate, requiring only one person, point out Whites. The deck is easier to access to load and unload, as this rotates to aid access and removal.

“Thus, production is greatly improved, making for faster service, even baking, and better heat recovery. And the pizza is not turned manually inside the oven, and the rotating deck is already doing this process,” Tim White continues.

“The patented design was further enhanced by a system that allows the deck to rise and fall. This is done by a second motor, which is operated by the pizza chef. When the fire loses its heat, the ability to raise the deck to where the heat source is at the top of the dome, is an added advantage to give extra top heat when necessary. Marana Forni is the only oven in the world that has this facility. From burning just wood, the ovens evolved to use pellets and gas burners, all heating the rotating decks, or using a combination.”

Bake and display Offering a top temperature of 480oC, Lincat's premium pizza ovens are equipped with a viewing window, internal illumination and an external temperature gauge, which allow easy monitoring of the cooking process, say the company. There are six models to choose from, ranging in capacity from the PO425 which can cook 4 x 10” pizzas at a time, to the twin-deck PO630-2 which can accommodate 12 x 12” pizzas.

Firebrick bases ensure the crisp, even cooking of pizza bases, say Lincat.

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ovens

They also offer four standard pizza ovens. The PO69X can accommodate six 9” pizzas or two 14” pizzas on its firebrick base, whereas the PO49X pizza oven will cook 4 x 9” or 2 x 12” pizzas at a time and the twin deck PO89X offers double this capacity. For smaller establishments their LPO model has the capacity to cook either 2 x 9”, 4 x 7” or 1 x 14” pizzas.

“If you’re selling hot pizza slices either as a snack to take out, or with salad to eat in, say, specialist pizza display equipment could also make all the difference. It will not only make your pizzas look great, but will also keep them in perfect condition prior to purchase,” says Rachel Smith, marketing manager at Lincat.

“Our upright heated merchandisers with rotating racks have been designed to do this. We even offer combination models, such as the UMO50, which include ovens – so that you can cook and display your pizza in one convenient unit.

“If you‘re not sure whether

www.papa.org.uk

you can justify the expense of a specialist pizza oven, remember that they can be used for much more besides. They can also be used for a variety of breads such as ciabatta and naan, as well as foods such as lasagne, jacket potatoes, pies, pasties and pastries. A twin-deck pizza oven is a great idea. You can just have one part working in quieter periods in order to save energy.”

Conventional considerations “If you’re interested in a conventional oven, the most important thing is to make sure you buy the correct level of duty,” advises Rachel Smith. “Don’t expect a light duty countertop item to withstand heavy use.

Equally, don’t pay thousands of pounds for heavy duty kit if you’re working in a small outlet.

“That said, don’t buy on price alone, but think instead of whole life costs. The cheap, imported fryer or oven may not be the bargain you had hoped for if it takes weeks to arrive, or you have to wait for spare parts to arrive when it fails.”

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ovens Fuel choice You need to decide between gas, electricity or dual fuel. Your choice might be restricted by the current supply to your kitchen, but also bear in mind that gas products are legally required to be positioned under powered extraction canopies fitted with an interlock. This automatically cuts the gas supply in the event of a power failure, but can add significantly to the overall cost of installation. Electric products are generally cheaper to buy but ongoing energy costs are often lower with gas.

Heat distribution An electric convection oven generally offers more even heat distribution. If you’re planning to do lots of baking, this could be the right one for you. By contrast a traditional oven tends to be hotter at the top, cooler at the bottom, which is helpful if you need different temperatures for different dishes at the same time.

Holding dishes in the cooler lower section whilst continuing to roast in the hotter top part would be a good example.

Modular?

The key advantage of freestanding, modular equipment is that you can change things round if you subsequently decide that another layout, or different kit, would work better. Modular, pull out equipment also makes for easier cleaning.

Hob top Do you need six burners or plates, or would four suffice? It could be that two four-burner ranges would give you more flexibility than a single six-burner.

But perhaps you don’t actually need any at all and a simple oven or atmospheric steamer would suffice?

Power Whichever format you choose, make sure that the burners or plates are sufficiently powerful to meet your needs. Gas burners are generally thought to be more responsive. Electric plates, by contrast, take time to reach the required temperature. The temptation therefore is to leave them on, which can add to the running costs. A solid top, where

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pans can be freely moved around between hotter and cooler zones as required, is the preferred choice of many a la carte operations.

Easy to clean?

Also make sure that whatever you buy is easy to clean. Fully pressed, dished hob tops can significantly reduce the time it takes to mop up spillages and clean the range at the end of service.

Ease of use Other things to look out for include ease of use and safety of operation. Well-designed equipment from a reputable manufacturer will meet stringent European safety regulations which, for example, limit the temperatures that surfaces and control knobs can reach. Check that controls are well placed and that doors and runners operate smoothly and positively.

Independent advice Always talk to an independent dealer about your requirements; they will be able to offer impartial advice on the best product for your particular needs. You should also be looking at the back up service available, such as the manufacturer’s field service network and warranty details does the guarantee include parts and labour?

New launch Answering demand for optimum cooking speeds, product quality and flexibility, Gamble Foodservice Solutions (formerly Imperial) has launched the ultracompact, energy-saving Ovention Matchbox.

The Matchbox, which has a small kitchen footprint and can bake, broil, cook, grill and roast, includes Ovention’s Revolutionary Precision Impingement™, enabling caterers to control time, temperature and independent blower speeds for every food item, say the company.

Offering superior temperature control with FlexTemp™, the Matchbox also means caterers can increase or lower temperature by 27 degrees centigrade or

more from one item to the next.

Crucially, it can also squeeze into the tightest spot and does not require a hood, say Gamble (www.gamblefood servicesolutions.co.uk).

In terms of its attraction to this particular sector, the Matchbox 1718, for example, can cook a fresh dough, 16” pizza in just four minutes, and par-baked pizza even quicker. Salmon and roasted vegetables for pasta dishes take just four minutes to cook in the Matchbox, claim Gamble.

Intuitive one-touch display is also a key selling point, meaning two cooking surfaces can be automatically loaded at the tap of a touchpad, while the Matchbox also incorporates an auto unload feature to prevent overcooking.

Scott Taylor, business development manager for Gamble, which supplies everything from heavy duty ranges to convection ovens, said the Matchbox won America’s National Restaurant Association Kitchen Innovations Award 2013 and was the oven for a new era.

“Many kitchens are looking to increase productivity using a variety of cooking methods, but struggle to equate space available with the footprint of ovens on the market. Outlets also need ovens that can be used by even the lowest skilled worker and saves money in an era when fuel costs continue to spiral,” says Scott Taylor.

“With up to 1,000 preprogrammed cook settings, the quick-cook Ovention Matchbox crucially also means pizza and pasta outlets can do away with their microwaves as a means of serving food fast, the oven designed to keep food nice and moist and its integrity intact. It also includes a catalytic converter, USB port and front panel cooling system to improve the operator experience, and is comfortable and quiet to work near.

“Slashing energy costs, the Matchbox answers caterer demand on every level, and is the first Ovention product to be launched by us since we secured the UK distribution agreement for sales and after sales support of the precision impingement line of ovens last summer.

“When buying a commercial oven, operators must consider its life expectancy if they are going to get the most out of it.

“No-one wants to fork out for equipment that continuously breaks down and needs replacing in no time,” adds Scott Taylor. “At the end of the day, I would always advise caterers to never compromise on quality.

After all, you get what you pay for with cooking equipment, from its durability and long term guarantee right down to ease of cleaning.

“Outlets might also want to consider energy consumption as well as their corporate responsibility. According to a recent Carbon Trust study, set up to monitor energy in-use in commercial kitchens, much more energy is being used than had been estimated.

“The Ovention Matchbox slashes energy consumption and HVAC costs, primarily through its closed cooking system, which means the doors are only opened when food is entering or exiting the oven, and the fact that no hood is required, the system performing 10 times better than the required UL grease emissions standard. These features are bolstered by the Ovention Matchbox’s unique ‘end cap’ system, minimising hot air escape from the cavity.

Ultimately, the Matchbox is not just environmentally-friendly, but should save caterers around £3 a day on energy costs, about £1 cheaper than using a rapid cook microwave unit.”

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ovens

An electric future?

The key to truly exceptional pizza may well lie in the ingredients, but the oven you choose does not only affect the quality and authenticity of your pizza, it can have a serious impact upon the speed and efficiency of your kitchen output too, argues Linda Lewis of Linda Lewis Kitchens (sole distributor of Cuppone pizza equipment in the UK).

Budgetary considerations When it comes to choosing an oven, restaurants should always consider the key priorities - functionality, the available space in the kitchen and of course, budget. For busier restaurants, ease of use and the ability to produce high volume pizza at speed will also be key issues to consider before making a purchase. Equally, an oven that can cook a variety of foods is also paramount.

Investing in a high quality pizza oven that produces authentic Italian taste and texture will keep your customers coming back for more. The traditional preference for restaurants eager to provide exceptional pizza has been to invest in a wood-burning oven. However, although famous for giving pizza a crisp, soft and quality taste, these ovens require highly skilled pizza chefs to operate them and they can be very costly and cumbersome to install. The correct ventilation for wood-burning ovens is also crucial and not all sites are suitable.

New breed Enter the new breed of electric pizza ovens that are capable of achieving the same results as a wood-burning oven. The best electric ovens feature a stone base to deliver the same excellent Italian flavour and texture reminiscent of a wood-burning oven, which means that those restaurants that are keen to provide truly excellent pizza can now do so at a fraction of the price of a wood-burning oven and with less space taken up too. What’s more, they offer quicker cooking times, greater flexibility, higher energy efficiency and very often don’t require a skilled pizza chef to operate them. Some of the best electric pizza ovens on the market look great front-of-house too, providing visual entertainment for the diners that can equal that of any wood-burning oven. Indeed, the Giotto electric oven from Cuppone, for example, was used alongside wood-burning ovens at the world pizza championships in Parma in April 2014.

Size does matter The available space in your kitchen will ultimately dictate which oven is best for you.

For those restaurants where space is at a premium, there is still a wealth of options

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The Tiziano range of compact electric pizza ovens from Cuppone is available in single, twin or triple deck versions are perfect for small kitchens where space is at a premium and only require a 13 amp plug. available, including compact counter top ovens that only require a 13 Amp plug.

Without sacrificing quality and flavour - some even boast a stone base - and delivering consistently quality results, these models can cook pizza in three to six minutes as well as other menu choices such as pasta and meat dishes. They are also great for reheating dishes during busy meal times. For further flexibility, some models are available in single, twin or triple deck options without the need for a stacking kit.

