Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food - Issue 146

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pizzapasta and Italian food magazine

Issue 146 October 2011 www.papa.org.uk

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pizzapasta AND ITALIAN FOOD

Editor telephone e-mail

Clare Benfield 01291 636336 clare@jandmgroup.co.uk

Advertising telephone e-mail

Andrew Emery 01291 636334 andrew@jandmgroup.co.uk

Production telephone e-mail

Jayson Berry 01291 636344 jayson@jandmgroup.co.uk

Subscriptions telephone e-mail

Tony Lorimer 01291 636333 tony@papa.org.uk

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

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. 2011

Welcome The shortlists for this year’s eagerly awaited Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Awards have now been decided (turn to page 16 for details). As usual, this year’s Pizza Chef of the Year showcased an impressive amount of creativity and skill (turn to page 18 for the results from the Scottish and Northern heats). As ever, we would like to thank all the judges and sponsors of this competition, as well as this year’s awards, and look forward to seeing many of you at the awards night to be held at the Lancaster London Hotel on the 24 November 2011.

In this issue, we take a look at some Italian beverages and consider how the UK’s blossoming coffee shop sector is now raising the bar elsewhere when it comes to a high quality beverage offering. We also learn more about the production of San Daniele ham and La Spianata’s pizza bianca romana - a popular, Roman style bread that’s rivalling the traditional sandwich.

CLARE BENFIELD EDITOR clare@jandmgroup.co.uk

Contents NEWS

ARTICLES

4 Denmark introduce a ‘fat tax’.

36 Espresso coffee essentials – some top tips from a coffee shop sector insider.

5 Perfect Pizza rescued.

6 Prezzo pass the 150 mark.

8 Grana Padano and Slow Food announce student initiative.

9 Domino’s to open new store in Tesco Extra.

PAPA 16 Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Awards 2011 18 Pizza Chef of the Year Award 2011

FEATURES 24 Delivery technology – pizza delivery equipment and software.

30 Best beverages – the latest beverage campaigns and launches, and some coffee making tips.

40 The taste of tradition – the production of Italy’s prized San Daniele ham.

PROFILES 38 A taste of Rome – Spianata & Co. 44 Bunga Bunga! – Battersea’s karaoke and pizza bar.

46 Pizza My World - Simon Bell, Donatantonio.

REGULARS 49 New products.

53 Index of PAPA registered suppliers.

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Papa Luigi at heart of Italian Festival The Italian Festival held in Peterbough recently has gone from strength to strength with the help of local pizza company, Papa Luigi.

Now in its seventh year, it has become recognised as the largest festival of its kind in the UK, with crowds coming to see the Italian flag throwers accompanied by their very own band who were flown in from Peterborough’s twin city – Forli - in Italy to get the event off to a spectacular start.

Italian opera singers, a folk band singing all the classic well known songs, a demonstration of mozzarella making, wine pressing and traditional pasta making also featured.

The star attraction was Antonio Carluccio, who wowed the crowds with stories from his childhood, as well as inventing a new special Italian recipe of gnocchi with a delicious sauce for the event with lots of free samples for people to try.

“Antonio visited our stall and showed great interest in our show pizzas,” said Stef Malajny of Papa Luigi.“I had made many of the pizzas we use to publicise our charity involvement such as Pudsey bear pizza, and Antonio showed particular interest in the twenty four inch Quatro Stagioni which we originally produced and was a past winner at the Pizza and Pasta Awards.

“Antonio also loved my caricature pizza that I cooked for him. Local artist Luisa Calvo drew up the caricature and it took me three painstaking hours to convert it into a pizza.

A gust of wind nearly destroyed the arty pizza but my “Carluccio” lived to tell the tale!”

Carmela Cacozza was the main organiser and she was delighted with the turn out and the fabulous response from the Italian community, and also many other nationalities who attended.“The event just seems to gather in popularity each year, we get great support from the local Council and local Italian businesses such as Papa Luigi all help to make it a great success. When everyone attends and hears the music, nibbles the delicious home made freebies we give out and tastes our home made Limoncello, they all go home with a smile on their faces. Local priest Father Claudio was asked to say a prayer for good weather, and he always seems to be in the good books!” she said.

Antonio Carluccio helped to get Peterborough’s recent Italian Festival off to an authentic start.

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Domino’s product innovation helps boost performance Domino’s Pizza UK & IRL plc has announced its Interim Management Statement for the 13 week period to 25 September 2011, revealing that system sales for the period were up by 9.8% to £127.0m (2010: £115.7m) with year to date system sales up by 9.2% to £385.4m (2010: £352.8m).

Despite the challenging economic climate, say the company, its like-for-like sales for the period continued to grow, increasing by 3.9% in 605 mature stores (2010: 9.9% in 553 mature stores). In the UK only, like-for-like sales for the period were up by 4.1% (2010: 11.5%), while the equivalent figure for the Republic of Ireland was 1.8% (2010: -4.7%).

Trading remains tough in the Republic of Ireland, note the chain, where like-for-like sales for the period, in Euros, were down by 4.4% (2010: -0.5%). Group like-for-like sales for the year to date have risen by 2.9% (2010: 12.5%).

This third quarter has also seen plenty of product development with the launch of the Domino’s Stuffed Crust and the new Gourmet range. The Domino’s Stuffed Crust launch was a direct response to customer demand, say the company, and is already proving very popular.

The Gourmet range was developed to reach out to a new sector of potential consumers and, supported by the sponsorship of ITV’s Red or Black, has been well received. Sales of the Gourmet range have been particularly pleasing

in the Republic of Ireland, where the launch was backed by TV chef Andrew Rudd, say Domino’s.

Domino’s online presence also continues to drive growth, with e-commerce accounting for 46.6% of UK delivered sales (2010: 39.7%) in the 13 week period report the company. Total online sales for the period rose by 36.4% to £45.0m (2010: £33.0m) and have reached £130.0m for the year to date (2010: £89.9m).

They are also seeing very strong growth in mobile ordering, buoyed by the release of the iPad app (orders taken on one of the many mobile platforms now account for 13.0% of all e-commerce sales).

During the period, Domino’s opened 15 new stores in the UK, Republic of Ireland and Germany (2010: 16), taking the total opened so far this year to 37 (2010: 35). There are numerous sites in the pipeline, say the company, keeping it on track to achieve its goal of 64 new stores for the year (60 in the UK and the Republic of Ireland and four in Germany).

During the period, one store was closed (2010: nil) and, at the period end, Domino’s had a total of 698 stores in the UK and Republic of Ireland (2010: 643) and four in Germany.

The final quarter of 2011 will also be the last with current chief executive Chris Moore at the helm as he will be stepping down at the end of the financial year, with Lance Batchelor set to take on the role.

Denmark introduce a ‘fat tax’ The country known for its bacon and butter has become the first in Europe, if not the world, to introduce what has already become colloquially known as a ‘fat tax’ – a levy applied to foods containing more than 2.3% saturated fat as a means of encouraging healthier eating.

Ole Linnet Juul (food director at Denmark's Confederation of Industries) has said that the tax will raise the price of a small pack of butter by around 25 pence with the price of a burger there set to rise by nine pence.

A large majority in the Danish parliament voted in favour of this tax last March in the wake of statistics and a political campaign that revealed that life expectancy in Denmark is much lower than in other Scandinavian countries (according to a 2005 OECD report, life expectancy there is estimated to be 77.2 years - 1.6 years below the OECD average of 77.8 years).

The tax affects products like cooking oils, milk and pre-cooked foods such as pizzas, and has caused other countries to ask

whether a similar tax will soon be adopted here too (in the UK, obesity rates are the highest in Europe with OECD figures showing that one in four Britons is obese, with two out of three men overweight).

Tam Fry, spokesman for the National Obesity Forum, said it was not a question of whether the UK should follow Denmark's lead, but rather that it has to.“70% of Britons are destined to be overweight by 2050,” he said,“and if we don't do anything about it ... [it will] result not only in the downfall of the NHS but also of our national workforce," he told the Guardian.

A Domino’s spokesperson said:“We do not feel that fat and sugar taxes are the way to combat the obesity problem. The Responsibility Deal, to which we will shortly be signing up, provides a sensible framework to encourage companies to develop healthier options and provide better information for customers to make informed choices. An additional tax is unlikely to change behaviour and will hit those that can least afford it the hardest.”

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news

Perfect Pizza rescued A London-based entrepreneur - Jatinder Wasu - has rescued Perfect Pizza, the fourth-largest pizza delivery franchise in the UK, after it ran into surprise financial difficulties in mid-July (the transaction was completed on 1 August 2011 and was a purchase from the administrators by The Perfect Pizza Company Limited, a newly incorporated vehicle whollyowned and financed by Jatinder Wasu).

Perfect Pizza started in 1984, founded by Travers Reid, subsequently being sold to United Biscuits, with Tony Sheriff, the then sales and marketing manager at United Biscuits, eventually buying the company in an MBO in 1997, after it had been through several other periods of acquisition (including by Grand Metropolitan and Scots Hospitality). Bought by Papa John’s in 1999 as a stepping stone into the UK market, this popular, value for money brand that focused on family meal deals never seemed to sit comfortably alongside the more premium aspirations of the US brand and in 2006, Tony Sheriff was back at the helm having acquired the chain again so as to focus solely on the Perfect Pizza brand.

Perfect Pizza is unique in being the only one of the top four to have British roots - the other three originate from America – and currently has 84 franchisees operating from just over 100 units. However, some in the

industry have felt that in recent years, this home grown brand has lost direction, with a takeover heralding a revival and much-needed new management.

“Perfect Pizza is the only major chain with franchises still available in so many big towns and cities,” said Jatinder Wasu in a statement.

“We have territories and opportunities that none of the other major players can offer. We are looking for new store-owners and franchisees throughout the country.

“The products and distribution are all there.

Consumers love our food. We have plenty of capacity for expansion and we are looking forward to serving Perfect Pizza to thousands more. The new store openings will also create employment opportunities which will be welcome news in the current economic climate.”

Based at Gailey Park, Staffordshire, Perfect Pizza employs 34 staff directly and well over a thousand more indirectly through its franchised stores. As well as saving jobs, the rescue comes at an ideal time for the brand, feels the new owner who observes that whilst recession-hit consumers are going out less, demand for freshly-made pizza is still rising as most people clearly prefer it over the chilled and frozen offerings from shops and supermarkets.

Perfect Pizza – under new ownership, and poised for a new future.

A chartered accountant, Jat Wasu has various business interests including an attractive property portfolio and a Walsallbased care home. He says that he has been looking for new challenges and retained Citybased corporate finance advisers Eximus Capital to seek out opportunities. The purchase price has not been disclosed, but Jatinder Wasu seems to have an eye for turnaround opportunities.

“We had external backing for Jat, but this was never needed,” commented Eximus Capital’s MD William Brooks.“The door is open for more capital to come in later, but only once the chain has started to grow again.

“Jat Wasu has taken control of Perfect Pizza and he has done so decisively. He has no outside backers to answer to and he knows what to do next. This looks to be a turning point for the Perfect Pizza business.”

PizzaExpress re-brand and focus on the pizzaiolo PizzaExpress is launching its biggest brand refresh in its 46year history by investing in innovation to delight its customers, say the company.

The refresh will put pizzamaking at the heart of the brand, and includes a new brand look, new style of service and new dishes to sit alongside old favourites, say the pizza chain. In homage to pizza-making, and in particular its pizzaiolos and their striped shirts, the new brand look is all about the stripes black and white ones.

A service revolution has taken place, say PizzaExpress, so much so that they have ditched the word ‘service’ and renamed it ‘experience’, aiming to create ‘memorable experiences’ for its customers, rather than a systematic approach to serving.

The rule book has been thrown away and its 10,000 team members retrained with a focus on unleashing their personalities

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and creating their own guidelines on how to deliver a great customer experience.

Customers will also notice new dishes on the menu. At the heart of what PizzaExpress does is making really good pizza, so some of the new dishes include new pizza. Others feature sharing platters and mouth-watering salads. As the pizzaiolos are at the heart of things, they will be celebrated in the restaurants too - encouraging pizza theatre, like

dough tossing, and lighting the pizzaiolo counter up like a stage in all new restaurants.

“PizzaExpress has always been pioneering and believes it’s really important to innovate, especially during tough times.

We hope that our customers love the refresh as much as we do,” says marketing director, Emma Woods.

PizzaExpress have been working with talented designers such as Ab Rogers, and

conversation expert Karl James.

In parallel to the brand refresh, all new openings and refurbishments will be in the new format (so far the new format can be seen at PizzaExpress Richmond, PizzaExpress Camberley and in several London outlets PizzaExpress Charlotte Street, PizzaExpress Euston Road, PizzaExpress High Holborn).

The design aims to create beautiful settings to eat pizza in and tell a local story, just as PizzaExpress founder Peter Boizot wanted with the new look of stripes working sympathetically within every design. One of PizzaExpress’ newly transformed restaurants on Euston Road in London sits opposite the British Library and its design celebrates famous authors. On Charlotte Street, the inventor of the Morse Code lived close by and this is reflected in the design.

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news

Ponti’s Italian Kitchen takes on a Monster challenge The team at Ponti’s Italian Kitchen, Oxford Circus, rose to the challenge set by the Good Food channel’s Monster Munchies programme recently to create an enormous awe-inspiring pizza of monster proportions.

Filming for the second series, due to be aired in November, saw the crew head to London for the first time to capture teams from Ponti’s Italian Kitchen and Firezza, as they went head-to-head over 24-hours to create a pizza which would dwarf the average person.

Presiding over the two teams was former England rugby player and renowned foodie, Matt Dawson. A panel of specially selected judges, included Nanny Pat and Jessica Wright from The Only Way Is Essex and renowned restaurateur and owner of the La Cucina Caldesi Cookery School, Gian Carlo Caldesi.

The Ponti’s Italian Kitchen team and their Italyshaped pizza.

The winning team – to be revealed in November when the second series of Monster Munchies is broadcast weeknights at 9pm on Good Food - was chosen based on taste, size and presentation. Ponti’s Italian

Kitchen cleverly shaped their monster size pizza to replicate Italy’s boot-shaped Peninsula. The ingredients used celebrated the restaurant’s passion, commitment and dedication to the food and exceptional quality ingredients from its home region of Emilia Romagna.

“We love a challenge at Ponti’s Italian Kitchen and when Monster Munchies invited us to take part, we couldn’t be more delighted,” said Stefano Ispani, CEO of Ponti’s Italian Kitchen. “It was enormous fun and I’m very proud of the creativity shown by the team and the pride they demonstrated in showcasing the great food of Emilia Romagna. I’ve been sworn to absolute secrecy about the winner, so you’ll need to tune in when the programme airs in November to see if we walked away with the coveted trophy – an oversized spoon!”

Viva Italia and Rule Britannia!

A total of £1.5 million is being invested in the new Prezzo restaurants with the creation of 55 jobs.

Prezzo pass the 150 mark The Italian restaurant group, Prezzo, opened three new outlets in August, taking its tally to 151.

The three restaurants are in Rugby, Glasgow and Edinburgh, with more set to open in the coming months, say the chain.

“Our restaurants continue to go from strength to strength and we are delighted to be opening new outlets across the UK,” said Prezzo chief executive, Jonathan Kaye in a statement.

“The three new restaurants will take the number of Prezzo outlets past 150, which is a wonderful milestone for the company.”

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Industry analysts, Allegra Strategies How Britain Eats™ 2011 Report (a definitive annual study into how UK adults shop, cook and eat food) has found that UK consumers rank Italian as the nation’s favourite cuisine when dining out, but when it comes to cooking at home, traditional British food is still the nation’s favourite.

Allegra’s research of over 2,000 UK consumers show that they are influenced by the breadth of Italian focused eating out chains, a sector that’s seen healthy growth of 4% in outlets during 2011, through a renaissance led by Jamie Oliver, Carluccio’s and PizzaExpress, say Allegra.

But when it comes to eating at home, British cuisine is still the first choice, with roast dinners and stews in the Top 10 most frequently cooked dishes. British grub also fares well when dining out and is the second most popular dish on the menu, thanks to a greater food focus by pub groups and carvery chains driving a growing appreciation of British food, report the researchers.

In the survey, 76% of British adults claim to either be passionate about or love food and cooking. However, time pressures often lead to consumers skipping around three meals a week on average in attempts to save time and money. Grazing and eating on-the-go are growing, as convenience and value for money are the major motivators behind consumer behaviour in shopping for food, cooking and eating out.

Time pressures continue to impact

the British approach to cooking from scratch at home, revealed the report, with a fall to 45% in everyday cooking in 2011, compared to 52% in 2010. 22% of the British public choose ‘meals for two’ deals over eating out or a take-away due to the convenience of quality and good value offers. However, the frequency of eating out for dinner has remained the same as 2010, as consumers still appreciate the social aspects, while lunch has seen an increase in 2011, claim Allegra.

From its research, Allegra says that it has identified four consumer types relating to how Britain eats.

‘Pragmatic Foodies’ make up the majority of the population (50%) and love food but are time pressured and tend to rely on well know recipes, though they will experiment occasionally.

‘Aspirational Gourmets’ account for 26% of the population, and are adventurous, passionate and creative about food. They aspire to restaurant level quality wherever possible. This group eats out less than the others, but when they do, they look for a superior experience and will pay more.

‘Functional Providers’ (20%) like food but prefer to cook within safe parameters of dishes they know well. Their eating out habits are similar to the ‘Disinterested Refuellers’ (4%) who have no interest in food and view it simply as an energy source. However, this group will regularly eat out in establishments offering good value and uncomplicated food, feel Allegra (www.allegrastrategies.com).

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news Grana Padano and Slow Food announce student initiative Grana Padano has announced its support of a brand new initiative that will see it targeting students alongside the not-forprofit organisation, Slow Food UK. Slow Food on Campus (SFOC) is partnering with Grana Padano to deliver a new campaign which is designed to educate and inspire the student community to shop, cook and eat more healthily and sustainably, after research has revealed that 40% of students struggle to cook for themselves for the first time they move away from home, say Grana Padano. Throughout September and October this year, Slow Food and Grana Padano will be visiting Freshers Fairs at campuses across the UK, driving awareness about how to enjoy food which tastes great but is also healthy and nutritious.

Produced in Northern Italy, in the Po River Valley, Grana Padano has been recognised by European law as a PDO cheese since 1996, and is a high quality product which is controlled at every stage of the production process, from the farm to the table. Grana Padano and Slow Food have a long standing partnership in Italy and in the UK and share many key values such as promoting premium quality artisan food that has a rich heritage and history. Founded in Italy in 1989, the global Slow Food movement links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment.

At Freshers Fairs this autumn, students will be able to sample Grana Padano and gather information about friendly recipes which are inexpensive, simple to prepare and healthy and nutritious. Some of the recipes will be prepared by famous chef and Grana Padano fan, Francesco Mazzei.

“Both Formaggio Grana Padano and Slow Food believe that food should taste good and give pleasure and it should also be produced in a sustainable and fair way,” said Mr. Berni, general director of the Consortium for the Protection of Grana Padano cheese.“We are proud to be supporting the Slow Food on Campus initiative, helping to educate and encourage students to eat well, look after their health and also care for the environment.”

Slow Food and Grana Padano on Campus say that they are aiming to establish and grow student ambassadors who will be integral to establishing a Slow Food presence on campus and promoting an ethical food system at university (to find out more, visit www.slowfood.org.uk).

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Domino’s and Virgin Wines team up To celebrate the launch of its new gourmet range of pizzas, Domino’s has teamed up with Virgin Wines to offer customers a luxury dining experience in the comfort of their own homes.

Domino’s pizza lovers are now able to enjoy savings on a selection of boutique wines, which have been specially matched to the new Domino’s Gourmet Range by simply purchasing any gourmet pizza from Domino’s online, entitling them to buy six bottles from Virgin Wines for just £25. Virgin Wines customers will be also benefit from a great money saving deal when they visit www.virginwines.co.uk as they will receive £10 off when spending over £25 on the Domino’s Gourmet Range.

Wine advisors at Virgin Wines have expertly matched each pizza from the Domino’s Gourmet Range with one white and red wine.

The Rustica pizza has been teamed up with a

Barbera and a Sauvignon Blanc to bring out the flavour of the smoky bacon and sweet SunBlush baby plum tomatoes, the spicy Firenze matched with a Shiraz Cabernet Sangiovese and a Gewürztraminer to complement the fiery meat toppings and the Florentine with a Tempranillo and a Chardonnay to set off the pizza’s feta cheese and spinach perfectly.

“We are delighted to announce this tie-up with Virgin Wines. Our new Gourmet range has been developed to appeal to a wider pizza eating audience and the tasty new toppings and new fresh thin crust make them perfect for enjoying with a great bottle of wine. This promotion will enable us to reach out to more potential pizza eaters, while also offering added value for our existing Gourmet customers,” commented Simon Wallis, sales and marketing director of Domino’s Pizza.

Express Supplies choose Hubbard for fast service Specialist pizza and fast foods supplier, West Sussex-based Express Supplies, has taken delivery of three, Hubbard 720 AELT-24-3 dual temperature equipped, Mercedes Benz 7.5 tonne multi-compartment refrigerated delivery vehicles following three consecutive years of record growth.

Express Supplies, was founded in the mid 1980s by directors, Ian Bayley and Nick Porter and the company currently has 15 dedicated specialised delivery lorries delivering to all areas south and slightly north of the M4 corridor. The company also covers an area from Plymouth to Bristol, and to the east provides a full service to London and Kent.

“Our company is growing rapidly and to ensure that we maintain the high levels of

service that our customers have come to expect, we are investing heavily in the quality control elements of our business, especially on the delivery side,” said David England, operations manager for Express Supplies.

“We chose the Hubbard 720 unit as we needed better, more efficient and quieter vehicles, and we believe we have achieved that.”

The Hubbard 720 AELT-24-3 in use with Express Supplies operate at –21°C for the freezer compartment and 1°C for the chilled compartment. Fast pull down was a prime requirement, with delivery drops ranging from between 10 and 25 drops per route with door openings sometimes as long as one hour.

Preparations underway for Gelato World Cup The teams are getting ready to take part in the 5th Gelato World Cup, scheduled to be staged in the Rimini Exhibition Centre from 21-24 January 2012 during the Sigep (International Exhibition of Artisan Gelato, Confectionery and Bakery) Show.

Staged every two years and organised in conjunction with Co-Gel Fipe Confcommercio, it is one of the most awaited events of the Sigep-International Exhibition. The 2012 event will see competing countries from all five continents, representing Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Morocco, Mexico, Spain, USA and Switzerland.

To try and take the title, each team will be called upon to create a series of preparations on the theme “the gifts of the land and sea”, and more specifically, a decorated cup for serving at table, a gelato cake, a decorated sales tub, a gelato cone, an entrée with

gastronomic gelato and a plated gelato dessert. Three sculptures, one made of gelato, one of ice and the other of chocolate, will be served during the presentation of the closing Grand Buffet.

Tha Italian team includes Leonardo Ceschin, from Pordenone (winner of the Sigep Gelato d’Oro, the Italian Grand Prix for IceCream in 2011) will be taking care of the gelato, while Ernst Knam, from Milan (winner of the Italian section with his work “Angeli e Diavoli”) will be concentrating on the chocolate sculpture. Francesco Falasconi from Tavullia (PU) (a winner with his creation “Aquila Reale”) will be the ice sculptor and the team’s chef will be Filippo Novelli of Turin. Supporting the team will be the chocolatemaker/confectioner Andrea Olivero and team manager, Pierpaolo Magni, together with Diego Crosara, will be training the team.

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Pizza-inspired swirly savoury Lantmännen Unibake UK (a supplier of Danish pastries, Viennoiserie, Continental savouries and breads) has launched a soft bread ‘swirly’ that is delicious on its own as a takeaway snack, or as an accompaniment with a difference for soups, salads and cheeseboards, or for something even more spectacular, you can slice, toast and top them to make canapés with the wow factor, suggest the company.

The Bakehouse-branded Tomato and Cheese Swirly features a tempting Italian style tomato filling, swirled through the soft bread base, and is made with tomato purée, onions, garlic purée, lemon juice and black pepper, finished with a creamy Gouda cheese and basil topping. The inspiration behind the flavour for the new product has been pizza with a twist an ever popular taste choice with consumers -

but in a lighter format.

“Sometimes, when it comes to choosing a snack or lunch time option, consumers want something that feels lighter but will still satisfy their hunger,” explains Kate Raison, marketing director at Lantmännen Unibake UK.“This product is a unique take on the savoury sector and is a perfect alternative to traditional pastry products. We know that pizza is a popular taste profile and so the flavours in this exciting new offering are sure to appeal both in terms of taste for consumers and profitability food providers.”

Lantmännen Unibake UK has become known as a one-stop-shop for fast-food and speciality breads, savouries and continental pastries. Having acquired frozen bread producer Eurobuns in 2008 and continental

Donatantonio cut food waste with FareShare FareShare is a community nationwide food network that distributes short dated products or those that are surplus to requirements and reaches out to over 17 local depots from where the food goes out to 700 local organisations, feeding approximately 8,600,000 mouths annually (the organisation estimates that the UK produces 3,000,000 tonnes of food waste a year).

FareShare’s aim is to cut down on the amount of food waste in the UK, whilst providing those who need it access to healthy and affordable food and through the partnership with FareShare, Donatantonio will be able to easily distribute products to those who live in food poverty,

whilst significantly decreasing their own food waste.

The products are generally distributed to projects around hostels and night shelters, and Donatantonio’s range of pasta and tomato products are ideal for the purpose of feeding large audiences with an easy to prepare, nutritious meal.

“Working with a large range of imported lines as we do can mean a small percentage of our stock from time to time goes to waste. This agreement, to distribute food, through FareShare, ensures that almost everything goes to good use,” said Donatantonio’s CEO, Simon Bell on announcing the partnership.

For the price of a large pizza!

Given the chaos of last winter and the recent publicity surrounding this coming winter’s “mini ice age”, British Weather Services have launched ‘Weather Alert’ - an emailed early warning service designed to inform businesses and institutions of perilous weather.

‘Weather Alert' monitors the weather through a one to 10 day forward-looking window, pinpointing potential impacting weather well in advance. Their service then details and traffic-lights the nature, timing and scale of the impending weather, giving ample warning of any big freeze event and any other forms of severe weather in a jargon free way, claim the company.

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Senior risk meteorologist at British Weather Services, Jim Dale says: “Businesses and institutions got caught out badly last winter and indeed the winter before, mainly through lack of reputable information; so anything that we can do to prepare businesses more appropriately has got to be good news. We feel what is out there at the moment falls well short of arming UK PLC with the necessary information in order to best cope......and we believe preparedness is half the battle”.