For those kitchens with an awkward shape, the Cuppone Evolution corner oven, for instance, has been specially designed to maximise the space available. Some even boast under-oven storage space to house a dough mixer - another space-saving bonus.

Also, for kitchens in need of a versatile oven to cook a variety of dishes, models with several decks also work very well Drama queen?

For those restaurants that want to bring a sense of drama to the dining experience and wish to position their oven front of house in an open-plan style kitchen, there are several highly aesthetic electric options to choose from. Some even boast advanced technology that enables them to cook pizza in two to five minutes and offer auto programming for ease of service. With an hourly output of up to 200 pizzas, they are perfect for busy pizzerias. The new generation ovens from Cuppone, for example, also have a unique percentage setting ability to control the power of the elements in addition to the temperature.

For greater visual impact, these ovens often incorporate full length, double glazed panoramic windows and internal lights so that cooking progress can be checked without wasting heat. For added aesthetics, they also feature attractive and hygienic stainless steel extraction hoods and stands.

Energy efficiency It’s more important than ever before that restaurants are aware of the energy usage of an electric oven prior to purchase, as there can be huge differences between models and manufacturers. Sometimes the least expensive model to purchase isn’t always the cheapest to run, and caterers need to take into account the latest advances in the design and technology of these ovens, as it can seriously improve the energy efficiency of each appliance.

When speed and output is a key consideration, there is a new generation of electric ovens that can deliver authentic tasting pizza at speed, offering high levels of energy efficiency too. Look out for those models that feature a Heat Generation System that is designed to restrict heat loss and energy, thereby enabling quick recovery times whilst opening and closing the oven – a feature that is ideal for busy kitchens.

Other options worth considering include a digital control system that can offer up to 100 programmes, and the ability to individually set the temperature of the chamber and the power of the oven’s two heating elements with a pre-programmable feature. Up to 15% more energy efficient than mechanical ovens, June 2014

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ovens this also ensures total control of the oven.

12V halogen low voltage lighting systems are also available to withstand the extremely high temperatures required for cooking pizza.

The economy function of these ovens, which tend to be used during periods of work-break, automatically brings the temperature and power of the oven elements to a standby position that enables power to be conserved. If required, power may be resumed quickly to the ideal temperature for each workload. A weekly timer with auto power that can be programmed two times a day is also available.

Do your homework So whether you’re looking to refurbish your kitchen, upgrade your oven, or looking to make your first ever investment in an electric pizza oven, it pays to do your homework and to carefully consider your options. With the pizza industry poised for explosive growth over the next few years, it is vital that any establishment wanting to improve their pizza offering invests in equipment that can accommodate such growth in demand.

Ultimately, all kitchens want is an oven that is reliable and one that produces consistently high outputs without compromising on quality. Investing in an oven from a manufacturer with a solid reputation for quality and reliability, as well as

For those kitchens with an awkward shape, the Cuppone Evolution corner oven, for instance, has been specially designed to maximise the space available. ensuring a warranty for breakdown is included in the purchase, is a key consideration. Having access to spare parts that are held in the UK is also important.

There is continued scepticism from restaurants about the quality of results produced by an electric pizza oven versus a wood-burning stove, but thanks to the advent of the stone base, and total controllability, I have seen electric ovens becoming increasingly accepted by restaurants and caterers throughout the UK, including leading pizza chains.

If cars can go electric, then so too can pizza ovens! Still not convinced? Visit a demonstration centre, and try before you buy. Choose a model that suits you and all your requirements, and then I believe that you will see that the future really is electric.

The Giotto electric pizza oven by Cuppone in use at the World Pizza Championships (available exclusively from Linda Lewis Kitchens, this oven is the first ever electric oven with a revolving stone base to help deliver exquisite flavour, claim Cuppone, boasting a stainless steel exterior and panoramic glass door, making it suited to showing-off front of house).

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profile

A taste of

Tulip After winning the SuperTops-sponsored category in last year’s Pizza Chef of the Year competition Simon Shrager of La Fiamma (main picture, centre) and Pizza Pasta & Italian Food were invited by the company to visit two of the company’s factories (Aalborg and Svenstrup) to get an insight into production, as well as its new product development kitchen.

Historic sites The UK-based Tulip Food Service Ltd is a subsidiary of the Denmark-based Tulip Food Company (part of the Danish Crown Group of companies). The UK, and England in particular, is the biggest export market for Tulip (the famous SuperTops brand pizza toppings being their main export product here).

The Tulip food company currently operates 10 factories (six in Denmark, three in Germany and one in Sweden). The company has a turnover of approximately 695 million Euros and produced approximately 170,000 tons of product last year.

Its total number of employees is around 2,200 people.

Tulip’s Aalborg site has now been in operation for around 30 years, whereas its one in Svenstrup will be celebrating its eightieth birthday this year. It is not uncommon for many employees to work for the company for thirty years or more.

Many of the company’s factory sites are located in cities with historic locations - a legacy of the early days of the firm’s beginnings, before the days of out of town-based factories. The

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Aalborg site is city-based, and despite a review of its investment and manufacturing there after the financial crisis, Tulip say that there are no plans to move from this well established location as they have now committed to ready meal investment capability there (they have also installed new packaging lines to facilitate increased production). The site is also the location for their production of their famous, signature Frikadeller product – a tasty Danish ‘secret’ that has yet to be discovered here, but that the VW factories are the biggest customers for.

Frikadeller – Denmark’s tasty ‘comfort’ food.

High standards Aspects such as dealing with frozen products can also equate to greater investment, report Tulip, and their use of ammonia in product cooling at the Aalborg factory - given its proximity to a local population - required a thorough risk assessment.

However, if there is one thing the company has long been committed to, and prides itself on, it is investment in its technology and attention to high standards of production and

traceability. During the ‘horsegate’ crisis, the company says that it carried out in the region of 1,300 DNA tests on its suppliers, and that as a precaution it has also made a significant reduction in its number of suppliers, making it a lot easier for them to check and continue to maintain their high standards.

However, they still have 40 approved suppliers of pig meat and 30 approved suppliers of beef (it is important to note that it is not different companies but different suppliers, which means that a company can be approved more than once, if they receive meat from more than one facility/slaughterhouse). By keeping tabs on any mistakes and production issues, point out Tulip, they can communicate their findings to employees thereby fostering a culture which takes collective responsibility.

The Aalborg factory covers 23,675 square metres, and its meat production per year is 15,000 tons with 126 employees.

Svenstrup covers some 50,000 square metres, and its meat production per year is 16,000 tons. It is a more labour-intensive

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profile

site with 246 employees, and there are two departments – the sausage producing (‘south’) side, and the salami producing (‘north’) area.

There are many types of pepperoni and salami, with different textures and flavours the finished product will vary depending on the kind of meat used, the proportion of lean meat to fat, how finely it is minced, the seasonings and the period of drying and seasoning. Therefore, according to the quality level of the product required, Tulip have a variety of recipes which they use and which specify the quantities of ingredients needed, as well as the types of cuts of meat to be used (for example, if the quality level is high, then more expensive, tender loin - from the back - or hip cuts are used).

Initially, frozen or chilled raw material is received at the factory for weighing. Before production starts, the integrity of meat that has been received into cold storage is checked via scanning

by X-ray.

The different cuts of meat received are often checked by hand, according to different customer requirements and for

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extra safety, a visual check will ensure that bone can be removed that otherwise might not be picked up by the X-ray scanning machine. Last year, Tulip report that they installed new technology that now enables them to detect small bones, and in their high risk zone where product is stored at a cold temperature, there is a difference in air pressure between inside and out so that air can go out but not come in to prevent contamination.

For the traditional Danish red sausage that they make, the raw materials are not pre-minced with the red colouring (cochineal), but rather the colour

is sprayed on when the sausage has been put into its casing, so it is not the meat but the casing that is coloured.

In the wake of ‘horsegate’ and increased consumer interest in traceability, Tulip emphasise that they have long been bar coding their meat for traceability purposes, meaning that at a later date, if necessary, a particular supply of meat’s origin can be readily identified. In fact, the pig carcasses are bar-coded right at the start (there are 30 million pigs in Denmark, with some 400,000 slaughtered every week – 110,000 being the capacity of Danish Crown in Horsens, the biggest slaughterhouse in

Denmark), and each year, an external audit is carried out to verify that the necessary barcoding and traceability provision is still in place.

In Denmark, the ‘bacon’ pigs are slaughtered at 30 weeks old (whereas in Italy, for example, pigs are typically allowed to get to a weight of 130kg and there is more fat content in the meat in order to get the right raw materials to produce the special Italian hams).

One of Tulip’s most popular products that it makes at the Aalborg site, is Frikadeller – a type of meat ball come burger that is popular in Denmark and other Scandinavian counties – and that

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profile is typically made from pork, beef, onions and tomatoes, and other flavourings, depending on what different markets require. They are made to a traditional Danish recipe, surface dried on a Teflon belt on both sides before being pan or oil fried in sunflower oil and steamed cooked at a temperature of 75oC. This helps to retain some of the moisture before they are frozen (IQF – individually quick frozen).

Tulip are also keen to point out that when they have beef on their production lines, there is no pork being run at the same time.

In other words, beforehand the lines are thoroughly cleaned, and production is carried out in a strict order so as to prevent any rick of contamination (beef is run first, followed by pork, and in between the production lines are cleaned).

They have standardised their production of pizza toppings, tumbling (which opens up the muscle fibres of the meat so that it expands and fills the casing) then curing the meat for between 12 and 20 hours before vacuum packing or casing in the case of pepperoni (the pepperoni is smoked in an oven using

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natural beech wood). Eventually the meat is removed from its casing, then diced and cut according to the format required.

Product development In the UK’s Pizza Chef of the Year competition, Simon Shrager won the Tulip SuperTops category with his Americano pizza that was loaded with meat and featured SuperTops pepperoni as well as ham, chicken and SuperTops chilli beef.

Before reaching the finals, Simon Shrager competed in regional heats which were judged by the Tulip Foodservice Solutions team as well as other people from the industry (the pizzas were judged on taste, presentation, commercial viability and innovative use of the SuperTops products). It was when Tulip Foodservice Solutions director, Simon Shirley, presented the award at the awards dinner, that he invited the restaurateur to work with SuperTops more closely in the future.

“We were extremely impressed by the winning pizza

by Simon Shrager. His Americano Pizza was not only delicious but demonstrated the versatility of

our SuperTops ingredients,” said Simon Shirley. “The Pizza Chef of the Year competition is a great way for talented chefs to showcase new and exciting pizza ideas.”

“I was absolutely delighted to be awarded SuperTops Pizza Chef of the Year 2013. It’s a true honour to be recognised by the market leading supplier of pizza toppings in the UK. I started using SuperTops products in 1999 and they have always been of a consistently high quality,” said Simon Shrager. “I have used their products in both pizza and pasta dishes over the years - always with excellent results.”

During his visit to the development kitchen at the Svenstrup site – where they have a conveyor pizza oven, and use ready-made pizza bases to test various recipes and product combinations – Simon Shrager was able to feedback his ideas and suggestions.

In particular, he was interested to know about the performance characteristics of Tulip’s SuperTops pepperoni pizza topping when compared to other brands of pepperoni pizza toppings. He also asked Tulip -

given the current trend for premium, gourmet pizza in the UK - was there an opportunity perhaps for the company to launch a new premium brand aimed at this developing area?

At the same time, Tulip – who have recently revamped and relaunched their Foodservice Solutions range in the UK, backed by recipe ideas - explained how their production standards and commitments invariably affect what type of products they are, or are not, able to produce, pointing out that if a new topping does not prove to be successful (or there is insufficient demand), it is not necessarily always economically viable for them to produce it. However, it was possible to alter existing recipes to create new products and variants to meet new demand and customer requirements.

As far as their own production future is concerned, Tulip also revealed that as they have the production capacity to produce more than they currently do, they have an eye on new markets such as China, for where they hope to get approval (they already sell to Japan, South Korean and other Asian countries).

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pizza my world

Pizza My World Mike Mellor founded Space Catering Equipment Ltd in 2000. The company has grown into a 14 million pound turnover organisation incorporating a furniture division and interior contracts business, and has become a leading food service solutions providers in the UK, specialising in turnkey projects from design to completion. The business is based in Gloucestershire with a second office in London.

Mike Mellor ended up in the commercial catering equipment world by complete accident after leaving a very brief first job as a window blind salesman! Having worked in bars and restaurants for extra income, he was interested in the industry and joined Mid-West Catering Equipment at the age of 19 and has been involved in the industry ever since.

7.00am My day normally starts around 7.00 if I am working at our head office in Gloucester. If I am going to London I tend to set the alarm for 5.00 and try to beat the inevitable traffic on the M4. If the sun is shining, I try to cycle in and grab a shower at the office. The ride is around eight miles and helps to keep fitness levels reasonable. I am a keen cyclist and have done many cycling events over the years including the Cape Argus race in South Africa to which we took a team from Space who all completed this famous race. In 2012, I did a charity John O'Groats to Land’s End ride over nine days which was one of the toughest physical challenges I have faced.

8.15am Arrive at the office, red faced and sweaty and take a shower before sitting down at my desk and catching up on email with a mug of Earl Grey tea, the first of many that will be consumed over the day. Email is now the principle method of communication for incoming enquiries, queries, and general correspondence and is a very easy way of sending drawings and site information so will often be the first step in

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creating the chain of work that goes into creating a finished project. We work all over the country so clients will often start an enquiry by sending over auto CAD layouts and photos of a site to get designs underway.

that the counters can cope with the numbers. The trend for these high quality pizza ovens has extended well beyond the high street and is now becoming a common fixture in staff dining facilities.

9.00am Every Monday the team gets together in our boardroom to discuss the week's work and allocate time for quoting, CAD and general sales administration.

More and more of our work involves 3D design work creating visuals for front of house solutions and is very time consuming so needs to be properly planned into our weekly programme.

1.00pm Lunch at my desk will be a sandwich or roll prepared in our staff kitchen with another cup of tea and a flick through the 30 or so emails that will have arrived over the morning. We are lucky to have great premises that we designed ourselves from a shell of a building and incorporated good staff catering facilities as well as a demonstration kitchen and nice open plan offices, so many of the team will prepare and eat their lunch in the building.

11.00am I will probably sit down with one of the designers and work through some live projects on their screen. We have a great team of very capable designers but it always helps to go through designs together and ensure we are correctly interpreting the client’s brief and have picked up all elements of the project. Three years ago we introduced our furniture division and more recently an interior contracts business so our work extends right through from the kitchen to the servery counters and into the dining area. We are currently working on a number of large schemes including a very prestigious, new building in the Midlands that will cater for around 2,000 on site. The front of house area includes a theatre section with a beautiful wood burning pizza oven in clear view of the diners. We need to make sure that the area looks great, that the flow of staff works well and

2.30pm Today I have a meeting at a lovely manor house hotel in the Cotswolds where the whole kitchen is to be stripped out and replaced. There is building work involved as well as the installation of a brand new, bespoke, island cooking suite and we are meeting the client, his chef and the contractor to go through the details of the job and agree what is a very tight programme. The site will shut for just nine days, during which all the work will need to be completed so that they can re-open for an important function that is already in the diary. One of our senior project managers accompanies me to the meeting and will see this job through to completion and final handover. The meeting goes well and we are all satisfied that although it's a tight schedule, we can meet the deadline.

4.00pm I leave the idyllic Cotswold setting and head towards the M4. It is a well-trodden path and I feel like my car should know the way all on its own!

6.00pm I arrive at our office in Lots Road, Chelsea where we have a parking space where my car will stay for the night. I quickly dash in to grab some paperwork and then head off to a hotel in Imperial Wharf which is my London base for a night or two most weeks.

8.00pm After a quick change and shower, I jump on the tube and head into the West End. We are working with a client on a large new Italian restaurant in Surrey and I am meeting with them at Toto's in Knightsbridge as they want to try the menu there. Caterers and restaurateurs tend to be a sociable bunch and evenings out are part of the joy of this industry. I love seeing and trying new restaurants which will often be the inspiration for interesting design ideas and our customers are always on the look-out for the latest trends both in food and dĂŠcor.

11.00pm After a fantastic dinner and a very pleasant evening we part company and I jump in a black cab and head for my hotel bed for a well-earned rest before a busy day that will start in the London office and end with the familiar trip home.

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Naples staples Pizza pilgrimage The Dean Street, London-based Pizza Pilgrims have been to Naples four or five times now, but on their first journey there back in 2011 – a pilgrimage to Italy in a van that later became their first mobile pizza shop – went with the specific aim of learning how to make authentic, Neapolitan pizza. They did this by visiting several famous pizza restaurants there - most notably Da Michele where there are invariably queues running out of the door and down the street, so popular are their two plain and simple types of pizzas (the marinara and Margherita variants).

“We knew nothing at the start, but we learnt a lot,” recalls Thom Elliot.“Our first visit became the subject of a television programme on the Food Network, and we also wrote a book about our experiences.”

In fact, it was the arrival of the film crew that helped the Pizza Pilgrims learn more from Da Michele, with the restaurant’s owner keen to share with viewers how his pizza is made, and what’s required for authentic Neapolitan pizza.

“We quickly learned that it’s most important to get the dough right,” adds Thom Elliot.“There’s no point trying to hide a poorly June 2014

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For such a simple dish, it can be all too easy over-complicate things when it comes to making Neapolitan-style pizza, as many a Neapolitan pizza chef will often remark.

However, for something apparently so basic, it’s essential to become obsessive about the flour and dough, the tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella, as well as demonstrate passion and commitment to its creation.

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ingredients made pizza base with a lot of toppings. You also start to pick up simple things, such as the fact that on a hot day, too much yeast in the dough is not a good idea!”

Having picked up the basics in Naples, the Pizza Pilgrims returned to the UK with a pizza dough ball from Da Michele, ‘to start the culture’ in the sour dough tradition, and then began to practise to perfect their skills in their mobile, and then their own fixed restaurant setting.

They use Caputo flour, as do the majority of pizza outlets in Naples (across the years, the family-run Caputo company and factory has dedicated itself to high standards of quality control, having a wheat laboratory where they get to grips with the properties of their flour, not least its gluten content). The rest of their ingredients, say the Pizza Pilgrims – mozzarella and tomatoes – are also sourced direct from Naples via wholesalers.

“We are always on the lookout for new ingredients, and always trying to improve things,” says Thom Elliot.“For example, we have just found a new cheese supplier based in Caserta.”

Pizza, of course, is on the surface a simple dish, but in sourcing the best and freshest ingredients, the Pizza Pilgrims emphasise that they have an eye on quality as opposed to trying to keep their costs down.

The story of their Neapolitan coffee supplier from Salerno (Terrone – meaning, ‘of the earth’, and also a slang expression for someone who comes from the south of Italy) is interesting in that originally Terrone’s Edy Piro was rather sceptical, critical even, via twitter, of the Pizza Pilgrims ability and ambition to serve up authentic, Neapolitan pizza ‘away from Naples’. But through a process of positive communication and product sampling, things have improved, and they are now all best of friends. Indeed, this coffee supplier – also an architect and designer – went on to help the pizza company out with its web site design.

On the topic of wood traditionally being the fuel of choice for Neapolitan pizza chefs, Thom Elliot feels that its use has

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The Pizza Pilgrims at Da Michele in Naples. more to do with the romance of the story behind pizza and the theatre of its making and baking – and something which the Italians are very good at conveying - rather than being an essential aspect to its cooking, and so the Pizza Pilgrims use a gas fired oven built by the Milanbased Pavesi.

“You can have issues with wood,” says Thom Elliot.“It can be less consistent, and if damp, you can have problems, whereas gas is more reliable. What you’re after is intense heat for the required amount of time, and we can achieve this just as effectively via our gas-fired oven.

“We always knew that we wanted to go into food in some way, and we were interested in the street food scene. At the time, we realised that there was a good opportunity to get into pizza.

Nobody was doing pizza well, and so we decided to do something, going mobile with our van and taking it on our pilgrimage to Italy to find out more about pizza.”

The Pizza Pilgrims report that they will continue to come up with new ideas and fresh challenges, their latest project having seen them source and import lemons from Amalfi so as to make their own limoncello in Herefordshire. At present, they are content with their single outlet in London, but might consider opening another, elsewhere, at some point. They are also focusing on their two mobile units, attending festivals and events, and establishing new ‘mobile’ markets.

Located opposite one of the largest Pizza Expresses, the artisans report that they are aware that occasionally ‘spies’ from elsewhere have been in to see what, and how, they’re doing (the Gondola Group’s Harvey Goldsmith, for example).