‘Weather Alert’ is available for the same price per day as a large pizza (around £10, say British Weather Services).

Available in cases of 35, the Tomato and Cheese Swirly bakes off in just 15 minutes with no further preparation required (www.lantmannenunibake.co.uk)

bakery experts Bakehouse in 2010, the enhanced Lantmännen Unibake UK portfolio offers a comprehensive range of quality bakery goods to both retailers and the foodservice industry.

Domino’s to open new store in Tesco Extra Domino’s Pizza has teamed up with supermarket giant, Tesco, to open its first store inside a Tesco Extra, due to open inside the new Tesco Extra in Dudley this month.

Located on the Town Gate Retail Park, Domino’s new store will offer a wide menu of pizzas for collection and include a ‘ready to go’ option enabling customers to pick up a pizza straight away after doing their shopping. Pizza lovers will also be able to order ahead in person at the store or by phone, online or using Domino’s iPhone, iPad and Android apps to ensure their favourite pizza is piping hot and ready for them to collect at a time to suit them.

The store will be open from 11am – 11pm, Monday to Saturday, and 11am – 4pm on Sundays and has created 15 new full and part time jobs in the local area.

Chris Moore, chief executive of Domino’s Pizza said: “We are really excited to be opening our first store with Tesco. This gives us a unique opportunity to target a new market and we look forward to offering shoppers and local pizza lovers in Dudley the convenience of collecting a delicious, piping hot Domino’s from their new Tesco Extra.”

Steve Goswell, store manager of Tesco Extra Dudley, added:“Domino’s has a fantastic reputation and is expanding at a rapid rate so we are delighted to be joining forces with them.

We’re looking forward to opening our doors on October 17, 2011 and offering Domino’s Pizza to our customers as part of the great services from Tesco Extra Dudley.”

The opening of a new Domino’s at a Tesco’s Extra in Dudley is creating 15 new jobs.

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news Call Systems Technology’s Boomerang pagers with TouchClean® Call Systems Technology’s (CST) Boomerang pagers are proving a popular way of managing queues at restaurants - when customers arrive, they are handed a pager so they can go to the bar or take a stroll nearby, secure in the knowledge they will be called back when their table is ready.

Businesses that use Boomerang pagers report improved capacity management with quicker table turns, resulting in higher profit margins as well as increased customer satisfaction, and now CST has released Boomerang™ CustomerCall™ pagers treated with TouchClean® for restaurants and other

foodservice applications.

TouchClean is a long-life, lightactivated coating applied over the entire pager surface. It destroys common germs as well as fungi, odours, smoke and other pollutants, keeping the pager fresh at all times.

Boomerang pagers give customers more information than a traditional guest pager, with vibration and flashing lights as standard and an optional rapid tone audible alert, say CST (promotions such as special menu offers or menu changes can also be highlighted via pre-recorded messages, or by using the integral advertising sleeve).

Pasta perfection, pronto Frima have announced that their patented VarioBoost heating system now boils water three times as fast as conventional equipment, meaning that the smallest VarioCooking Center, model 112, can cook fifty portions of pasta in less than 30 minutes (as opposed nearly 90 minutes in similar sized pans).

The automatic VarioCooking Center allows chefs to get on with other tasks, safe in the knowledge that the pasta will To enquire about Frima’s free Cooking Live demonstration, visit www.frima-uk.co.uk.

SHORTS Award for Domino’s franchisee Domino’s Pizza franchisee, Lisa Tobias, has scooped a top award for Scottish women in business, winning the Outstanding Contribution to Business Award 2011 at the annual Association of Scottish Businesswomen Awards held at the Macdonald Highland Hotel in Aviemore earlier this month.

Restaurant Show product launches Bellovino Ltd launched its new convenient mini Prosecco bottle in a 200ml format and the Deli Station launched their Pecorino di Fossa (a cheese with a sweet taste followed by a vibrant peppery flavour that is matured in sealed caves for 100 days) at the recent Restaurant Show.

UK Barista Championships 2012 The UK Barista Championships (UKBC) 2012 have launched and entries are now open. With a few dates and venues yet to be announced, it has been confirmed that the UKBC finals will be held for the first time at the London Coffee Festival (27 to 29 April 2012, Old Truman Brewery, London). A trade and public attended event, it is run by the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe UK Chapter (SCAE UK).

Student chef challenge Brakes Group is encouraging teams of young chefs to enter its annual Student Team Chef Challenge 2012 which is designed to encourage the next generation of chefs to develop ‘real life’ catering skills (www.brakesstudentchef.co.uk). To enter, lecturers are asked to submit on behalf of their college teams a menu, a list of ingredients, accurate costings and state how the menu will be prepared.

Preventing slips and trips The Catering Equipment Suppliers Association (CESA) has produced a Guide to Slips and Trips designed to explain the law, including caterers’ legal responsibilities, and to tell operators how to assess the risk in their establishment and is the latest in a long series of guides produced by CESA, available free from the association’s web site (www.cesa.org.uk).

10

pizzapasta AND ITALIAN FOOD

be perfectly cooked every time, say the company.

At the push of a button, the VarioCooking Center fills up with water and VarioBoost brings it to the boil in just a few minutes – the pan itself reaching 200oC in 90 seconds.

The unit then lowers the pasta into the boiling water and, as soon as it is cooked, automatically raises it out again.

The unit is also much more than a simple boiler or pasta cooker, doubling up as a hitech tilting pan that can be used as a bratt pan, a kettle pan, a deep fat fryer and a pressure cooker, and because the VarioBoost system is so fast and accurate, it also cuts energy consumption, by as much as 40% compared to conventional equipment, claim Frima.

Starpack Success for Smurfit Kappa with Domino’s Platter Packaging professionals, Smurfit Kappa are celebrating five wins at the 2011 Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3), Starpack Awards Dinner and Awards evening held in London in September, having won a bronze award for Domino’s Pizza Fast Food Lunch Platter in the Consumer Products Category.

Smurfit Kappa produced a new design for a simple, single piece outer with locking tabs and a separate internal divider forming five equal compartments for hot food.

Designed for Domino’s Pizza, Smurfit Kappa’s Starpack’s environmentally friendly credentials secured it a packaging award.

The system allows an individual pack to be used, where previously two or three packs were required, depending on the choice of food.

This solution significantly reduced the requirement for corrugated board and storage costs at Domino’s franchise outlets. The packs are produced from FSC certified corrugated board, use water based flexographic inks and are fully compostable.

Domino’s is constantly striving for continuous improvement in all aspects of its environmental impact and the new packaging not only uses less raw material, but it replaces packaging sourced elsewhere in Europe, improving the speed of supply and reducing the carbon footprint of the supply chain in one move, say Smurfit Kappa.

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Home of good Pizza

KIREN FOODS

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

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news FPA Endorses ‘Love Where You Live’ campaign ‘Love Where You Live’, Keep Britain Tidy’s new anti litter campaign has been officially endorsed by the Foodservice Packaging Association.

Set to run for ten years, the campaign is designed to discourage the public from dropping litter and is being launched this month.

“We have attended meetings with the Keep Britain Tidy Group and feel this new campaign will not only help to position littering as anti-social it will, specific to our industry, help to encourage the public to take more responsibility with regard to the packaging they use to consume food and drink,” said FPA chairman, Neill Whitall.

FPA members are actively being encouraged to get involved with the campaign by implementing the ‘Love Where You Live’ six principles across their businesses – namely encourage personal responsibility and positive action, work in partnership with neighbours to reduce litter, take responsibility for keeping your own immediate area clean, raise awareness and education about the prevention of littering, make it easier for people not to drop litter and become an active ambassador for clean, green places throughout the UK (members who do this will be entitled to use the ‘Love Where You Live’ logo).

The FPA is actively campaigning across a number of fronts to address issues relating to the recycling, re-using and reduction of foodservice packaging.

The FPA is also active in working with parties seeking to improve the environment and is at the forefront of environmental and sustainable developments with regard to packaging (visit www.foodservicepackaging.org.uk for more details).

Domino’s Pizza hits million pound mark on internet orders in a single day Domino’s Pizza had a record day in online sales on Saturday, October 8, taking over £1million in sales through its various web platforms (of the £1million of orders, 13% were taken through mobile devices, report the company).

“When we launched online ordering just over a decade ago, it was a huge investment – but one that has continued to pay off, year on year,” commented chief executive, Chris Moore.“To put this achievement in context, 12 years ago we took £100k in online sales in a year, by 2000 we were taking £1m in a year and now we are taking £1million in a day. Now

that’s progress!

“You really can order your favourite Domino’s from just about anywhere, thanks to developments like the iPad and Android apps, and with neat features like the Pizza Tracker you can order online and sit and watch your pizza’s progress – or even switch to our takeafreshlook.co.uk website and see how the dough, cheese and tomato sauce on your pizza is made. It would appear that using the information superhighway really is a popular way for customers to get their favourite food delivered.”

Win a holiday to Italy!

Chefs can enter a competition to win a holiday to Italy, courtesy of food ingredients manufacturer, Macphie of Glenbervie and the Tenuta Primero resort.

Macphie launched the competition to celebrate its range of decadent, ready-touse Panna Cottas which help chefs to prepare classic Italian desserts with the minimum of fuss and effort.

“According to Allegra Strategies, Italian cuisine is Britain’s favourite choice when dining out,” said Gillian Rattray, Macphie’s marketing manager. “Macphie Panna Cottas help chefs to capitalise upon our ever-growing love of the Italian dining experience. There’s no better way to celebrate this than by offering chef’s the opportunity to win a taste of the real Italy.”

Available in Original, White Chocolate, Irish Cream Liqueur and Mocha, the Macphie range of ready-to-use Panna Cottas offers a flavour to suit every taste and is easy to prepare by heating the liquid, pouring into moulds or shot glasses, chilling then serving. Unlike

scratch recipes, which can contain gelatine, Macphie Panna Cottas are suitable for vegetarians.

Available in 6 x 1 litre cases, they also have a long ambient shelf-life and are easy to store. The finished desserts will keep for up to two days in the refrigerator, making them ideal for banqueting and events.

Via the promotional competition, one lucky chef and a friend will be able to enjoy seven nights’ accommodation, including breakfast, in a Marina Suite overlooking the private marina (the prize also includes two return flights from London and full use of the Tenuta Primero resort).

For a chance to win and see full terms and conditions visit www.macphie.com/italy.

Black Rock Grill launches pizza oven Black Rock Grill has launched the Roxy Combi package which combines a 27-rock Black Rock Grill deck with a stone-baked pizza deck, enabling caterers to introduce a hot menu, or add premium meals and even provide a takeaway service.

“The Roxy Combi is a small piece of kit that really delivers. It can sit on top of a counter, so the size of your kitchen does not have to affect your food offering. It is very easy to use 12

pizzapasta AND ITALIAN FOOD

and will achieve consistent results with minimum wastage and reduced staff costs,” explains Black Rock Grill’s MD Peter Hatter. “It’s ideal for small to medium-sized outlets such as fast food sites, cafés, pubs and bars with a high staff turnover, or staff with different skill levels.”

The Pizza Deck can hold 4 x 9” pizza or 2 x 12” pizzas, and its temperature settings run on electro-mechanical thermostats

allowing operators to bake a wide range of different dishes and side orders across the menu. The Roxy Combi oven also has a steam discharger chimney flue fitted to the deck to allow steam and smoke discharge, and is easy to site on a corner of a counter or bar (www.blackrockgrill.com).

Black Rock grill have launched a pizza oven to enable smaller outlets to capitalise on this flourishing menu option.

October 2011

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news

New Concept selected to supply pasta boutiques New Concept Catering (www.newconceptltd.com), who recently hosted the Scottish heat of the Pizza Chef of the Year competition in Glasgow, have announced that they have been selected by a respected entrepreneur to design and supply fifty new pasta boutiques, poised to be one of the biggest developments in the UK restaurant industry, feels New Concept’s Sandro Formisano.

“I can’t say too much about it yet, but we are really excited about this project,” he told us.“This is going to be big news, all the better for the fact that all we seem to read about is recession and lack of confidence. This represents a big investment, some fantastic job opportunities and a really inspiring development in the Italian foodservice industry.”

Sandro Formisano began his own business back in 1980, sourcing and importing high end Italian furniture for restaurants within the Italian community in Glasgow. After spotting a gap in this growing market, New Concept was created and has since worked with clients as diverse as the O2 arena, Vue cinema, Benny T’s fish & chips, the five star Mar Hall, Mamas & Papas flagship store, and lately an organic farm shop and garden centre.

“I get a buzz from seeing an empty building and having a vision of it finished,” explains Sandro Formisano, whose background is in

New Concept’s Sandro Formisano, who says that he is excited about his latest project – the design and supply of fifty new pasta boutiques.

design.“I have to absorb what the client wants and put it into practice. All have a certain vision, but they can’t always see it finished. Sometimes what they have in their heads won’t work, but I can tweak things so they get what they want. I don’t expect them to know much about the mechanics and the nitty gritty, that’s my job.”

From furniture to coffee machines, dishwashers to pizza ovens, New Concept has become a major importer of Italian catering equipment with Sandro Formisano awarded the title of Cavaliere by the Italian government – the equivalent of a knighthood here – in recognition of his work as an ambassador to Italy.

The majority of New Concept’s clients have long-standing relationships with the company.

Recent work to fit out the kitchen of restaurant, pizzeria and champagne bar ‘Meditteraneo’ came from a returning customer, and the current organic farm shop project has grown from a recommendation made by another happy client, report the company.