However, Thom Elliot feels that despite the trend for gourmet, Neapolitan style pizza, other types and interpretations of pizza are still likely to have their place, although in the case of his own business, he and his colleagues are committed to the fundamental aspects of simplicity of quality. In other words, it’s not the number and combination of toppings that’s important, but rather the quality and nature of a simple, smaller number of ingredients used well and to impressive effect when in combination.

Supplier understanding “Nothing says authentic Italian quite like traditional pizza straight from the oven. An iconic dish loved the world over; the beauty of pizza is that it’s quick, simple and delicious,” confirms Sarah Lucking, Galbani brand manager.

“Whilst the varieties of toppings are endless, great tasting pizza starts with the best ingredients, with staples as mozzarella key to creating the tastiest dish. And to help out with quality and authenticity, Italy’s no.1 cheese brand, Galbani® has recently introduced a number of innovative products to the market, making the

creation of authentic dishes easier than ever.”

Specifically developed for use on pizzas, say the brand, Galbani Mozzarella Cubetti consists of small cubes of the finest Italian mozzarella that can simply be scattered across the base for consistent coverage. The low moisture content makes for an attractive, even melt, giving a smooth flavour to perfectly complement accompanying toppings, whilst the pale colouring and distinctive elastic stretch adds to the authentic Italian experience.

Packaged in 4x 2.5kg packs to protect the contents from clumping, Galbani Mozzarella Cubetti comes in practical rigid plastic trays, meaning the product can be taken straight from the fridge to the prep area, point out Galbani (www.lactalisfs.co.uk/galbani), so no extra chopping or slicing required.

“Or, as an alternative to cubes, Galbani Optima offers the same authentic Italian taste, but is pregrated, giving great surface area coverage thanks to its extra-long strands,” adds Sarah Lucking.

“Other formats suitable for a multitude of traditional Italian dishes include Galbani Mozzarella Balls, Mozzarella Maxi (cylindrical mozzarella, perfect for slicing), and Mozzarella Minis (mini balls of mozzarella in brine - great for sharing platters & nibbles).”

One of their most popular mozzarella products, report Continental Quattro Stagioni (CQS), comes from Naples. Their Mozzarella di Bufala being produced from buffalos in the Naples region. A fresh, stringy textured cheese with porcelainwhite colour, it has an extremely thin rind and delicate taste, say the company, and when cut or torn it reveals a succulent, moist texture with a subtly pleasant sour aroma verifying its freshness.

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ingredients “Apart from enjoying it fresh, its special characteristics make it the perfect ingredient for typical Mediterranean dishes like pasta, vegetables and tomatoes. In the summer months, serve it with fresh tomatoes and basil, or if you prefer something less light, prepare a delicious "mozzarella in carozza" (mozzarella in a carriage) or "crostini" (toasted bread) with mozzarella and anchovies,” suggests Continental Quattro Stagioni’s vice chairman, Sandro Bevilacqua.

“Mozzarella is also essential to Melanzane alla Parmigiana (aubergine, parmesan and tomato bake), deep-fried halfmoon pastries called Panzerotti that also feature salami, and calzone. And, of course, pizza wouldn’t be the same without mozzarella. Fresh mozzarella is delicious torn onto a tomato based pizza with rocket leaves and cherry tomatoes before serving.

“As restaurants and food service operators look to provide their customers with ever more sophisticated dishes we have found a demand for traditional and authentic Italian ingredients.

“For pizza toppings and use within pasta dishes we also supply a 2kg Salami Napoli. This salami is made exclusively with choice pork meat, a selection of herbs and spices and is then gently smoked. When served as part of an antipasti dish, the slices should not be too thin. The Salami Napoli has a compact texture, a bright red colour and a sweet and spicy flavour.

“It is excellent served with traditional Neapolitan bread ‘Pane Cafone’, prepared with natural rising agents and known for its soft, fragrant dough and dark brittle crust. Napoli Salami is also traditionally used when making Calzone pizza, pasta sauces or to flavour traditional home made meat loaf.”

When it comes to tomatoes, the ingredients supplier, Martin Matthew, report that they are experiencing changes in demand reflecting the greater interest these days in provenance and authenticity of the product.

“The Campania region is a major source for us where we buy the majority of our canned tomatoes from the major

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processors,” says Martin Matthew’s Matthew Donelly. “Our full range includes Peeled Plum, Chopped, Polpa, Passata and Puree, also the cherry tomatoes, semi-dried and sundried tomatoes. I have seen a general uptake on cherry tomatoes, as well as more requests for San Marzano.”

“Cherry tomatoes are extremely popular in Italy and America at the moment on many menus, as they taste sweeter and fresher than chopped or plum, and this trend is spreading quickly to the UK, as well as demand for crushed tomatoes and passata being used in replacement to chopped and plum peeled tomatoes because they are sweeter and already at the perfect concentration to use immediately as an ingredient,” adds Martin Donelly.

“Weight by weight they are more cost effective too, especially with our ever increasing energy prices. We can foresee a cherry tomato passata being used as the nicest of ingredients in the future.

We’re also able to source yellow, black and green canned plum peeled tomaotes, just in need of a chef has the demands to use these types of tomato too.”

Another of the sector’s ingredients suppliers, Donatantonio has recently launched a range called Lupetta which focuses on some of Italy’s best ingredients from its various regions, and not least San Marzano tomatoes from Campania.

“San Marzano tomatoes are undoubtedly one of the most iconic foods from Campania.

Renowned worldwide for their

strong and sweet flavour, firm pulp and uniform bright red shade, these tomatoes are the ultimate base for authentic pizza and pasta sauces and an essential ingredient in the famed Neapolitan pizza,” confirms Simon Bell, CEO of Donatantonio, who supply San Marzano tomatoes in 2.6kg tins for caterers (as well as in 400g cans).

“Their exceptional taste also makes them an ideal addition to antipasti platters. As each product in our Lupetta range must showcase the absolute best that Italy’s regions have to offer, San Marzano tomatoes were an obvious choice. Grown close to the base of Mount Vesuvius, it is this area’s sun-drenched volcanic soil which makes it one of the best tomato-growing regions in the world and has led to the San Marzano tomato’s exceptional quality and worldwide reputation.”

Donatantonio’s San Marzano tomatoes D.O.P from Campania are thinner and more pointed

than Roma tomatoes, and are the ultimate base for pasta and pizza sauces and an essential ingredient in the Neapolitan pizza. It is a traditional vertical cultivation technique that ensures that the San Marzano tomatoes remain whole, and all harvesting is carried out by hand.

The D.O.P. (Denominazione Origine Protetta) designation and seal of authenticity for San Marzano tomatoes was obtained from the European Union in 1996, and is something that is assigned to agricultural products and foods originating from restricted geographical areas and conforming to specific production methods.

A Neapolitan coffee tradition Asked to describe Naples, what would spring to mind? It is a city full of character and tradition, family-oriented, vibrant, unique and steeped in history. It is also a city of manufacturing, and one of the centres of Italian industry. It is also where Kimbo - Italy’s second largest coffee roaster - was founded, and is still based, the brand having now become synonymous with Naples.

The Kimbo brand is inextricably linked with the city, as a result not only of its history, but also of its role there at present, feel the company as Kimbo’s very identity is based around its proud association with Naples, its commitment to quality and respect for the local passion for coffee. In fact, say the company, their mission is to transport whoever is drinking their coffee to a sea-view Neapolitan terrace, looking out to Mount Vesuvius!

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ingredients

Q&A Does the company sense greater awareness and knowledge (on the part of consumers) about Neapolitan pizza in the UK ‘as a whole’ these days, or this interest restricted to London?

Absolutely! Neapolitan pizza is the fastest growing segment in the casual restaurant market not only in the UK. With regards to Rossopomodoro, we have so far focused on London with an outpost in Birmingham in partnership with Selfridges, but we have no doubt there is an appetite for authentic Neapolitan pizza outside London. We have a lot of evidence about that, from spontaneous enquiries from customers not resident in London after trying our pizza to numerous franchising requests coming from restaurateurs around the UK. What do they attribute interest in authentic, Neapolitan pizza to?

Travel? Interest in provenance?

Taste?

There are several factors. People travel more and have the chance of visiting southern Italy and Naples more than ever before. There is also the effort of companies like Rossopomodoro and others with us that have been working very hard to bring the real thing to the UK. Traditionally most people got acquainted with pizza through the American interpretation of it, not many even today know that pizza was born in Napoli, but once one gets to know the product and its story it's very difficult not to be won over.

Apart from Birmingham, all your restaurants are London-based. Any plans for store openings in other British cities?

We will definitely open in other cities in the future, but at the moment we are focused on London for the next few months. We will open the next restaurant at the o2 centre on Finchley road, in London next June.

What impact has the interest in Neapolitan pizza had on the choice of location for your store openings so far?

It is of course an important factor.

London was a natural choice to start, not only for the size and potential of 40

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Rossopomodoro, London its market, but also because it has a huge Italian community that according to some makes it the seventh Italian city in size in Europe!

Italians are important to us because they are our best ambassadors - they know Rossopomodoro well, and its quality since we are Italy's largest Neapolitan pizza group.

What kind of local research is carried out prior to store location selection?

We do shortlist trading areas that can be of interest for us and then we look for premises that fit our requirements.

Once we find a site, we run a financial analysis to estimate its viability.

Do you think the number of stores you open in the UK in a year is likely to increase significantly in the future?

We expect to continue our development, and it is fair to say that we expect an increase of our openings. As always, it depends on the ability to source great locations.

What, in particular, makes a pizza ‘Neapolitan’? (oven used, ingredients, the way it’s made?)

That's a great question and it would require a long answer, but we will try to be concise. There are two key elements. Firstly, the artisan dough made without added fats and naturally proofed for at least 12 hours.

Secondly, the Neapolitan wood burning brick oven that achieves very high temperatures of almost 500°C allows the pizza to be baked quickly in under two minutes, and gives it its characteristic texture with the tall slightly crispy raised border and the thin soft and delicate base.

How important are the ingredients in terms of freshness, authenticity and taste?

Neapolitan cuisine is based on the quality and freshness of its ingredients. Rossopomodoro's success in Italy, and abroad, is based on our ability to bring the best Neapolitan food around the world. If we have to define a core competency we own as a company, it is our ability to source the best products thanks to our team back in Napoli. From our PDO Sorrento extra virgin olive oil to

our peeled San Marzano tomatoes, to our fresh buffalo mozzarella, we don't spare any time or effort to build long term relationships with the best producers from our home region of Naples.

What kind of challenges does the sourcing of the correct ingredients present to an Italian brand operating in the UK? As I mentioned, we are lucky to have a very strong team in Italy sourcing the best for us. Obviously using only authentic ingredients imported from Italy can be challenging in a market where we have competitors that do not always do the same, but our strong relationship with our suppliers helps us a lot.

How does Rossopomodoro ensure its gets the best ingredients from its suppliers?

The secret is to work in partnership.

We do not just buy the product, but we work closely with our suppliers to ensure quality at all times, and we are proud to support many quality producers.

Tell us a bit about your mozzarella…

Our mozzarella - both the fiordilatte (from cow milk) and the buffalo mozzarella - are produced by farms located in the region of Campania. We work really hard to bring the best to London and Birmingham. Our buffalo mozzarella is transported by flight twice a week to insure it hits our tables within a few hours of production. A fully traceable supply chain is a key part of our quality control process.

And your tomato sauce…

Our tomato sauce is made with peeled San Marzano tomatoes that owe their characteristic delicate and sweet taste to the volcanic land where they grow.

Are all your pizza chefs from Naples?

Yes, most of them are. We have a couple that are from other cities in Italy, but they have a long experience with Neapolitan pizza and with us.

Our executive pizza chef is a third generation pizzaiolo, from a Neapolitan family in which all the men are all pizzaioli! The average experience of our restaurant’s head pizzaiolo is over 10 years. We always say it takes just 90 seconds to make a pizza, but well over10 years to make a pizzaiolo!

What special skills do Naplestrained pizza chefs have?

Most of all it takes passion. We can teach skills to anybody, but we cannot teach passion. In Naples, pizza is not just a food but a form of art, and pizzaioli are very skilled artisans proud of their work. We can't even start talking about the endless debates I have witnessed on the merits of which pizzaioli and pizzerias make the best pizza.

You’ve launched pizza master classes for customers. Is this new, and how popular are they?

Yes, it is a new initiative that ran in May, and proved to be very popular.

We brought over from Napoli our very own Davide Civitiello, who has won the Caputo cup in 2013 for the Neapolitan pizza speciality. The Caputo Cup is a sort of world championship for pizzaioli, and Davide has been touring our restaurants hosting a pizza masterclass and preparing his pizza for our customers. The success was incredible. We sold out all the seven events within a few days, and so we will most likely organise other classes in the near future. We also run a kids version in our Wandsworth restaurant that has of course a more entertaining, fun format to engage our little guests.

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ingredients Coffee in Naples is considered not just a drink but an art form, and so espresso has become synonymous with the city. In the past, practically everyone roasted their coffee at home and perfected techniques were passed down through generations. This meant only the most exceptional stood out. The Rubino brothers - Francesco, Gerardo and Elio - started roasting coffee in their father’s bakery, and soon found people were flocking from far and wide just to sample it.

In the 1960’s the entrepreneurial brothers took advantage of modern packaging advancements, such as vacuum packing, and began transporting their coffee all over Italy without ever compromising on freshness.

Kimbo (who at the time went under the brand name Café do Brasil), thrived, and by 1994 had become Italy’s second largest roaster. The Rubino brothers’ forward-thinking is reflected in their move into foreign markets, with Kimbo coffee rapidly expanding throughout Europe and the world.

www.papa.org.uk

It is not only Kimbo’s history that links it to the Port; the factory and head offices are still based in Naples, even though it would be much cheaper to produce abroad, point out the company. Kimbo demonstrates a positive commitment to the ‘Made in Italy’ label - a distinction that confirms the product is authentic and of very high quality.

Equally importantly, say the brand, is that it shows a strong positive commitment to Naples itself by investing in the local community and providing employment opportunities. Kimbo’s presence in the city is emblematic of the Naples tradition of family-run brands with a long heritage and focus on manufacturing.

Kimbo is so proud of its roots that all branding for foreign markets reflects pride in its origins. Iconic Neapolitan images such as a Vespa or a steaming cup of espresso against a backdrop of Mount Vesuvius feature in advertising campaigns.

These days, it is important for operators to recognise that the attitude of the British public towards coffee drinking is changing, feel Kimbo, who offer free training to everyone they supply to ensure baristas are confident and competent to do justice to their coffee.

Gone are the days when a lukewarm cup of instant coffee was deemed to be sufficient.

British consumers are becoming more savvy and discerning, and above all, more interested in coffee - with statistics suggesting that many favour it over tea. As a result, our expectations for perfection in every cup are higher than ever. You could even say we are becoming more Italian, such is the imperative to use top quality coffee and serve it well.

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promotion

The real taste of

Naples or the Neapolitan pizza, the real taste of Naples, you need to have the best flour. At Molino Caputo, we have been milling flour in Naples since 1924. Three generations of the Caputo family have overseen the company, with our current owner Antimo Caputo, following the same beliefs that the traditional methods we use for milling flour are the best!

We export not only to Europe but to America, the Far East and Africa.

We produce many different flours for specific uses in the kitchen.

Specialist flours for the pizza and also flours to produce bread and cakes.

Also recently introduced to the UK is semolina di grano duro which helps the dough to have a lovely golden colour and an appetising aroma.

Our wheat is carefully selected and tested to make sure that each batch of flour has both the constant qualities and the same consistency when in use. It can take several different wheats from Italy and around the world to achieve the required blend. The wheat does not come into contact

F

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with any machinery or manpower whilst being moved from the silos to being bagged as the whole process is carried out under a pneumatic process. Using compressed air the wheat is moved from the Caputo silos on the site of our mill to the mill rollers and after being sifted to being bagged.

We use the soft milling technique which ensures that the wheat is not damaged during the milling flour to give an exceptionally high quality flour which is demanded by the best pizzaioli in the world.

The wheat is broken down gradually during the milling by using the soft pressing method. The wheat passes through a series of printing press style rollers which do not damage it and means that no additives are required to boost the performance of the flour as with inferior quality flours.

Caputo flour is made from 100% wheat with no additives or extra ingredients!

The wheat can go through the rollers many times before it is pressed down to flour. This process usually takes June 2014

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promotion

“ Caputo flour is made from 100% wheat with no additives or extra ingredients! ” between 48 hours and a week to complete.

The flour is sieved to make sure that all the bran is removed and the flour is at the grade required.

The location of our mill in Naples gives us the advantage of being only a few hundred yards from the dock, which means that when we have flour shipped to our UK distributor, Casa Julia plc, who are only a few miles from Felixstowe docks, it has a low carbon footprint.

In the autumn of 2014, Molino Caputo in association with Casa Julia plc, (www.casajulia.co.uk)

www.papa.org.uk

our UK Sole distributor, will be introducing flour specially designed for making panettone. Casa Julia plc will have a demonstration day in October to show how to use this to produce panettone and pandoro for Christmas with a chef from Italy who will be showing how to make panettone.

We also sponsor the Pizzaioli Napoletani academy which give training to Pizzaioli.

During the 3 ½ month course the pizzaioli learn all there is to know about pizzas and the delicacies of the Neapolitan area.

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World Champion pizzaiolo, and Caputo Cup Winner 2013, Davide Civitiello hosting a recent pizza master class held at Rossopomodoro in Hoxton, London.

Top

dough A changed landscape “People are very particular about their pizzas, and let’s face it, pizzas have come a long way since the first frozen pre-packed offerings came to the UK back in the 70’s!” reflects Jason Bull, sales director for the UK-based flour supplier, Eurostar Commodities.

“Now we have thin and crispy, deep pan, stuffed crusts, artisan wood fired, to name but just a few. And today, very often the more health conscious people amongst us have a preference to light, crispy pizzas, which is why Eurostar Commodities (www.eurostarfoods.co.uk) have recently launched their new Crispy Bite Pizza Flour, for example.”

A unique blend of American and European hard and soft wheat, explain Eurostar, Crispy Bite Pizza Flour has been created to offer a consistently good dough with that extra bit of crunch when cooked, whilst still retaining a soft, chewy centre – and so making it well suited to creating Neapolitan style pizzas that are characterised by being 44

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light, crispy and tasty.

It is the mix and proportion of different wheat that makes it especially unique and unlike other pizza flours, say Eurostar.

Crispy Bite Pizza Flour is an Italian milled ‘00’ flour, and offers greater extensibility and seal, making it ideal for medium to long leavening (10 to 16 hours) at room temperature. The dough will also keep in a refrigerator for up to three days, point out the company, and in addition, the flour can be used to re-enforce weak flours (it features 13% protein and 55% water absorption on flour weight, report Eurostar).

“Looking ahead, the cost of wheat - as with any other commodity these days - is unpredictable,” adds Jason Bull.

“But the main points today to consider are weather, and politics.

At the moment, wheat futures are climbing due to an on-going mix of dryness in the US plains and worsening tensions in Ukraine (Ukraine being a sizeable exporter of corn and wheat and Russia a huge exporter).

Top notch pizza is in demand, with more and more outlets and pizza chefs demonstrating in depth knowledge about what they require, and the performance characteristics their flour and pizza dough must deliver.

“At the present time, there is no sign of a crop shortage, but it is too early to tell as this can change with the weather! It is worth noting that wheat has been rising sharply since the beginning of 2014. It has increased 31% since hitting a recent low of $5.51 a bushel on 29 January of this year.”

Pan’Artisan (www.panartisan.com) has just launched an Easy Stretch dough ball, enabling chefs to ‘stretch’

their own dough in-house, make quality pizzas to order and add their own signature touches to the finished product, say the company.

According to a recent Technomic Status & Outlook of the UK Pizza Category and its Customers study, 64% of consumers were reported to have ordered pizza at least once a month and a spokesperson added that operators wanting to differentiate could do so by offering made-to-order pizza using high quality, gourmet ingredients.

Using traditional methods and an authentic recipe, combined with a secret process to make the handling of the dough ball easier, chefs can now address this growing trend for high quality pizza, offering the non-pizza restaurants and pubs the perfect pizza solution, feel Pan’Artisan.

With extensive knowledge in baking, Pan’Artisan reports that it has an on-going NPD programme that is designed to address the needs of its customers, keeping them in June 2014

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pizza making touch with current trends.

The Easy Stretch dough ball is available in 190-210g, making it suited for a 12” pizza, say Pan’Artisan. Supplied frozen, they simply require thawing, proving and rolling out, or stretching, allowing the operator the ability to ‘bespoke’ to suit their operation in terms of size and shape.

For many, there are limited options available when sourcing high quality, dough-based products - buy pre-made, partmade or make from scratch.

Ultimately, everyone would like to make from scratch but time, resource, skills and dedicated equipment are required, especially if it’s a product with top class credentials that are sought, point out Pan’Artisan.