“Originally they were interested in the display units for the bakery, deli, butcher, café and full restaurant. From that we then got the job for the whole kitchen. We don’t just send a salesperson, with our experience we can contribute ideas and help simplify things,” says Sandro Formisano, who travels extensively in the south of Europe, particularly France and Spain, in order to get ideas for design features.

New Concept can also source unusual and unique equipment for clients – like state-ofthe-art wood burning pizza ovens, or a round, rotating ice cream servery. Alfredo Coia, third generation owner of Coia’s café in Glasgow, says that he has seen profits treble after fitting the ice cream servery suggested by New Concept.“I have only ever seen another one in Rome – I’m fairly sure it’s the only one in the UK and the customers love it,” he said.“New Concept came up with the idea, had it designed to my specifications and brought it over from Italy.”

Le 5 Stagioni to offer Vera Pizza Napoletana workshops Agugiaro & Figna, the Italian company behind the well known Le 5 Stagioni brand of pizza flour, is to provide a series of different workshops that will focus on the development of the Vera Pizza Napoletana tradition (known as AVPN) in several events to be held in the UK, starting in London in November.

The Association of the Verace (True) Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) was originally founded back in 1984 in Italy with the aim of promoting and protecting the particular type of, and tradition of, pizza to be found in Naples.

However its influence has since spread across the world and it is now recognised in the US, New Zealand, Japan, Brazil and the UAE (denoted by the presence of the AVPN Pulcinella-themed sign outside a conforming restaurant), with increasing interest in it also being shown in the UK as consumers seek out authentic pizza and after the arrival of brands such as Rossopomodoro.

Since those early days an international treaty governing what can be made and sold as being ‘real’ Neapolitan pizza has since come into being with Neapolitan pizzas recently having also been granted TSG status (Traditional Speciality Guaranteed) in order to help further protect it in the EU at large from any fake or imitation rivals purporting to be

www.papa.org.uk

the real thing, but which in fact are not. This is because, to make true, Neapolitan pizza requires a specific method and a strict set of ingredients, specified in the treaty and by the AVPN, and according to the historic tradition of pizza in Naples.

The AVPN carries out its aims by not only approving restaurants, but also by approving the ingredients used to make Vera Pizza Napoletana, thereby enabling interested operators to be in a position to have a guaranteed way of being able to make a pizza Napoletana of the required quality. Their list of approved suppliers has already attracted significant numbers of participants as a result of such collaborations, many of whom are leaders in the production of the basic ingredients, such as flour.

“One example is the work carried out this year with the firm Agugiaro & Figni

Molini SpA in synergy with AVPN,” reports Cris Borella, their UK representative.“Together with AVPN they have perfected a type of flour identified as an ideal in the preparation of the True Pizza Napoletana, and they are now also working towards the realisation of a dehydrated mother yeast capable of giving to the dough an enhanced digestivity and a maturation bringing a fragrant taste and perfume that’s particularly rich and pleasant, but that still respects the established tradition.”

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retail news

Cirio’s ‘When it’s Gone it’s Gone’ promotion The Italian tomato brand, Cirio, launched a substantial WIGIG (when it’s gone, it’s gone) promotion in Sainsbury’s in September, with 360,000 chopped tomato packs of four on offer.

The cluster packs which usually retail for £2.99 were made available at £2.00 until all 360,000 units were sold in a promotion that ran across the entire Sainsbury’s estate. The WIGIG promotion formed part of a substantial UK marketing drive by Cirio that kicked off last year with the highly successful ‘Say Hello to Cirio’ campaign.

“Cirio has invested and continues to invest significantly in its brand,” said Simon Fry, marketing director at R. H. Amar, Cirio’s UK distributors. “We’ve seen a tremendous uplift in sales of Cirio. August 2011 IRI Canned Tomato data identified Cirio as the fastest growing canned tomato brand in the UK, with a terrific increase of 277% growth over last year.”

The Italian company also sponsored a fleet of 12 UK lorries to carry its recently launched Italian heritage imagery that reflects the company’s genuine Italian credentials (Francesco Cirio, the company’s founder, opened the first canning factory in Turin in 1856 and Cirio has become one of the most popular brand of tinned tomatoes in Italy,

commanding over 50% brand loyalty).

Unlike many other tomato brands found in the UK, say R. H. Amar, all Cirio tomato products are grown, harvested and canned in Italy and can lay claim to authentic Italian heritage. The company controls the entire production process from field to fork, even developing the seeds in their research laboratories to send to local co-operative farmers to grow so as to control the hybrid and ensure the quality of the tomato grown.

Italy’s Cirio tomato brand is undergoing some UK promotion.

Giovanni Rana launches new pasta Italy’s fresh pasta brand, Giovanni Rana have launched a new and unusual tortelloni that is set to reinvigorate its extensive fresh filled pasta offering, say the company.

The Gorgonzola & Walnut Tortelloni (RRP £1.68) hit ASDA’s shelves nationwide in September and will follow in NISA-operated stores this month and features creamy gorgonzola with the sharp nutty savouriness of walnuts to create a combination that is frequently enjoyed in Italy.

Ready in just one minute, one

pack is designed for two people and is likely to appeal to Italian food lovers with little time to spare.

The new launch complements the brand’s existing selection of fresh, authentically Italian filled pastas (Rich Italian Beef Bolognese, Spinach and Ricotta or Tomato and Mozzarella Tortelloni, Prosciutto Crudo and Cheese Cappelletti). Its trademark extra-thin pasta and generous, flavoursome fillings have already made the Giovanni Rana name popular with consumers in its native Italy (www.giovannirana.co.uk).

Giovanni Rana’s latest pasta can be enjoyed simply with just a dash of cream, a generous grating of Parmigiano cheese, and decorated with chopped walnuts if desired for added texture and taste, suggest the company.

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Free pasta recipe app for consumers If you love pasta but need a little inspiration, then a new free app from authentic Italian pasta company Garofalo (www.pastagarofalo.it) is now available, packed with pasta recipes.

Garofalo Pasta is available through Ocado, independent retailers and online and made from only the finest durum wheat in Gragnano, in the shadows of the ruins of Pompeii, where Garofalo has been making pasta for more than 300 years combining the art and skill of traditional Neapolitan pasta making with the latest technology to create artisan style pasta without equal.

Garofalo say that they created the app to share their love and passion for great pasta and good cooking in a unique collection of recipes has been created by food lovers who create their own modern rendition of traditional recipes using whatever you may have in the fridge.

Each recipe is complete with images, ingredients, step by step preparation and unique culinary tips allowing you to share your passion for pasta and fine dining with the people you care about (download from: itunes.apple.com).

Pasta range launched into independents Epicure is launching a range of six pastas into the independent retail market under its Deli~Italia sub-brand.

Deli~Italia products are made using the finest Italian ingredients to create a premium range for foodies looking to cook great-tasting authentic Italian meals. The line of pastas includes Spaghetti, Penne Rigate, Fusilli, Tagliatelle Nests, Wholewheat Spaghetti and Wholewheat Fusilli.

Epicure’s Deli~Italia Dried Pasta is made from 100% durum wheat semolina in the Bay of Naples area of Italy and are available in 500g packs (RRPs across the range varies between £1.19 and £1.49).

“We are passionate about providing retailers with high quality, authentic produce. Italian food is still by far one of the most popular cuisines with consumers and the Deli~Italia range is perfect for delicatessens and

independent retailers who understand the importance of providing good quality, tasty foods for their customers,” said Epicure brand manager, John HollandPemble.

“Extending the range to include the dried pastas was a natural progression for us to bring retailers a well-rounded Italian meal offering.”

The pasta is available for retailers to purchase in cases of 12 at £10.00 to £12.52 per case and returning 30% retail margin.

The range also includes Organic Balsamic Vinegar, Organic Passata, Balsamic Vinegar di Modena and authentic Italian pasta sauces, pestos and tapenades all made in Italy (www.epicure.co.uk).

October 2011

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papa awards 2011

The PAPA Awards

2011 shortlist

2011

The shortlist for this year’s Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food Awards has now been finalised. The winners SPONSORED BY will be announced on the night of 24th November 2011, when CHEESE the annual gala dinner will be held at the Lancaster London Hotel, to reward and celebrate the continuing success and innovation of the UK’s pizza, pasta and Italian food business.

The PAPA Industry Award No shortlist is published in this category Pizza Restaurant Platinum and Gold Awards We had a record number of entries in this category and the following have been shortlisted: ■ Amarone, Glasgow ■ Rossini’s, N. Ireland ■ Pizza Metro Pizza, Notting Hill ■ Little Italy, Newquay ■ Otto Pizza, London ■ Farrell’s, Keynsham ■ Flying Pizza, Leeds Pizza Restaurant Chain of the Year Award All Pizza chain restaurants are considered for this award and the following have been shortlisted: ■ Pizza Express ■ Pizza Hut ■ Prezzo ■ Strada ■ Zizzi

The Italian Restaurant Platinum and Gold Awards ■ Salvo’s, Leeds ■ La Piazza, Thornbury ■ Firenze, Leics ■ Battlefield, Glasgow ■ San Carlo, Liverpool ■ Osteria Pulcinella, London

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pizzapasta AND ITALIAN FOOD

Italian Restaurant Chain Award All Italian food chain restaurants are considered for this award and the following have been shortlisted: ■ Zizzi ■ Strada ■ Prezzo

Frozen Pizza Convenience Store Retailer Award There is no shortlist published as all retailers are considered for this award

New Product Ingredient Award This award was split into two categories: Retail: Sacla Wild Mushroom Sauce for Risotto ■ Tesco Olive Ciabatta ■ Lovespice Green Chilli and Garlic Oil ■ Pizza Express Pesto Rosso ■

Independent Delivery Operator Award Organica Pizza, London Pizzaface, Brighton Red Tomato, Doncaster La Favorita, Edinburgh Jalopy Pizza, Bridport

Pizza Delivery Chain Award All chain delivery operators are considered for this award and the following have been shortlisted: ■ Papa John’s ■ Domino’s ■ Firezza Ltd ■ Pizza Hut

Chilled Pizza Multiple Retailer Award There is no shortlist published as all retailers are considered for this award Chilled Pizza Convenience Store Retailer Award There is no shortlist published as all retailers are considered for this award

Pasta Multiple Retailer Award There is no shortlist published as all retailers are considered for this award

Foodservice: ■ Leathams Wild Mushroom and Truffle Paste ■ Rondanini sliced Finocchiona ■ Rondanini Balsamic Vinegar of Modena ■ Fratelli Roppa Brasilena ■ A H Trading Gyula Sausage

Manufactured Pizza Product Award There were a record number of entries for this award this year and the shortlists for each category are as follows: Everyday Category shortlist: Morrisons Own Lable Thin & Crispy Chilli Beef Pizza ■ Asda Takeaway Fiery Feast Pizza ■ Sainsbury’s Own Label Thin & Crispy BBQ Chicken Pizza ■

Frozen Pizza Multiple Retailer Award There is no shortlist published for this award

Convenience Store Pasta Retailer Award There is no shortlist published as all retailers are considered for this award

October 2011

P&POct11_p16-17_Layout 1 19/10/2011 11:06 Page 17

■

■

■

Co-operative Italian Meat Feast Pizza Asda Fresh Deli American Sizzler Pizza Aldi Carlos Totally Topped Spinach, Ricotta & Mushroom Pizza

Indulgent Category shortlist: ■ Tesco Finest Woodfired Rostello Ham, Garlic Sauteed Mushrooms and Italian Mascarpone Pizza ■ Waitrose Pizzeria Chestnut Mushroom, Bacon and Mascarpone Pizza ■ Asda Extra Special Smoked Ham and Mushroom Pizza ■ Co-operative Truly Irresistible Chilli Chilli Bang Bang Pizza ■ Morrisons The Best Italian Woodfired Margherita Pizza Innovative Category shortlist: ■ Tesco Finest Chicken & Chorizo Stromboli ■ Tesco Finest Woodfired Limited Edition Italian Proscuitto and Margherita Palletta ■ Waitrose USA Cajun Spiced Chicken Pizza ■ Morrisons Extra Thin Tex Mex Pizza

www.papa.org.uk

■

■

Pizza Express Lighter Vitabella Pizza Morrisons Microwavable Pepperoni Pizza

Manufactured Pasta Product Award We had an overwhelming amount of entries for this award and the judges had a very tough time making a decision on the following shortlist: Retail shortlist ■ Asda Extra Special Handmade in Italy Italian Spicy Sausage Tortelloni ■ SuperValu Supreme Beef and Italian Red Wine Mezzelune ■ Giovani Rana Fusilli Fresh Pasta and Parmigiano Reggiano Fresh Pasta Sauce ■ Morrisons ‘Italian Deli’ Tomato and Mozzarella Tortelli ■ City Kitchen Asparagus and Pea Ravioli ■ Tesco Finest Italian Slow Cooked Steak in Chianti with Pasta

La Pasta di Franciacorta Tesco Chilli Chicken Ravioli Co-operative Truly Irresistible Fresh Pasta

Host on table Sponsored by:

Catering shortlist ■ Millifoods Macaroni Cheese (for Pizza Hut) ■ The Fresh Pasta Company Handmade Dolcelatte and Walnut Tortelloni ■ Brakes Aubergine and Cheese Layer Bake ■ Ticco Ltd Beef Ragu Girasole ■ Rondanini Tagliatelle with Pumpkin

Party Packs Sponsored by

■ ■ ■

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pizza chef of the year

New Concept Scotland Ltd’s Glasgow showroom hosted the Scottish round of the competition.