“Our new range of dough balls will really shake up the way in which operators view the use of frozen, dough-based products.

All menus are reliant on products that will perform well, meet cost parameters, not incur excessive waste and appeal to consumers’ ever-changing tastes,” says Richard Jansen, managing director of Pan’Artisan.

“Using our craft skills and long-established reputation in the production of high quality dough based products we have developed this range for chefs to be able to make their own dough-based products, as if from scratch. Much of the timeconsuming, specialist work has been done for them, leaving the finishing touches for them to add.

This will not only enhance their menus, but will increase choice for them and the opportunity to charge a premium, resulting in more profit.”

New concept Pizza Rossa (www.pizzarossa. com) is the latest entrant in the ‘grab-and-go’ market. Born from the creative thinking of Corrado Accardi, a London-based chartered engineer originally from Italy, Pizza Rossa has gone from ‘zero to hero’ in less than six months by raising, through crowd funding, 157% of the capital needed in less than half the time envisaged - £440,000 in 17 days from just over 100 people (the results broke the European record for a start-up through

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Pan’Artisan’s Easy Stretch dough balls.

Corrardo Accardi, who has launched a new ‘grab and go’ pizza concept (pizza al taglio). equity-based crowd funding).

“Pizza Rossa is aimed at timepoor city workers, offering a delicious and healthier product, easy to eat on the go, conveniently available and served quickly – 90 seconds from ordering to eating it piping hot,” said Corrardo Accardi at the launch.

“Pizza is no longer regarded as junk food, but as a high quality option in the grab-and-go lunchtime market, because it provides a complete meal. Our pizzas will be akin to the quality of food found in an Italian deli, and aligned with foodie pizzas.”

Their pizza al taglio – pizza by the square slice – is a very Italian urban concept, imbedded in the

culture of city workers who want to eat quality, tasty, healthier food even when time is short. It is equally embraced by those who want to make the most of their leisure time, when stopping for a full meal may not be an option.

Pizza Rossa plans to create at least 15 jobs in the next few months and run at least 12 outlets within five years. Even before opening, the company is already ranked as a ‘high potential start up’ by the London Business School Incubator programme, of which Corrardo Accardi is an alumnus. It is also the winner of 2013 CrowdCube ‘Best Start Up of the Year’; winner of 2013 Deloitte Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s Founders Award; Winner of 2013 London Business School ‘Best Business Plan’ competition; and runner up in the 2013 European Business Plan of the Year competition.

The first unit opened at the end of May as a pop-up in Leandehall Market with two more venues opening in the city in the summer. Pizza Rossa soon identified that the pizza flour and dough would be key to differentiating his product.

“Our pizzas are hand-made, with machines being used only for the dough-mixing and initial dough spreading, which is then

completed manually,” explains Corrado Accardi. “We like pizza the way it was made traditionally. This results sometimes in variations between slices, but we believe that it will add to the appeal of our products.

“The British audience, and in particular the London-based part, has taken a huge leap in the demand for quality food over the last 10-15 years. Where before, food was merely regarded as something needed for survival, nowadays more and more people consider food as one of life's pleasures.

“Lots of customers now realise that Italian pizza is a healthier option. Campaigns by the NHS on healthy food are starting to take hold and a growing minority of consumers is increasingly taking purchase decisions informed by the nutrition information on labels.

Pizza's own perception is slowly but surely changing with the expansion of chains more focused on quality.

“Better quality operators, especially in the growing pizza by the slice segment, are progressively outpacing traditional poor quality offerings.

Authentic ingredients with a story behind them attract more interest than anonymous products with nothing to say.

Pizza Rossa as a whole has a story to tell already, combining Italian passion and British values, and this is the reason we attracted so much interest even before we are present in the high street.”

In general, Pizza Rossa say that will use Italian ingredients for anything that "has to be" Italian, such as flour, olive oil, passata, mozzarella, and so they use a number of quality Italian distributors based in the UK. As members of the Sustainable Restaurant Association, they report that they are also focussed on sustainability in everything they do, including an endeavour to source fresh produce locally from the UK. Seasonality, too, will play an important role in their menu, which in turn will contribute to great variability in our offering throughout the year, feel the brand.

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pizza making

Left – spreading the dough in the square tin, and right - proving the dough at Pizza Rossa.

The passion of tradition Dough Ball Pizza (www.dough ballpizza.co.uk) was originally established in 1900, and has recently been involved in working with a wood fired oven company (ESSE, www.esse.com), demonstrating just how important pizza dough in conjunction with the pizza oven used are these days when it comes making a high quality product.

ESSE started in 1854 and are celebrating 160 years this year.

They can claim to be the UK's longest-standing stove manufacturer and are still at the cutting edge of the industry thanks to innovative cast iron range cookers, energy-efficient wood-burning stoves and stylish gas stoves.

Many have tried to master the art of pizza, but the traditional methods of its dough preparation have been neglected over time, affecting the quality and taste of true Italian pizza, feel Dough Ball Pizza.

However, the Pillitteri family point out that they have been consistently using traditional methods since the 1900's, and have passed the art of dough

preparation through its many generations. Therefore, to this day, the Pillitteri family take great pride in producing pizza dough balls using its ancestors’ methods (their philosophy being ‘perfect dough equals perfect pizza’ first time every time).

“We produce dough balls from different types of flour – such as organic, OO, Manitoba (Canadian) and also British flours.

Basically we produce what the customer requires,” says Giovanni Pillitteri, MD of Dough Ball Pizza, and who comes from a bakery background, his greatgrandfather having been a baker in Sicily.

Since 1978, Giovanni Pillitteri reports that he has been involved in various pizza and restaurant concepts himself, including takeaway businesses, so he has plenty of experience of what it’s like to be on the ‘other side’ of the fence.

At the moment, he says that he is very impressed with Caputo’s Manitoba flour (Caputo being the most widespread flour in use in pizzerias in Naples). In fact, the Dough Ball Pizza have become an agent for Casa Julia (who supply Caputo in the UK), and produce their own Caputo-

branded dough balls, using the Caputo branding which more and more operators in the field of pizza in the UK now recognise and associate with the traditional ‘home’ of pizza – Naples.

“It’s very important for operators to remember that a different flour and dough ball will be required depending on the nature of the oven in use,” continues Giovanni Pillitteri.

“Weather, temperature and the skill of the pizza chef can all affect things, and many people

do not always realise what’s required. For instance, it can be difficult for people to get the hand-crafting side of things right, as well as getting the dough ball to be at the right temperature. The oven itself also needs to be of the right temperature to give consistent results.”

At one extreme there can be the 23”, 900g dough ball pizza, at the other, the much smaller 65g dough ball pizza that the chain, Pesto (located in the North West) use. Thus, for these types of

113 years experience!

Placed perfectly, in the palm of your hands Dough Ball Pizza have been working with ESSE.

www.papa.org.uk

website www.doughballpizza.co.uk email: info@doughballpizza.co.uk call:01706831159

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pizza making specialist considerations, Dough Ball Pizza offer dedicated training for their customers, and also run ‘pizza school courses’ for people to attend and find out directly for themselves exactly what type will suit their nature of operation best. Participants are awarded different levels of certification by Dough Ball Pizza, according to the level of training undertaken.

“Our aim is to help people with their pizza making skills by educating them in what’s required,” adds Giovanni Pillitteri, who has been involved in tutoring pizza chefs from some of the chains, as well as independent outlets and dealing with enquiries from home-based ‘domestic’ pizza chefs.

“For example, we offer specialised wood-fired oven training courses, and are frequently consulted by people who decide to run mobile wood-

fired units which have become very popular at festivals and at other events in recent times.

“We are able to advise on what type and size of dough ball these types of units require, as ready-made dough balls are best as they can help with speed and demand. They also need to be handcrafted, and are an important part in giving that artisan look to the pizza making process.”

The latest development for Dough Ball Pizza came about when Giovanni Pillitteri came across a friend who was successfully using a wood fired oven in his garden. Giovanni Pillitteri liked what he saw, and decided to find out more, testing the oven out for himself with some dough balls and finding that the oven worked very well.

For one thing, he found that it was possible to easily turn and rotate the pizza in the oven on

the stone, thereby helping to create a good finished result.

He then decided to get in touch with the English manufacturers of the oven – ESSE – to find out if they did a commercial version, and whether or not he could help out with its promotion from his own personal experience. He was invited to visit the oven makers (who are based in Barnoldswick in Lancashire), and was able to show them how pizza is made.

In fact, he offered to help them promote their ovens in exchange for a bit of support in promoting his own pizza dough ball business (Giovanni Pillitteri hopes to eventually have an ESSE commercial oven himself installed for demonstration purposes at his own premises). He has now made demonstration videos, done presentations

and been interviewed about the importance of the right oven in conjunction with the right flour and pizza dough, and reports that it is the popularity and increased sales of ESSE’s wood fired ovens which has now led to the company to look at developing a bigger, commercial oven.

Completion of a Dough Ball Pizza training course is acknowledged by the awarding of a certificate.

Pasta perfection Pasta has been on the menu at Phil Howard’s iconic two Michelin star Mayfair restaurant, The Square, ever since it opened in 1991.

“Our philosophy is to deliver pleasure, through harmony of flavour,” says Phil Howard. “It’s about simple things, done well.

Everyone loves a great pasta dish. It can be an absolute, perfect pleasure.”

In the past pasta at The Square has been rolled by hand, but recently Phil Howard installed a Lillo Due pasta machine, supplied by Fords Food Equipment, and he reports that it’s helped him to achieve perfect pasta.

“The machine mixes, kneads and extrudes the pasta,” he says, “so it’s fool proof.

However, the critical element is food quality. Handmade pasta needs more moisture in the dough. Because the machine’s dough is dryer, it means when we cook the pasta it is perfectly al dente.”

A huge choice of different pastas can be made using the Lillo Due. It extrudes the pasta

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through bronze dies, which impart a rough surface texture that holds sauce better than pastas made using other methods. “The texture of the machine’s pasta is superior to handmade, not only in terms of bite but also in the ability to cloak itself in the sauce. It’s the perfect vehicle for our sauces,” says Phil Howard.

As well as delivering perfect pasta, the Lillo Due has allowed The Square to extend its pasta repertoire. “Different shapes, different flours, different flavours – chestnut pasta is a favourite – and different types.

For example, some pastas require enormous pressure to create, which the machine can apply easily, but which would be impossible to make by hand. Others can only be made using an extruder, such as proper spaghetti, linguine and rigatoni,” adds Phil Howard.

The Square’s Lillo Due has a 1kg flour hopper. The machine is designed to be as simple as possible to operate and the pasta-making process is

effortless and fast: the machine will automatically mix, knead and extrude a ten-portion batch of pasta in as little as 20 minutes, or 3kg of pasta per hour.

The theatre of cooking is an increasingly important part of the restaurant industry and the Lillo Due scores here, too. “At The Square the machine is in the kitchen, but at our other venue, Sonny’s Kitchen in Barnes, we have one right there in front of the customers.

People have a passion for

pasta, but most don’t know how it’s made and they really enjoy watching the machine in action,” observes Phil Howard.

The Lillo Due is part of Ford Food Equipment’s range of pasta making machines. The company’s product range includes ravioli machines, planetary mixers, prosciutto slicers, gravity slicers, dough mixers, dough rounders, dough dividers, pizza base sheeters, juicers and vegetable slicers.

For more information visit www.fordsfoodequipment.co.uk

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papa

Are you ready for the changes in labelling legislation this December?

Under new rules from Europe, all food businesses – including restaurants, takeaways and delivery businesses - must provide consumers with accurate information about the products they sell.

1. Products must be clearly named – this can be on a leaflet, menu etc; 2. Information must be provided if any of the ingredients are Genetically Modified or irradiated; and 3. Details must be provided if they contain any of 14 specified allergens.

Although the regulations refer to labelling this does not necessarily mean that every product has to be labelled.

Indeed, it has been agreed by the Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association that the information can be provided on leaflets or even verbally. However, in whatever way the information is given, it must be accurate as the legislation makes the retailer or restaurant responsible for ensuring that the information is available and correct.

The best advice is to include the

www.papa.org.uk

information on a menu or leaflet rather than just relying on staff to give the right information.

While the regulations are far more stringent for packaged products, which require full labelling, the biggest task for foodservice businesses will be to establish clearly from suppliers whether the ingredients they buy contain any of the 14 allergens or ingredients that have been genetically modified or irradiated.

While European suppliers will be similarly required to provide this information on their products, those from outside the EC may not – yet the business

(e.g. a restaurant) selling to the consumer is held responsible in law. So it is vitally important that businesses clarify in writing from their suppliers whether ingredients contain any of these elements.

Care must also be taken when changing suppliers or substituting ingredients to ensure that this information is picked up and changes are made to the consumer advice accordingly.

With increasing numbers of people affected by allergens – sometimes with fatal results – it is not surprising that the european government has introduced this legislation.

Care also needs to be taken in providing nutritional information – which the UK government is keen for foodservice businesses to do – as there are very prescriptive rules about how you can do this.

Full guidelines on the new legislation have been published by the Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association and can be found on their website at www.papa.org.uk

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energy

Improving

energy efficiency

Energy bills generally make up a significant proportion of overhead costs for businesses in the hospitality industry.

Improving energy efficiency can help reduce these costs, keeping your business profitable, advise the energy company E.ON. Significant savings Hotels and restaurants can often make significant savings on energy bills by upgrading equipment, improving energy efficiency and changing behaviour. This ranges from simple measures such as identifying the most energy-hungry appliances to replacing old or inefficient heaters and refrigerators.

For food businesses, the kitchen is the biggest source of energy consumption, responsible for almost half of energy used. As well as equipment involved in the preparation and cooking of food, ventilation, heating and air conditioning are all major contributors to energy bills. The top three draws on power for most businesses are room and water heating, air conditioners and refrigerators.

lost over 30% http://www.which.co.uk/home-andgarden/heating-water-andelectricity/reviews/boilers/page/faqs/).

4. Heat water at the point of use – in areas with light usage, like staff rooms and toilets, it’s much more efficient and will let you turn the main boiler off in summer.

Energy and money saving tips for restaurants 1. Keep cool, cleverly – your customers’ comfort is key, so being able to control settings is invaluable. Time it so the temperature’s right as people begin to arrive, and starts to cool towards the end of business.

2. It’s the same for produce – this depends on what you’re cooling. It must be cool enough to provide proper food safety and quality but don’t set it too low – for every 1oC you cool things down, the energy used goes up by about 2% (http://www.carbontrust.com/media/1305 5/ctg046_refrigeration_systems.pdf).

3. Modern high-efficiency condensing boilers are 90% efficient, whereas running costs on older boilers can be over a third higher (modern boilers convert gas to heat with 90% efficiency whereas older boilers can 50

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energy

Cheeky chargers Britons are becoming a nation of ‘cheeky chargers’ with over half the population topping up devices in locations such as hotel and restaurants. However, observe E.ON, the good news for businesses looking to recoup the price of that power is that over a third of those surveyed were more likely to visit a business which lets them plug in – with a further 14% saying they would consider spending more with the business in return. The top locations for charging up a phone, laptop or tablet were pubs and bars, closely following by hotels, cafés, restaurants and libraries.

“There does seem to be a general expectation from customers now that they should be able to charge their phones or tablets whilst having a drink,” explains Sue Bird, landlady of the Royal Oak pub in Knaphill, Surrey. “It is not uncommon for us to find several of our plugs in use, despite the fact no one has actually asked to use them. Not only that, many of our customers even expect us to provide the chargers themselves!”

E.ON has been raising awareness of ‘cheeky charging’ to help businesses achieve a balance between customer service and maintaining energy efficiency, including advice on some basic steps: 1. Track customer charging – E.ON’s research shows that some people charge multiple devices at once, while on-the-go. Be aware that each ’cheeky charge’ will add to your overall energy consumption and different devices can use very different amounts so make a note of how, what and when your customers are charging.

5. Choose LED spotlights – they use less than a fifth of the energy of tungsten halogen bulbs (using a 7W LED instead of a 35W tungsten bulb saves 80% on energy costs www.carbontrust.com/media/147025/ctg0 10_display_lighting_aw.pdf).

6. Use motion sensors where possible so that you light toilets, cellars and stockrooms only when needed.

7. Don’t leave items on when not being used, or pre-warm ovens and the like hours before they’re needed (pizza ovens, conveyor toasters and hobs are common culprits for overuse).

www.papa.org.uk

8. Use sensor grills – new models can detect when something is placed on the grill and heat up in seconds, saving up to 75% in energy (http://www.greenhotelier.org/ourthemes/energy-efficiency-in-the-kitchen/).

Energy toolkit E.ON report that they have created an Energy Toolkit - a package of help and advice for small business designed to cut costs but delivered in a way which doesn’t disrupt normal business life.

Customers can request a free wireless energy monitor giving a real-time display of how their electricity use stacks up, and access free bespoke energy efficiency advice relevant to their business. Simply by

2. Monitor the impact – you may have planned for a certain weekly or monthly energy budget based on your regular use of key appliances or machinery, so check on your bills to see if consumption fluctuates unexpectedly. With the availability of smart meters and other energy management systems, businesses can now get up-to-the-minute information in real time.

3. Seek advice – your electricity supplier is best-placed to offer insight on all aspects of your daily energy use as well as how to reduce waste. Talk to them about the equipment you use, your basic requirements, and any concerns you might have about unanticipated electricity use, such as customer charging.

4. Weigh up the benefits – based on all the information you have available, decide if the benefits of ‘cheeky charging’ outweigh the potential cost to your bill. Talk to customers and, if you don’t want to introduce an outright ban, consider setting some ground rules on the amount of time, type, and number of devices allowed.

To find out more about how E.ON can help businesses save energy, call 0330 400 1147 and let them know you’re a PAPA member, or send the team an email to sme.partnerships@eonenergy.com.

Data source: Independent research carried out amongst 2,000 UK consumers by Vision Critical, in July 2013.

monitoring where energy is used and being able to compare can help highlight exactly where businesses are using the most power, and identify potential courses of action. The wireless energy monitor updates every 10 seconds so you can instantly see the impact of turning appliances on or off.

To help with relevant advice, E.ON says that it also offers all its business customers a tailored energy saving advice line, where advisers get to know a customer and their business to see where and when they are wasting energy and by identifying areas where changes can be made to improve efficiency (call 0330 400 1147 to speak to E.ON about how they could help your business, or email them on sme.partnerships@eonergy.com).

51

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

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 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

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

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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 Chefsrange Unit 3&4 Turnpike Close, Lutterworth, Leicestershire LE17 4YB Contact: Tim Charlton Tel: 01455 559969 Fax: 01455 559979 tim@euro-catering.co.uk www.chefsrange.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

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

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 Glanbia Cheese Ltd 4 Royal Mews, Gadbrook Park, Rudheath, Northwich, Cheshire CW9 7UD Contact: David Cruddos Tel: 01606 810900 Fax: 01606 48680

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 www.dawnfarms.ie

Greencore Grocery Barlby Road, Selby, North Yorkshire YO8 5BJ Contact: Jennie Stone Tel: 01757 269000 Fax: 01757 701916 jennie.stone@greencore.com www.greencore.com ICB Group c/o Isleworth Office, 650 London Road, Isleworth, London TW7 4ES Contact: Craig Kitchen Tel: 0208 326 1046 Fax: 0208 560 7044 craig.kitchen@icbgroupuk.com www.icbgroupuk.com

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

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 Lands’ End Corporate & Teamwear Lands’ End Way, Oakham, Rutland LE15 6US Contact: Neel Raura Tel: 01572 758062 neel.raura@landsend.co.uk www.landsend-teamwear.co.uk 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 50 St Andrew Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire SG14 1JA Contact: Mr M.J. Donnelly Tel: 01992 641641 Fax: 01992 641333 matthewdonnelly@martinmathew.co.uk www.martinmathew.co.uk

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

April 2014

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index registered suppliers Med Food Wholesale Ltd. 9 Bethune Road, Park Royal, London NW10 6NJ Contact: Jean Marc Nehme Tel: 0208 965 6528 / Fax: 0208 961 1359 j-marc@medfoodwholesale.com www.medfoodwholesale.com Minster Fine Foods Ltd. Park View House, 16 South Street, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9LT Contact: Ellyot Doyle Tel: 01778 394333 / Fax: 01778 394111 ellyot@minsterfinefoods.co.uk www.minsterfinefoods.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 Pathos Continental Foods Ltd. Connect House, 21A Willow Lane, Mitcham, Surrey CR4 4NA Contact: Kiriakos Miniotis Tel: 0208 274 3369 enquiries@pathosolives.co.uk www.pathosolives.co.uk

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 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 Southern Salads Limited Units 1 & 2 Cannon Bridge Cannon Lane Tonbridge, Kent TN1 9RP Contact: Mr Ray Boakes Tel: 01732 362444 Fax: 01732 361919 ray@southernsalads.co.uk www.southernsalads.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 Cardinal Group The Station, Great Chesterford, Saffron Walden, Essex CB10 1NY Contact: Kerinda Ibbotson Tel: 0845 680 1796 group.sales@thecardinalgroup.co.uk www.thecardinalgroup.co.uk

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 TICCO Foods Ltd. Unit B2Y, Skyway 14, Calder Way, Colnbrook, Slough SL3 0BQ Contact: Emma Hallam Tel: 07779 167474 Fax: 01753 689813 emmahallam@ticco.co.uk

Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Limited Cottingham Way, Thrapston, Kettering, Northamptonshire 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

The Cheese Warehouse Ltd. Waymills Industrial Estate, Whitchurch, Shropshire SY13 1TT Contact: Richard Thorpe Tel: 01948 666060 richard@thecheesewarehouse.co.uk www.thecheesewarehouse.co.uk

glasswashers & dishwashers EXPERT ADVICE - SALES AND SERVICE SUPPORT NATIONWIDE

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a t s a p a z z i p pizzapasta pizzapasta and Italian food magazine

and Italian food

magazine

apa.org.uk er 2012 www.p Issue 153 Decemb

and Italian food magaz ine

Issue 152 November 2012 www.pap a.org.uk

Issue 154 February 2013

www.papa.org.uk

SUBSCRIPTION ORDER FORM Please provide the following information: Name of applicant: .....................................................................