PAPA would like to thank New Concept’s Sandro Formisano.

Pizza Chef of the Year 2011 This month has seen the holding of the regional heats in this year’s Pizza Chef of the Year competition with the judges tasting over 100 pizzas in order to select the category winners who will now go on to compete in the national final to be held in the Westbourne Suite of the Lancaster London Hotel, Lancaster Terrace, London on 24 November 2011.

Each competitor was required to make up their pizza in front of the judges who were on the look out for innovation (something different from existing products in the market), commercial viability (the product is viable to make and sell in retail or catering environment), presentation (that it looks pleasing – enticing

Scottish heat This heat was held on Monday, 3 October at New Concept Scotland Ltd, Glasgow Road, Glasgow, where nine finalists competed in the four sponsored categories.

18

pizzapasta AND ITALIAN FOOD

- to the eye), eats well (ideally has that ‘more-ish’ factor that makes you want to eat more) and innovative use of the product.

It was also a requirement of this competition that each of the recipes used one of the sponsors’ ingredients, and thus show the entrant’s ability to be creative within defined limits.

Judging panel Clare Benfield (editor, Pizza Pasta & Italian Food magazine) Pam Sainsbury (events organiser, Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association) Camilla Deane (account controller Foodservice - Bel UK Ltd)

Boursin Garlic and Herb Cheese Category Joint winners Darren Smith Battlefield Restaurant Darren Smith (right), Battlefield Restaurant, Glasgow, receiving his winner’s certificate from Camilla Deane of Bel UK Ltd for his winning chicken and potato Boursin pizza.

Roberto Galici, Amore Restaurant Roberto Galici, Amore Restaurant, Glasgow, with his winning Boursin stuffed chilli, mushroom, mozzarella and spinach pesto pizza.

Angela Trofymova (The Cheese Cellar)

October 2011

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‘‘

Birra Moretti

is the perfect accompaniment to the

two Italian passions

– great food & great conversation, which is why we love it.

Sharing the best of Italy has always been our passion – through our restaurant, café and cooking schools, we’ve delighted and inspired our guests with Tuscan specialities that have been at the heart of our family for generations.

‘‘

Authenticity and tradition are vital ingredients of our family recipes, and it’s these qualities we recognise and enjoy in Birra Moretti.

We appreciate the preserved traditions and brewing techniques, combined with the highest quality ingredients that give Birra Moretti its unique balanced bitter taste, which perfectly complements Italian food.

Katie and Giancarlo Caldesi

Birra Moretti, proud sponsors of the Pizza Designer of the Year award If you would like to stock Birra Moretti, please contact us on 07884 113534

P&POct11_p18-23_Layout 1 19/10/2011 11:08 Page 20

pizza chef of the year Dell’ami Kalamata Greek Olive Category Winner

Joint winners

Tony Macera, Di Vito’s

Darren Smith Battlefield Restaurant

Tony Macera, Glasgow receiving his winner’s certificate from the Cheese Cellar’s Angela Trofymova for his winning four cheese, Parma ham and olive pizza.

Darren Smith of Battlefield Restaurant, Glasgow with his winning pizza zabaglione for two.

Birra Moretti Beer Category

Roberto Scarano Eatalia’s

Winner Tom Mullin Rossini’s Tom Mullin (right) of Rossini’s, Northern Ireland receiving his award from PAPA’s Pam Sainsbury on behalf of Birra Moretti for his winning Cheddar, ham, tomato and beer caramelised onions on a Birra Moretti base pizza.

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Whitworths Pizza Flour Category

Roberto Scarano of Eatalia’s, Edinburgh with his winning calamari, aglio, olio and peperoncino pizza.

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pizza chef of the year

Northern heat This heat was held Tuesday, 4 October at Stateside Foods’ test kitchen in Westhoughton, Bolton where five finalists competed in the four sponsored categories.

Judging panel Clare Benfield (editor, Pizza Pasta & Italian Food magazine) Pam Sainsbury (events organiser, Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association) Camilla Deane (Account Controller Foodservice - Bel UK Ltd) Angela Trofymova (The Cheese Cellar) Michele Rinaldi (Birra Moretti) The Northern heat was hosted by Stateside Foods in their development kitchen (PAPA would like to thank Stateside’s NPD technician Cameron McVean pictured left – for his help in organising the day’s event).

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Dell’ami Kalamata Greek Olive Category

Boursin Garlic and Herb Cheese Category

Winner

Winner

Parviz Hayati Red Tomato Pizza

Russell French Solway Foods

Parviz Hayati of Red Tomato Pizza, Doncaster receiving his winner’s certificate from the Cheese Cellar’s Angela Trofymova for his winning Black Sea pizza.

Russell French of Solway Foods receiving his winner’s certificate from Bel UK’s Camilla Deane for his winning smoked salmon, spinach and Boursin pizza.

pizzapasta AND ITALIAN FOOD

October 2011

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pizza chef of the year Whitworths Pizza Flour Category Joint winners Russell French Solway Foods Russell French of Solway Foods, Manton Wood receiving his winner’s certificate from PAPA’s Pam Sainsbury on behalf of Whitworths for his winning white crab, sweetcorn, caviar, samphire, lemon cress and mozzarella pizza.

Sean Ennis Dante’s Halfway House Restaurant Sean Ennis of Dante’s Halfway House Restaurant, Chorley receiving his winner’s certificate from PAPA’s Pam Sainsbury on behalf of Whitworths for his winning chocolate and ice cream pizza.

Birra Moretti Beer Category Joint winners Comron & Darius Hayati Red Tomato Pizza Comron & Darius Hayati of Red Tomato Pizza, Doncaster receiving their winners’ certificate from Michele Rinaldi of Birra Moretti for their winning Moretti pizza pie.

Darryl Flynn The Old Stag Darryl Flynn of The Old Stag Llangernyw, Conwy receiving his winner’s certificate from Michele Rinaldi of Birra Moretti for his winning Italian sausage, leek and thyme pizza.

www.papa.org.uk

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delivery

Delivery technology Not only is the technology that’s now associated with pizza delivery enabling a faster and more efficient process for outlets, it can also be a far more interactive one for customers too.

From hand to mouth “It used to be said that there are only two certainties in life, death and taxes. Perhaps a third universal truth should be added; that technology develops faster and faster and so the way that we live our lives changes more and more quickly,” says Geoff Whittle of EPoS supplier, Integer.

“Chunky computer monitors have been replaced by slim touch screens and the smart phones in peoples’ hands are a world away from the mobile phone ‘bricks’ of just a few years ago.

“Research suggests that the ‘tipping point’ when smart phones will account for half of all mobile phones used in the UK will happen in early 2012. That undoubtedly affects the way that we live our lives with access to the Internet available everywhere – and it provides a fantastic opportunity for pizza delivery operators to market their business and take advantage of the new technology.”

At the start of this year, Integer (www.integeruk.com) enhanced the on-line ordering service that they provide to their users by making it available seamlessly to customers with any type of smart phone.

Integer’s on-line ordering web sites detect when orders are being placed from smart phones and automatically format the order screen for the customer.

Customers can use promotional codes, pay for their order by credit card and receive acknowledgements, all on their smart phone.

“We thought it would be a good idea to see how this is working out for operators and to investigate whether social 24

pizzapasta AND ITALIAN FOOD

advertising can contribute to the success of mobile ordering,” adds Geoff Whittle.

Darius Hayati of Red Tomato Pizza and Pasta, former PAPA Independent Pizza Delivery Operator winner and a finalist in this year’s Pizza Chef of the Year competition, is a customer of Integer and reports that he has already seen a significant percentage of the on-line orders arriving on his EPoS system coming from smart phones.

Already a keen advocate of online marketing via social advertising it can, in his words, “create an online brand that customers can interact and engage with”, and he sees the ability to accept on-line orders from smart phones as an important factor in his marketing effort.

“People are spending more and more of their time on smart phones, and are using them more for data than for voice calls,” observes Darius Hayati.“We have already seen people finding it suits them to order from a laptop rather than a phone. Now we are seeing people finding it more convenient to order from a smart phone rather than a laptop. The most important thing to

remember about a smart phone is that it is always on.”

Red Tomato has a Facebook page and they encourage their customers to interact with them.

They post promotions and promotional codes to their page which then appear in the news feeds of their growing number of fans. Each time that they post a new promotion, they see a corresponding increase in on-line orders arriving on the EPoS system at the store, and because so many fans receive Facebook updates on their smart phones, they respond and order from their smart phones.

Another staunch advocate of marketing and interacting with customers in the delivery process through Facebook is Giovanni Fionda of Atlantic Fast Food.

Giovanni Fionda has over 4000 fans of his Facebook page which he updates every day.

“It takes only seconds to update my status and we also post promotions or competitions every Monday,” says Giovanni Fionda.“Because such a high percentage of my customers are following Facebook on smart phones, when their news feed is updated, we see an immediate response in on-line orders appearing on the inTouch EPoS system.”

Giovanni Fionda also runs text messaging campaigns from his EPoS system when he knows there will be large TV audiences such as big football matches. He makes sure that the text messages contain a link so that customers need only click on that link to reach his on-line ordering web site. One aspect of on-line ordering that has surprised Atlantic Fast Food is an increase in

orders from smart phones and a corresponding decrease in telephone calls during X Factor. It seems that customers want to order food without their viewing and listening being interrupted!

Geoff Whittle of Integer says that he is delighted with the response so far to his company’s smart phone ordering.“The uptake has surprised even us,” he says.“Our customers have seen their on-line orders increase every month and the percentage of people using smart phones increases every day. Already we see some of our customers having up to 19% of their on-line orders come from smart phones. It’s clear that mobile ordering makes it easier and more convenient for customers to order and I would agree with Darius and expect smart phone ordering to overtake laptops and PCs before too long.”

Inspired by the success of mobile on-line ordering, Integer are now in the final stages of developing an app for smart phones. “It’s the next logical step,” says Geoff Whittle.“Each of our customers will be able to offer their customers an app to download which will make it even easier to place orders on-line. It will enable our customers to claim their space with their own logo on their customers’ phones. An app will establish a continuing presence in front of the consumer and it will cement customer loyalty.”

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delivery

iPad app Domino’s Pizza has launched a new free iPad app to enable pizza lovers to order in a matter of swipes. Developed by Somo, the iPad app is the latest mobile addition to Domino’s ordering methods and sits alongside its

existing iPhone and Android apps.

Somo is a leading independent European mobile marketing agency, specialising in strategy, design and build of mobile web sites and applications, mobile advertising campaign planning and buying and campaign optimisation and management, and founded by pioneers of the mobile marketing industry Nick Hynes and Carl Uminski (www.somoagency.com). iPad users simply need to enter their postcode and the new app will automatically locate the nearest Domino’s store. Users can then scroll through a carousel style menu to select their favourite pizzas, sides, desserts and drinks. Pizzas can be customised by choosing the base and pizza size, selecting the pizza sauce and then scattering on a range of tasty toppings just by tapping the screen.

Having selected their pizza, iPad users can also choose from a range of sides, desserts and drinks and view the store’s latest meal deals. With PayPal available as one of the payment options, customers can place their order

It’s simply the

Hottest Word of ‘mouth watering’ is the best way to summarize the success of ‘Hotbags’ by Whitco Hot Food Delivery Systems, both consumers and our clients agree that despite the wonderful quality about Italian food that makes it superb for takeout food, the robustness combined with the evocative and desirable ingredients needs due care and attention when delivering; as a damp, luke warm pizza looks less than appealing and conjures up less mouth watering thoughts and finally, taste buds fail to rise as do sales. - That’s why ‘Hotbag’ clients enjoy repeat orders from theirs.

The winter months are fast approaching and the best time to capture additional delivery sales, so don’t hesitate to contact our sales office to discuss your individual toppings – ohps requirements!!!

Contact, Whitco Hot Food Delivery Systems Telephone : 01 832 735007 or Email : info@whitcoltd.com quote Ref : HB1011

www.papa.org.uk

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delivery and pay via the app in just a few clicks.

“We are delighted to launch our new iPad app, following the great success of our iPhone and Android apps. Sales of iPads are currently growing faster than iPhone and with the introduction of our new ordering app, we are keen to capitalise on this opportunity,” says Simon Wallis, sales and marketing director for Domino’s Pizza.

“We have achieved fantastic sales to date through mobile channels – our iPhone app generated £10million in pizza sales in just eight months – and we expect this trend to continue with our new iPad app and further take-up of our existing apps for iPhone and Android.

“We want to make sure that ordering a pizza is quick and easy for our customers however they do it and wherever they are – whether it’s sitting on the sofa or commuting home on the train. We have worked very closely with Somo to build an app in true Domino’s style, which is not only user-friendly but fun too.”

Keeping track Last year, Andromeda, a provider of software solutions for the foodservice delivery, restaurant and QSR markets launched the world's first fully integrated realtime GPS driver and order tracking solution for its delivery POS solution which allows consumers to follow their order from the kitchen to the door, in real time, and enables restaurant operators to see all of their drivers and orders in real time.

Their GPS Driver Tracking allows stores to track their driver’s journeys to and from the store in real time, so that they can accurately measure their delivery times. Using mapping technology, a store manager can see all

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Domino’s new iPad app is now available to download free from the App Store.

of their pending orders, along with their driver’s position, on an on screen map in real time. This then enables the store to allocate orders efficiently, reducing delivery time to customers. The tracking facility is also a major safety benefit, enabling the store to locate drivers quickly should they get into difficulty.

Order Tracking allows consumers to track their order online by entering their phone number on an outlet’s web site in order to allow them watch their order progress through the kitchen and then the driver’s journey from the store to their address in real time. For stores without GPS driver tracking, the consumer will see that the order is on the road.

Mark Metcalfe, operations excellence manager for Andromeda commented:“Real time GPS driver tracking has been the dream of delivery operators for years, and our pilot stores have shown this to be the biggest leap forward since Internet ordering. By understanding where their orders and drivers are, and when the next driver is due back, operators can dramatically improve their service to customers. And, by allowing customers to track their orders online, not only does this reduce calls chasing orders, but it helps drive online ordering, reducing costs and increasing average spend.”

Ben Portsmouth, co-founder

and CEO of Andromeda added: “Our development team worked tirelessly to bring these products to fruition, and we have been pleased by the strong interest in them from our customers, with GPS order tracking having become a must-have product for delivery outlets.”

Andromeda is based in London, with offices in France, Poland and Bulgaria. Its awardwinning Rameses Pos software is utilised by delivery, counter service and restaurant operators and major clients include Papa John’s Pizza, New York Pizza (in the Netherlands), The Bombay Bicycle Club, Itsu Sushi, Lupa and many other successful companies.

Andromeda’s delivery EPOS solutions are suitable for operators ranging from single store locations to large international chains.

Additional products include fully integrated web site ordering, credit card processing, centralized reporting and automatic text messages to customers when their order leaves the store (more information on Andromeda is available at http://www.androtech.com).

Complete package Best Independent Pizza Delivery Operator of the Year 2010/11, Pizza Lupa, say that they place part of their continued success to a simple formula - courteous and attentive staff, fast turn round of orders, efficient on-line ordering systems and consistency in delivering hot, fresh, high quality handmade pizza from the kitchen.

The Pizza Lupa staff package and quickly arrange for their ordered pizzas to be dispatched to

their customers on one of a fleet of modern Honda bikes to make sure the product is delivered on time.

Pizza Lupa also use what they consider to be the most advanced high quality hot bag systems for their operation ensuring delivered product remains piping hot from the moment it leaves the store until it arrives in the customers hands. Operating from three London outlets, - Crouch End, West Hampstead and London Bridge, Pizza Lupa employ 38 delivery dispatch riders who regularly deliver piping hot pizzas to an area that extends no more than a two mile radius from any one of their three store locations.

When Pizza Lupa and Pizze Cucina merged just over eighteen months ago, both companies were using two very different types of pizza bag systems (Cucina favouring the CookTek system whilst Lupa favoured an alternative branded bag system).

However, it wasn't until the company decided to carry out extensive tests on both bag systems that it became apparent to the Lupa and Cucina management team that the CookTek Induction bag system became their preferred choice, with both teams agreeing that they found that the CookTek system had good heat retention, a faster heat up time and was much easier to use than other systems previously tested. Currently, Lupa Pizza use 60 CookTek bags and three systems spread across its three outlets.

According to owner, Chris Kemper, the three fundamental factors of faster heat up time, heat retention and ease of use were key reasons why the company conclusively chose the CookTek delivery bag system as their preferred supplier.

"Crucially, it was essential for the business that we remained consistent in delivering high quality piping hot pizza to our customer base and to ensure we stayed ahead of the game it was important for us to source the best hot bag system, with that in mind it was quite an easy transition to replace the existing bag system previously being used by the Lupa side of the business with the CookTek induction bag system,” said Chris Kemper.

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advertorial

Papa John’s Technology Boosts Quality Control Standards PIZZA delivery franchisor Papa John's invested over £5 million in developing a new fresh dough facility to support its growth plans for the UK. he Quality Control Centre (pictured, right) includes a dough plant and is catering for the company's production needs as it continues to expand its network. It is from here that Papa John's centrally distribute and deliver all the fresh dough to their stores; twice weekly from Plymouth to Aberdeen in specially chilled lorries, and this delivery technology maintains the quality of our "Better Ingredients. Better Pizza." every day.

The factory is sited in Milton Keynes covering nearly 50,000 sq ft, and opened 2010. "Our dough plant provides more than adequate space to cope with our expansion plans, and we are delighted to have secured such a fantastic site," said Papa John's UK Managing Director.

"The excellent facilities at the factory allows us greater control over quality and, as Papa John's is famous for using 100 per cent fresh dough 100 per cent of the time, this plant is vital to that ethos going forward.”

T

Our pizzas are our passion and Papa John’s pizzaioli are the best in the business.

Papa John’s only recruit those who have; patience, passion, focus and determination.

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pizzapasta AND ITALIAN FOOD

If you think you have got what it takes to: 1. Know the exact ingredients of what goes into our dough 2. Why we only use those ingredients?

3. What the perfect temperature of the dough should be 4. What happens to it if the dough is too cold or too warm and therefore what happens to the taste of the dough?

5. Slap 150 bases or even 200 every day?

If the answer is ‘Yes’ to all of these questions, then you could

become one of our Pizzaioli!

The benefits to each of our pizzaioli include attending our Pizzaiolo Stars Programme. This plan was designed to recognise those in the business who can produce those perfect bases that some of us struggle to master!

And acknowledge those skills and time it takes to be flawless.

It is an intense programme which requires the attendee to use their culinary skills to identify at a glance what good coloration and poor coloration of dough looks like. What is the correct

temperature, size, depth and width of the perfect dough? What is the correct speed of service and do they have the ability to train others? The expertise of a pizzaiolo does not stop there.

Every year our pizzaioli have the chance to compete in our International Pizza Game! Every store within the UK and Europe can enter and in order to qualify your pizza must be fastest made and have the best pizza score.

Your pizza will be graded exactly as they would do in a mystery shop. If your pizzaiolo and his team win the UK final they will win £5,000 and have an amazing opportunity to go to America and compete for $20,000!

All this might sound like fun but becoming a great pizzaiolo is hard work! And after slapping 300/400/500 bases within a shift and mastering the pizzaiolo programme I think that more pizzaioli should be recognised and we definitely do that within PAPA JOHNS! UK Store Becomes European Champion A team of pizza makers from Papa John’s Edinburgh were crowned European Champions of the company’s Pizza Games in 2011, proving it is a cut above the rest.

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advertorial topped to ensure they met Papa John’s high standards. The finished pizzas were then scored on how they looked and how much topping was on each slice – the same criteria applies to Papa John’s 100% fresh dough pizzas the world over.

John Schnatter founded the company on his “Better Ingredients. Better Pizza” pledge and created the Papa John’s Pizza Games to ensure high quality is maintained across all stores.

Andrew added: “I’m very proud to own a Papa John’s store because the fact that the company takes such pride in the quality of its product through the Pizza Games shows that it is a brand to be reckoned with. Our store is very popular with the people of Edinburgh and we look forward to seeing Papa John’s expand across Scotland.”

Andrew’s father George is also heavily involved with the store, making Papa John’s Edinburgh a family business.

Staff from Papa John’s on South Clerk Street in Edinburgh beat 26 other UK competitors to battle it out against pizza experts from Leith and Russia at Papa John’s Quality Control Centre in Milton Keynes.

The team was announced as the overall European winners and rewarded with a £2000 prize, as well as a ten day all expenses paid trip to the US. While in Florida the team competed in the Global Pizza Games Finals in Orlando, achieving second place behind the winning team from Costa Rica.

The franchise owner of Papa John’s Edinburgh, Andrew Eastcroft, trained colleagues, Tom McCubbine and Liam McGarrity to create the successful team.

He said: “My pizza makers pulled together and showed great passion and dedication, and I’m delighted that their hard work has been recognised. To be crowned European Champions and come second in the Global Pizza Games Finals is an outstanding achievement.”

Teams competing in Papa John’s Pizza Games were challenged to make six pizzas in the fastest possible time. They were judged on how well the dough was slapped, sauced and

www.papa.org.uk

How it all began…

As a high school student working at a local pizza pub in Jeffersonville, Indiana, Papa John's founder John Schnatter felt there was something missing from national pizza chains – a superiorquality traditional pizza delivered right to the customer's door. His dream was to one day open a pizza restaurant that would fill that void.

In 1983, John picked up his business degree from Ball State University and went back to Jeffersonville, Indiana. There, at the age of 22, he knocked down the broom closet of his father's tavern (Mick's Lounge), purchased $1600 worth of used restaurant equipment, and began delivering pizzas out of the back of the bar.

From day one, John knew he could make a better pizza by using fresh dough and superiorquality ingredients, and he refused to sway from that commitment to quality. It worked, and people loved his pizza. In 1984, John opened his first Papa John's restaurant, and Papa John's has been going strong ever since. Today, Papa John's is the recognized leader of the pizza category and now owns or franchises more than 3,500 restaurants in all 50 states and 29 countries. More than 25 years later, one thing remains the same – Papa John's is still fully committed to delivering on its brand promise of "Better Ingredients. Better Pizza."

"Making a quality pizza using Better Ingredients has been the foundation of Papa John's for more than 25 years. You have my commitment that Papa John's will not stray from the foundation of quality & superiority upon which the company was built. We will always strive to be your 'Better' Pizza Company."

The Future…

Papa John's franchise tried and tested formula and an established British management team, with many years’ experience in franchising and retailing, means a solid foundation for a very promising future. The aim is to open a further 250 UK stores over the next five years.

Annual system-wide sales exceed $1 billion, and now Great Britain is spear heading international expansion of the brand.

Since the first UK stores opened in summer 2000, customer feedback has been excellent and Papa John’s was named UK Pizza Delivery Operator of the Year in 2004, 2005 and 2008 by the Pizza, Pasta and Italian Food Association.

Prospects for the right people are excellent; particularly bearing in mind that home delivery is the fastest growing sector of the market. Pizza is universally popular and unaffected by seasons or fashions. Independent research points shows that in the UK, pizza consumption is expanding to similar levels as those in the United States where people eat three times as much pizza.

In 2011 Papa John’s, the world’s third largest pizza delivery chain, is looking back on 22 quarters of successive growth, 33 new stores, 25 new franchisees, making a grand total of over 165 UK stores, PLUS the completion of a state-of-the-art dough plant and quality control centre in Milton Keynes. The plant provides the supply and logistics of one half of the Papa John’s ‘Better Ingredients. Better Pizza’ pledge; and represents the future of the company – with the capacity to serve double the number of existing stores, and they want to meet potential store franchise owners in the UK and, whether they be budding entrepreneurs looking to run their own business, or parents wanting an alternative investment opportunity to buying a second property.

If you would like to talk to them, face-to-face, to explore the possibilities of becoming a Papa John’s franchise owner, call now on: 0844 567 0937 or email enquiries@papajohns.co.uk.

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beverages

While the iconic Italian beer brands vie for the attention of consumers, the world of coffee, cocktails and café culture is becoming more evident as outlets look at ways in which to compete with other food concepts to ensure that they don’t miss out on the coffee shop boom.

Battle of the beers Two of the most well known brands of Italian beer have been on the promotion path in the UK this year, with Peroni Nastro Azzurro seeming to focus on glamorous Italian imagery, and Birra Moretti taking a more ‘hands on’ approach, demonstrating how their product can be used in cooking and enjoyed with pizza.

Peroni Nastro Azzurro (www.peroniitaly.com), for instance, has been continuing its celebration of Italian style this year with a series of interactive events across London throughout the early part of the year, designed to immerse consumers in the world of Italian film.

Claiming to be the number one Italian imported lager in the UK, Peroni Nastro Azzurro has

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been imported to the UK since 1965 as a bottled beer (four pack – in 330ml and 66cl formats). It is now also available in selected draught outlets nationwide and is characterised by being a wellbalanced, clear pale lager (it is made by brewing the finest spring-planted barley and Italian maize combined with malts and hops to create the highest standard of premium beer).

Its latest promotional activity began with the creative use of out of home media in Old Street, London. Intent on enthralling its target consumers and changing the way people think about beer, Peroni Nastro Azzurro created an Italian style, outdoor cinema – a first for an outdoor advertising site, say the company.

Their intimate outdoor cinema seats 20 people in signature Peroni blue, cinema-style seats

and is flanked by two billboards, featuring giant 3D film reels, and this time screened Senza Tempo (a short film Peroni Nastro Azzurro made in collaboration with the award-winning Italian film director, Gabriele Muccino), created to form the basis of Peroni Nastro Azzurro’s throughthe-line activity which originally went live last August, and included activation in the on and off-trade as well as cinema, outdoor and digital. However, Peroni Nastro Azzurro’s association with film began back in 2006 with its remake of the iconic La Dolce Vita.

“We were extremely excited to be working with a craftsman like Muccino,” said Karen RaglioneHall, marketing manager for Peroni Nastro Azzurro. “The Italian film industry is known for its distinctive and crafted approach to film-making which is synonymous with the brewing of Peroni Nastro Azzurro. The Italian values of craftsmanship, passion and attention to detail are embedded in every aspect of Italian film-making and it's this process that makes the output unique. It’s the same Italian approach and values that makes Peroni Nastro Azzurro unique.”

Consumers were also encouraged to complete their Peroni experience at a local bar where they were offered a complimentary aperitivo with the

purchase of two Peroni Nastro Azzurro 330ml bottles on production of a postcard given to attendees of the outdoor cinema.

Back in March, Peroni Nastro Azzurro also hosted an exhibition that explored Italian style’s influence on film and film making at the Proud Gallery in Chelsea, before moving on to tour nine UK

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beverages cities (Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham, Brighton, Cardiff and Bristol).