Position: .......................................................................................

Business/Company Name: .........................................................

Type of business (please tick as appropriate) Pizza Restaurant

Caterer

Pizza Delivery/

Supplier

Pasta Restaurant

Take-away

Manufacturer

Italian Restaurant

Agency/PR

Retail Buyer

Other (please state)

Would you like to receive information on full membership of the Pizza,

✁

Address: ....................................................................................... ... .................................................................................................. ..................................................................................................... ......................................................Post Code:..............................

Pasta & Italian Food Association? YES/NO I enclose a cheque for £55 (£95 outside the UK). Cheques should be payable to PAPA and returned to: Pizza Pasta and Italian Food Association, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow NP16 5DB or contact Tony Lorimer on 01291 636333 or email on tony@papa.org.uk Alternatively, if you wish to pay by credit card, please enter your details below.

Card No: ________________________ Valid From _______ /_______

Tel No:..........................................................................................

Expiry date: ______ /_____ Last 3 digits of Security No. on Reverse _____

Fax No:......................................................................................... email............................................................................................

Name on Card:__________________ Post Code_________________ House No. _______________ (for security purposes only)

Subscribe on line at www.papa.org.uk

P&PJune14_p52-56_Layout 1 03/06/2014 12:42 Page 55

index of products BEVERAGES Beer Carnevale Ltd. Coffee Carnevale Ltd. Mineral Water Carnevale Ltd. Soft Drinks Carnevale Ltd. Wine, Spirits & Liqueurs Carnevale Ltd. Sorrento Express Ltd.

BREAD, CAKES & DESSERTS Bread Rolls & Wraps TICCO Foods Ltd. Cakes & Confectionery TICCO Foods Ltd. Desserts TICCO Foods Ltd. Ice Cream General Mills UK Ltd.

CHEESE, DAIRY & EGGS Cheese 999 Pizza Toppings (UK) Ltd. Bel UK Ltd. Carnevale Ltd. Donatantonio Ltd. Eurilait Ltd. Glanbia Cheese Ltd. Leathams PLC Meadow Cheese Co. Ltd. Sorrento Express Ltd. Stateside Foods Ltd. The Cheese Warehouse Eggs Leathams PLC Mozzarella Carnevale Ltd. Eurilait Ltd. Glanbia Cheese Ltd. Pathos Continental Foods Ltd. The Cheese Warehouse Parmesan Eurilait Ltd. Pathos Continental Foods Ltd.

CLOTHING AND WORKWEAR Lands’ End Corporate & Teamwear

COMPUTING SOLUTIONS

DELIVERY & PACKAGING Heated Pizza Delivery Bag Systems Cooktek (MCS Technical Products)

DOUGH & PIZZA EQUIPMENT Dough Preparation Equipment Cater-Bake (UK) Pizza Accessories Pizza Plus Foodservice

Pizza Ovens Benier (UK) Ltd. Cater-Bake (UK) Chefsrange Jestic Maranaforni Di Marana F. PD Catering Internatonal Pizza Plus Foodservice

FISH & SEAFOOD Other Fish & Seafood Leathams PLC

FLOUR & BAKERY Concentrates Allied Mills Durum Semolina Allied Mills Carnevale Ltd. Flour Allied Mills Carnevale Ltd. Sorrento Express Ltd. Whitworth Bros. Limited Icings Allied Mills Improvers Allied Mills Premixes (Bread & Cakes)| Allied Mills

FOOD WHOLESALERS Continental Quattro Stagioni Ltd. Leathams PLC TICCO Foods Ltd.

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

INSURANCE

Drinks Systems Carnevale Ltd.

Management Systems

Integer Computers

Salad Southern Salads

ICB Group

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Computers/Software

Olives Donatantonio Ltd. Med Food Wholesale Ltd. Pathos Continental Foods Ltd. Leathams PLC The Fresh Olive Company

Pizza Making Systems & Equipment Benier (UK) Ltd. Cater-Bake (UK) Chefsrange Cooktek (MCS Technical Products) Jestic Maranaforni Di Marana F. Pizza Direct UK

Computer Delivery Integer Computers

Italian Fruit & Vegetables (in cans) Pathos Continental Foods Ltd.

FRUIT & VEGETABLES Chargrilled Vegetables Carnevale Ltd. Pathos Continental Foods Ltd. The Fresh Olive Company

KITCHEN & SERVING EQUIPMENT Bakery Ovens Cater-Bake (UK) Chefsrange

Chargrills Chefsrange Displays Chefsrange Food Safety & Hygiene Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd Fryers Chefsrange Jestic Griddles Chefsrange Jestic Holding Ovens Jestic

Italian Meat & Sausages Dawn Farm Foods Donatantonio Ltd. Minster Fine Foods Ltd. Pathos Continental Foods Ltd. TICCO Foods Ltd. Pancetta Carnevale Ltd. Minster Fine Foods Ltd.

Salami Carnevale Ltd. Minster Fine Foods Ltd.

Fruit & Vegetables Carnevale Ltd.

OILS & VINEGARS Balsamic Vinegar Pathos Continental Foods Ltd. Olive Oil Donatantonio Ltd. Leathams PLC Med Food Wholesale Ltd. Pathos Continental Foods Ltd.

PASTA, POLENTA, GNOCCHI & RICE Gnocchi La Tua Pasta Ltd. Pasta (Dry) Carnevale Ltd. Donatantonio Ltd. Leathams PLC La Tua Pasta Ltd. Minster Fine Foods Ltd.

Servicing & Spares Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd.

Rice Pathos Continental Foods Ltd.

Serving Pasta King (UK) Ltd.

Bacon Dawn Farm Foods Leathams PLC Minster Fine Foods Ltd.

Ham Carnevale Ltd. Dawn Farm Foods Leathams PLC Minster Fine Foods Ltd. Stateside Foods Ltd. TICCO Foods Ltd.

Fish Carnevale Ltd.

Meat 999 Pizza Toppings (UK) Ltd. Carnevale Ltd. Dawn Farm Foods Minster Fine Foods Ltd. Pizza Plus Foodservice Stateside Foods Ltd.

Mayonnaise & Other Dressings Greencore Grocery Pasta Sauces Greencore Grocery Leathams PLC Pasta King (UK) Ltd. The Fresh Pasta Company Ltd Pesto Greencore Grocery Pizza Sauces Greencore Grocery Leathams PLC Pizza Trading Company Ltd. Stocks Greencore Grocery

SPECIALIST FOOD CONSULTANCY & MARKET RESEARCH Retail The Cardinal Group

Pizza Sauces Donatantonio Ltd. Pizza Plus Foodservice Pizza Trading Company Ltd. Stateside Foods Ltd.

Specialist Food Consultancy Technomic Inc

READY PREPARED

Training Publications The Cardinal Group

Prepared Pasta Meals Bakkavor Pizza Freiberger UK Ltd. Pasta King (UK) Ltd. Prepared Pizza (Chilled) Bakkavor Pizza Stateside Foods Ltd. Prepared Pizza (Frozen) Freiberger UK Ltd. Pizza Plus Foodservice Stateside Foods Ltd. TICCO Foods Ltd.

SOUPS, SAUCES, STOCKS & DRESSINGS Chutneys, Relishes & Sauces Greencore Grocery Garlic Spreads & Mixes Stateside Foods Ltd.

Market Reasearch Technomic Inc

TOMATOES Canned Tomatoes Donatantonio Ltd. Martin Mathew & Co. Ltd. Fresh Tomatoes Southern Salads Passata Donatantonio Ltd. Martin Mathew & Co. Ltd. SunBlush© Tomatoes Leathams PLC Sun-Dried Tomatoes Carnevale Ltd. Donatantonio Ltd. Leathams PLC Tomato Products Pathos Continental Foods Ltd.

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

MEAT

Chicken & Other Poultry Leathams PLC

Pizza Bases & Crusts Kiren Foods Montana Bakery Pizza Plus Foodservice Stateside Foods Ltd.

PIZZA TOPPINGS

Refrigeration Chefsrange General Mills UK Ltd.

Beef Leathams PLC

Dough Balls Kiren Foods Montana Bakery Pizza Plus Foodservice

Pepperoni Carnevale Ltd. Dawn Farm Foods Minster Fine Foods Ltd.

Pasta (Fresh) La Tua Pasta Ltd. Med Food Wholesale Ltd. Pathos Continental Foods Ltd. Ticco Foods Ltd.

Preparation Counters Chefsrange

PIZZA DOUGH, BASES & CRUSTS

Geoff Parsons Basilico* Maurice Abboudi Consultant/ Domino’s* David Cruddos Glanbia Cheese* Camilla Deane Bel UK

Andrew Gallagher Papa John’s*

Mark Edmonds Whitworth Bros Ltd

Stephen Hull Giovanni Rana

James Woodman Heineken

Ian Kent Stateside Foods*

Graham Corfield Just Eat

Alan Ribakovs Whitworth Bros Ltd

(* Primary members of the committee – others generally attend as substitutes when primary members are unable to attend meetings)

P&PJune14_p52-56_Layout 1 03/06/2014 12:42 Page 56

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