The Peroni Collection – Italian Style on the Silver Screen - was curated by portrait and fashion photographer Rankin and Italian Fashion writer, film expert and cultural commentator, Anna Battista. The exhibition featured rare and never seen before images and costumes from the cinema and explored the relationship between Italian fashion design and its influence on film and image making. The

exhibition also included bespoke shots by that were inspired by the unique Italian art of making the ordinary extraordinary.

This summer, rival Italian beer brand, Birra Moretti’s marketing has centred around the promotion of it culinary potential as a pizza ingredient, as well as pizza accompaniment, with the brand bringing the taste of Italian hospitality to London in a celebration of life’s simple pleasures – “great beer, great food and great company”. It started off with Pizza in the Piazza, before moving on to the hosting of a

Birra Moretti have also been taking part in the Pizza Pasta and Italian Food Association’s (PAPA) Pizza Chef of the Year competition by sponsoring one of the categories in which competing pizza chefs, such as Tom Mullins from Rossini’s in Northern Ireland, have created pizzas using the beer as one of the ingredients.

series of long lunches.

In July, Birra Moretti turned three central London squares into Italian Piazzas and gave passers by the opportunity to create a gourmet pizza under the expert instruction of top Italian chef, Giancarlo Caldesi. Armed with fresh dough made using Birra Moretti, plus only the finest ingredients, people were then invited to make their own pizza, choosing from three classic recipes - Margherita, Diavolo and Marinara.

Giancarlo Caldesi kept the crowds entertained by regaling stories of his past and his passion for Italian food, while a team of opera singers hidden amongst the crowd would burst into song for an extra touch of authentic Italy to put a smile on everyone’s faces.

Over 500 pizzas were made and cooked freshly on site, and participants got to eat them in

Pizza Alla Birra Moretti For the dough ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

10g fresh yeast or 5g dried yeast 220ml Birra Moretti at room temperature 125ml tepid water 500g strong bread flour or ‘0’ flour 2 teaspoons salt A little semolina for dusting under the pizza

For the topping ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

■

400g Italian tinned plum tomatoes 1 heaped teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 x 125g balls of mozzarella, drained and sliced A handful of fresh basil leaves

The dough Add the yeast to the beer and water, then mix with the flour and salt. Knead for 10 minutes until smooth. Shape into a ball, put in an oiled bowl and cover with cling film. Leave in a warm place to rise until doubled in size. Split into four even-sized balls and leave to rise until doubled in size again.

www.papa.org.uk

The sauce

Serves Four

Put the tomatoes in a bowl and squash by hand.

Add the oregano, salt and oil, and stir well.

To prepare Preheat the oven to its hottest setting. Put two baking trays, spaced apart, upside-down in the oven. Have a thin wooden chopping board ready (for transferring the pizza to the oven). Roll out the dough on a floured surface. Scatter some semolina on to the board, place on the first pizza and spread over a tablespoon of tomato sauce. Add a quarter of the mozzarella and the other toppings. Slide the pizza into the oven and quickly pull the board away so it glides onto the upturned tray. Repeat with the second pizza.

To cook Bake for seven to 10 minutes.

The bases should be golden underneath and the cheese bubbling. Garnish with basil and serve. Repeat for the next pizza batch!

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beverages the piazza washed down with an ice cold Birra Moretti. Each person was also given a coupon to enjoy a free Birra Moretti on the house with partnered venues at each square (Piccolino at Exchange Square, Alphabet Bar in Soho and Amerigo Vespucci at Canary Wharf).

Continuing Birra Moretti’s celebration of the Italian way of life, they have also been hosting a series of long lunches which sought to encourage people to enjoy lunchtime the Italian way relaxed, drawn out afternoons with good food and drink, shared with family and friends.

For generations, Birra Moretti, which claims to be Italy’s leading beer, says that it has taken centre stage at social gatherings, becoming renowned for a distinctive taste and perfectly balanced flavour that has served to make it an ideal accompaniment with lunch, dinner or an informal selection of antipasto (details of future promotional events can be found by visiting facebook.com/morettiuk).

Birra Moretti teamed up with The Manor Arms (Streatham), San Lorenzo (Wimbledon) and Bardolino (Chiswick) to host the long lunches with the lucky winners who entered this promotion receiving a master class from Giancarlo Caldesi to learn the art of Italian cooking.

They then served up their creations to invited guests who got to enjoy it over a Birra Moretti. The first long lunch, held at the Manor Arms saw six lucky winners team up in the kitchen with Giancarlo Caldesi to cook a feast for 60 guests. Prizes of an Italian hamper were also handed out to the ‘Top Chef’.

The coffee challenge Gourmet beverages are no longer a coffee shop phenomenon, or the preserve of café bars.

Competition from non-specialist outlets is contributing to continued growth in the OOH (out of home) beverage market, as confirmed by the disposable packaging manufacturers, Huhtamaki, who recently commissioned their own market research on the topic.

In the past year, 38% of the outlets they surveyed reported

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seeing an increase in sales of gourmet hot beverages, showing that hot beverages are extremely popular, and also supporting the fact that the market is continuing to grow.

The QSR (quick service restaurant sector) was found to have become a major player in the beverages to go market with recent marketing campaigns for McDonald’s (1,200 outlets) having been devoted to highlighting their coffee offering. Other big players in the sector were found to be Greggs (1,526 outlets) and Subway (1,500 outlets), both of whom have also developed their hot beverage offerings.

Branded coffee-focused outlets (of which there are over 3,000 outlets in the UK) was an area that had grown by 7.3% according to Allegra’s UK Retail Coffee Shop Market – Strategic Analysis, December 2010 report. The same report revealed branded foodfocused outlets (of which there are over 1,500 outlets in the UK) as an area that had grown by 3.7%.

Huhtamaki’s own research also showed that in all sectors, coffee was the most popular hot beverage sold – no matter what the season – with McDonald’s, for example, having announced a 39% rise in the number of cups sold in its outlets since their more premium coffee range was relaunched in 2007. Thus, it would seem that there is plenty of potential for outlets already in the QSR and fast food arena to up their hot beverage offering as consumer expectations of speciality, coffee-based drinks rise.

Recognising the fact that many operators across all market sectors and niches now want to tap into the speciality beverage opportunity, the coffee machine manufacturers have been developing their product ranges

accordingly with everything available from state of the art espresso machines to the far easier to use automatic bean to cup and vending machines, meaning that there are now coffee machines available to suit most applications and skill levels.

Nespresso, for example, has just launched the Aguila (www.nespresso.com/pro/aguila), its first professional machine dedicated to meet the demands of high-volume cafés and restaurants whose customers will not compromise on coffee quality.

“Our new Aguila machine is our most impressive and technologically advanced machine to date and produces luxurious coffee with one touch – perfect for restaurants, cafés and high-volume establishments requiring a reliable and efficient service to meet customer needs,” says Brema Drohan, managing director at Nespresso, UK. “Nespresso works closely with the HORECA industry and is aware of the challenges facing it from a service and efficiency point of view. As consumers’ interest and awareness in coffee evolves, they are demanding a better product than ever before, and restaurants and cafés are on the whole identifying the opportunity. The Aguila was created to meet this demand for consistently high quality coffee in establishments with a large coffee turnover.”

Recent research undertaken by Allegra Strategies on the role of coffee in foodservice revealed the hospitality industry is well aware of the potential of coffee on their future revenue (72% of respondents said that coffee is likely to have a ‘significant impact’ on their future restaurant revenue, and only 28% said it was likely to remain static, and on ‘the importance of coffee to the business’, 85% said it was ‘very

important’).

Scanomat have also made two major launches in their Venezia range – machines which can brew any type of coffee from espresso through to latte and cappuccino as well as hot chocolate and not forgetting, hot water for tea.

The Scanomat Venezia Bean to Cup hybrid coffee machine offers fresh ground coffee, backed up with a soluble option. With state of the art technology, a focus on energy saving along with uncompromising coffee quality and user friendly operation, this is the future of coffee machine development, claim the company.

The second newcomer to the Scanomat UK portfolio is the Scanomat Venezia instant coffee machine with its option of a fresh milk system that can be installed under, or over the counter. The Venezia provides high volume freshly brewed drinks either in a cup, mug or flask, and unusually, the Venezia uses less energy heating water and can be programmed to revert to standby when not in use, say the company (www.scanomat.co.uk).

They can also supply sophisticated hot and cold beverage solutions for both soluble and roast and ground systems, with a choice of ownlabel, in-house roasted coffees and Fairtrade and organic brands.

All are delivered complete with full merchandising support and comprehensive maintenance and service back up, say the company.

Their coffee blends are produced in Scanomat’s Danish Roastery, where only small batch roasting is undertaken so as to deliver fresher coffee and importantly, enable ingredients to be delivered to order quickly, usually within six weeks of roasting, for optimum freshness and flavour.

A unique and funky range, Scanomat’s Amokka is aimed at the premium end of the market an exciting and contemporary brand offering first class ingredients and accessories all featuring a memorable sexy dancing bean motif. According to the company, Amokka is a concept to “spread joy, surprise and informal happiness”.

The Amokka ingredients come armed with a range of accessories including, cups, latte glasses and

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beverages

‘bean’ coffee spoons – that can be used in service or sold as an extra revenue stream. Scanomat coffee machines can also be branded with the Amokka funky bean logo further complementing front of house merchandising.

The perfect coffee “Water makes up around 99% of every black drink, making it as important in perfecting the Italian favourite as the blend and variety of beans,” comments Anthony Spruce, sales director at Brita Professional.

“Water straight from the tap however can affect the taste, aroma and appearance of the espresso giving consumers a poor quality drink. At Brita we work with operators and machine manufacturers to fit filters that remove impurities and scale, balancing the mineral content of the water and helping baristas produce a flavoursome espresso every time.

“What’s more, the appearance of the espresso is iconic and a strong part of the appeal to the drinker. Using non-filtered water often results in a weak looking coffee that lacks visual impact. In contrast, Brita filtered water produces a strong crema on top of the drink, making it attractive and synonymous with premium,

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quality coffee. Getting this right will encourage customers to keep coming back for more, helping to increase your profits.”

The well known espresso machine manufacturer, Gaggia’s, range of machines is now marketed in the UK by coffee equipment specialist Watermark and its managing director, David Lawlor, also has some advice for those aiming to serve up the perfect coffee.

“The vital thing is to start right – a few simple steps each time you use the machine will go a long way towards delivering the perfect coffee,” he says.

“Firstly, I would recommend ‘seasoning’ the group heads every morning. You can do this by running two or three espresso shots from each head. As well as warming up the group handles, the procedure also removes the flavour of any residual detergent that may have been left on the group heads from the previous night’s cleaning.

“Fresh water is also vital. Make sure hot water from the boiler is dispensed daily, to ensure that it doesn’t become stale. Also check the colour. Monitor the espresso shot - a blacker than normal colour may indicate that the beans or ground coffee have been exposed to the air for too long. If

that’s the case, then replace the coffee with a fresh supply. Try before you serve. Become an espresso drinker — so you’ll know when it tastes right!

“Lastly, if you’re about to invest in a new coffee machine, talk to the experts and then make sure that you buy from a reputable supplier who will be able to offer good after-sales support, including service and training.”

The Gaggia range is available through catering equipment distributors and coffee specialists and Watermark is currently expanding its distributor network (for more information and brochures freephone Gaggia Watermark on 0800 9179879, or visit www.watermark.uk.com).

New to the UK Fratelli Roppa say that there are few secrets left in the world these days, but are now in the midst of sharing a southern Italian one with the UK market in the form of Brasilena - a cold, non-alcoholic soft drink that is brewed in the foothills of southern Italy from some of the world’s finest coffee beans, say the company.

Brasilena blends a rich coffee aroma with lightly carbonated mineral water and has sweet caramel tones, with an appealing smell and taste that has long made it popular with Brasilena having been enjoyed by the

Calabrese people of Italy's deep south for over 50 years, and now it's available in the UK for the very first time.

Fratelli Roppa is a small familyorientated business which formed in 2010 with the aim of bringing little-known quality products to the UK. They say that they believe passionately in their products, having close ties to the Calabria region and proud of their association with Acqua Calabria Minerale (who have granted them exclusivity to sell Brasilena in the UK).

“Brasilena is a drink that’s close to my heart as it has been a favourite drink for many, many years for me, my friends and my family,” says Sandro Roppa, the founding director of Fratelli Roppa. “Brasilena was introduced to me by my parents and with its fifty years heritage, to them by their parents. So it always conjures happy memories of my childhood summers spent in Italy.

“Back in 2007 my twin sister tragically passed away, and it was always her wish to bring Brasilena here to the UK. Unfortunately, at the time we were not able to for fulfil this goal. After much persuasion, however, the producers of Brasilina have agreed to support myself and my brother in bringing this unique drink to the UK.” October 2011

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beverages Festive theme Eliot’s, the on-trade drinks supplier best known for its range of hot-serve alcoholic beverages, is launching a new and improved bar-top dispenser well in advance of the peak winter and festive season. The dispenser, which swiftly heats each individual serving of Eliot’s drinks at the point of delivery, has been engineered and thoroughly tested to give a ten-year, 20,000 serving lifespan.

All four of the drinks in the Eliot’s range – Mulled Wine, Winter Warmer, Spicy Cider and Sangria – can be served hot when customers need a warming drink. However, Spicy Cider and Sangria have been specially blended to taste just as good chilled over ice during the summer months, say the company, meaning operators can keep their Eliot’s dispenser Brasilena is made by Acqua Calabria Minerale, an Italian family business, which operates from five production sites in the south of Italy (Catanzaro). At present, Brasilena is mainly sold in the Italian south, where you tend to find it in every supermarket, café, restaurant and bar, not to mention every family table at mealtimes!

Although Calabrians might want to keep this drink to themselves, Brasilena is already fast receiving international recognition and is currently available in parts of USA, Canada, Australia, Germany and Switzerland with over 20 million drinks sold every year. An example of Brasilena's popularity is its ever-growing fan base on Facebook, with a fanbase of circa 40,000 fans.

Needless to say, the Brasilena brand owes much to its strong association with Brazilian coffeemaking, but the term 'Brasilena' actually refers to a woman who looks Brazilian - much like the woman depicted on the front of the can. The mystery of the face of Brasilena can, though, be traced back to an Italian actress, Claudia Cardinale, an icon in Italy in the 1960s who appeared in many European films of that time.

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in use all year round.

“With stockists now serving Eliot’s all year round, we wanted to further to improve the spec and make our patented dispenser stronger and more powerful to cope with demand,” explains Fraser Henderson, managing director of Haywoods Drinks Products which owns the Eliot’s Brand.“The new model has an increased lifespan and is also easier to clean. It’s the ideal time to upgrade.”

Just in time for festive season, Eliot’s have launched a new hot and cold drinks dispenser.

And so the founder of Calabria Acqua Mineral, who was certainly not immune to her charms, pulled off a masterstroke when he was able to put Italy's favourite face on the can of Calabria's favourite drink. Sixty years on, and the imagery remains the same, drawing in a new generation of Brasilena drinkers.

Brasilena is a versatile product that can be drunk anytime, morning, noon or night and market research has shown that its retro packaging is quickly winning admirers, and stands out from rival brands, claim Fratelli Roppa. The drink appeals to coffee drinkers, but can also be enjoyed by those who don't drink ‘traditional’ coffee. It's also been found to be quite addictive with its sweet caramel tones leaving those surveyed wanting more and its shot of espresso can give a much-needed energy boost as well as lending it to use in cocktails as a modern complement to spirits.

Cocktail competition Luxardo Original (clear) Sambuca and its range of flavoured Sambucas have become strong favourites for fast-pouring seasonal drinks and Cellar Trends Ltd has announced that it will be lining up promotions in both the on and off-trade to show the use of Luxardo in easy shot-style serves and colourful cocktails.

Ideal for busy bars and restaurants wishing to make the most of the upcoming party season, they feature popular flavours with a new twist such as the bright green Luxardo Spiced Apple Sambuca and more recently launched Luxardo Chilli and Spices so as to match attention grabbing colour with vibrant taste.

This year, the brand partnered with the UKBG (United Kingdom Bartenders Guild) to launch its first Luxardo Masters of Maraschino competition.

Luxardo Maraschino (32% abv) is made from Marasca cherries in the Luxardo orchards in Torreglia, known for their stunning blossom.

Luxardo uniquely owns over 22,000 Marasca cherry trees and this sour cherry variety is exclusively cultivated by the company.

Maraschino is also one of the very few liqueurs in the world produced by distillation, the distillate being aged for two years in Finnish ash-wood vats. The typical straw encased bottle is widely recognised, its the paper label featuring some of the many medals won in international competitions from the mid nineteenth century to the present day.

The final took place at the Boutique Bar Show, London in September and was cohosted by Matteo Luxardo and Cellar Trends Ltd. Over 40 people entered and the competition was eventually won by Alessandro Pizzoli of the Kensington Hotel, London.

His inventive cocktail, Luxzara, scooped the top In addition to its well known sambuca range, Luxardo produces Maraschino (pictured), Limoncello and Amaretto within its portfolio of classic liqueurs.

prize, judged on taste, skill and the perfect balance, and was also named the technical winner (his prize being a visit to the scenic home of Luxardo in Italy, hosted

by Matteo Luxardo and the Luxardo family).

Alessandro Pizzoli’s winning Luxzara 25ml Luxardo Maraschino 25ml Hendrick's gin 25ml reduction of tonic water infused with mint, lemongrass, red beetroot and cucumber.

Glass: Martini.

Method: Shake and strain.

Garnish: lemongrass, beetroot, cherry, mint, orange twist.

The runner-up was Andy Tuck of Proud Cabaret with his cocktail, Italian Apple.

Italian Apple 15ml Luxardo Maraschino 10ml Dubonnet 10ml Green Chartreuse 25ml Calvados 2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters Glass: martini Method: Stir together.

Garnish: cherry, and orange zest.

Third prize winner was Gosia Szwadzka of Skylon with her cocktail, Fire Exit.

Fire Exit 15ml Luxardo Maraschino 50ml Wild Turkey bourbon 3 cloves Glass: cognac balloon.

Method: blazer style.

Garnish: cinnamon stick, orange zest, cherry marinated in Luxardo Maraschino and Wild Turkey.

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espresso coffee

Espresso

coffee essentials So what’s required to make a perfect espresso that’s often at the heart of many speciality coffees? Coffee shop sector insider, Andrew Tucker (pictured), head of coffee at the independent Boston Tea Party chain of coffee shops, gives us his advice on how to set about making this iconic drink.

An out of home experience Whilst the UK coffee market continues to evolve and fall ever more in love with the fantastic variety that exists within the world of filter coffee (as it should!), espresso based coffee is still at the very core of our industry, and I don’t see that balance ever truly shifting.

Part of what I believe makes people hand over their hardearned cash for coffee in a café or bar is the expectation that they should get a coffee in return that they cannot easily recreate in their own home - and that is a coffee that usually requires a decent espresso machine.

Whilst many baristas and general public will profess to experimenting with different variations of a filter brew at home, such as pour over, aero-press or French press - the espresso machine is still the most expensive piece of coffee making equipment you’re ever likely to purchase and often out of reach for most of us in our homes.

Unless you spend upwards of £500, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to pull shots or foam milk to the same quality that can be achieved on most commercial machines so the home espresso machine is still quite rare.

The art of pulling a truly memorable shot of espresso should start way before the machine even comes into consideration. Selecting freshly roasted coffee beans that suit espresso machine brewing and

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putting them through a decent coffee grinder will make a huge difference to the overall quality of the espresso shot you pull.

Many of our customers often ask me why they cannot get decent shots from their expensive home espresso machines and more often than not, it’s usually due to the absence of a good burr-based grinder.

Without the ability to grind coffee to a consistent size whilst avoiding burning of the coffee in the process, it is unlikely that you’ll ever really extract a great shot of espresso that shows the true character of the coffee and a fine balance of the four desirable characteristics of espresso coffee -

(picture credit: United Coffee, www.unitedcoffeeuk.com)

namely, body, acidity, sweetness and bitterness all in harmonious balance.

It’s in the beans For one thing, by purchasing preground coffee, the coffee in the bag will have oxidized sufficiently between the grinding and you brewing it to the point where almost all of its quality will have been lost. Thus, purchasing whole beans is therefore an absolute must, but even a cheap blade grinder is unlikely to deliver a desirable shot due to their inconsistency of grind size and their tendency towards overheating of the coffee grinds in the process.

Burr grinders, with low rotation speeds will help to eliminate inconsistencies in grind size as well as over heating. This in turn will improve the even flow of water through the coffee bed or ‘puck’ allowing a more even extraction of the coffee’s flavours and a better tasting shot.

Basic physics will tell you that water likes to take the path of least resistance through anything, including coffee. So if an inadequate grinder produces inconsistent coffee grinds there is a higher risk of ‘channels’ appearing in the coffee puck that the water will naturally pass through more easily. However, this will produce a very unbalanced shot of espresso.

By having a perfectly consistent bed of coffee grounds, created by the presence of a good quality grinder, evenly distributing the coffee within the group handle/basket and by removing as much of the air pockets trapped in between the grinds with an effective firm ‘tamp’ method and tamping tool (a compression of the coffee), you can eliminate the risk of any easy paths through the coffee for the water to take and as result that water will be forced into travelling through the whole puck evenly, pulling with it all the lovely sweet flavours that you would expect from a good freshly roasted coffee bean/blend.

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espresso coffee

Assuming that you’ve found a good coffee roaster to supply you with your beans (and those of you looking for full bodied heavy chocolaty espresso might look towards Indonesian or Brazilian

coffees whilst throes of you preferring the lighter fruiter and more fragrant flavours of coffee would do well to look towards the latest crop of Kenyan, Costa Rican or Ethiopian coffees, you then need to ensure that the coffee has been roasted in such a way so as to accentuate the coffees natural characteristics.

Sadly, a lot of coffee roasters have a tendency to over-roast their coffees, often eliminating the natural sweet/fruit flavours only to leave a distinctly ‘roasty’ flavour that can verge on an unpleasant bitter/ash type taste.

Look at the roast colour of the beans. If they are black and oily, you’re unlikely to get those lovely sweet caramel-like flavours. If they are super light and golden in colour then expect sharp citrus acidity and a real zing.

The dose weight of the ground coffee that you use will also have a big effect on the flavour and texture of your shots. However there is no right answer when it comes to an ideal dose weight as this remains purely subjective.

I would say that for most

coffees, you should work on approximately 8-9 gramme shots so if using a double headed group handle, about 16-18g should suffice.

Assuming that you’ve acquired a decent burr grinder, grind the coffee to a consistency of something similar to a fine sand.

Rough sand is too coarse and will produce weak bitter tasting (under extracted) shots, whereas a powder-like texture is too fine which will produce sour and bitter (over extracted) shots.

The espresso machine you brew on also needs to perform certain basic functions in order to get the best out of the coffee which is why it’s unlikely that a domestic machine under about £400 will ever produce anything of real quality unfortunately.

It must pump perfectly filtered water at an effective atmospheric pressure of around 9lbs/bar. A lot of undesirable flavours in coffee come from the impurities within the water so an effective filtration system is also key.

The next factor to consider is the brewing temperature of the

water inside the machine. Some of the more advanced machines have the ability to control brewing temperature so as to be able to extract some of the best flavours.

Select a temperature between 89oC and 94oC, depending on the coffee/blend you are using. Coffee grounds are delicate like tea, so it’s vital not to scald the grounds with excessively hot water. Doing so will result in overtly bitter coffee that lacks any fruit or sweet characteristics.

You expect to see a shot that pours like honey, lovely dark golden caramel in colour and taking somewhere between 23 to 27 seconds if all the steps in the process are correct. Expect a lovely golden crema (foamy head) on your shot, although be mindful of the fact that it is the crema that often carries a lot of the potentially bitter flavours. Ideally, it should have a nice texture and ‘mouth feel’ to it - something thicker than tea or water - and should be served at a temperature that is ready to drink immediately. Enjoy!

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

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

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

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profile

A taste of Rome The brainchild of Stefano Nicolai (pictured right) Spianata & Co. (www.spianata.com) is a small but well established chain of London-based Italian artisan bakeries and paninoteca employing 40 people which started out in 2004, and with a difference - its artisan, Roman style bread.

The bread Somewhat pizza-like in its characteristics, Spianata (which literally means ‘flattened’) takes its inspiration from the skilfully prepared pizza bianca romana that is traditionally associated with Rome and is a long, flat and golden bread.

Handmade and stone-baked, before being cut up for the purposes of sandwich making it is six feet long and eleven inches wide, light and airy and crisp in texture with a distinctive golden crust achieved via a few brush strokes of olive oil and finished with a sprinkling of sea salt. Low in fat, but rich in flavour, it has been popular across the generations and still remains the backbone of the Mediterranean diet of Romans.

And why are ‘spianatas’ so flat? Quite simply, in times gone by in traditional half moon shaped Roman ovens, when larger loaves of bread were being baked in the centre, there

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was still room for smaller, flatter breads to be baked out towards the edges where the oven’s curved roof was lower but there was still floor space.

The concept As the Spianata outlets have A1 licensing only, they do not cook any food on the premises, but this is in no way a problem or issue as their Spianata bread is made and brought in from their Holborn Viaduct-based, ‘feeder’ laboratorio (bakery) on a day by day basis - and a site that has been deliberately made visible to customers via a glass screen.

Their first bakery was in Watling Street, St Paul’s, not far from a large Italian bank, but as demand grew, bigger premises for the bakery were soon required, necessitating the move to Holborn.

The bakery comes to life between four and five in the morning with proving of the bread taking two to three hours.

Once the dough has grown to three times its size, it is ready for use. If the family-owned chain grows further, which it seems likely to do, the company anticipate that a grouping of five to six stores will require one bakery so as to keep delivery distances to a minimum.

Thus, once the bread has been delivered to the outlets for preparation as sandwiches, they are packaged in highly visible ‘window boxes’ and displayed very appealingly in ambient conditions on wooden shelves backed by motifed Castelli tiles sourced from Italy’s Abruzzi.

Refrigeration is reserved only for drinks and other items such as a salads and takeaway tiramisu.

Some of the chilled drinks on offer include Chinotto (a dark quinine based drink, sparkling, and that Italians love, and that’s also claimed to be a very natural cure for a hangover). There is also Aranciata Amara (bitter orange), and a range of high

quality patisserie from a very famous Italian make, Mulino Bianco (considered in Italy to be one of the best, if not the best).

With the sandwiches, by keeping to a strict ‘made that day only’ policy, they do not keep what’s not sold in a day for sale the next. However, as it’s not unusual for outlets to request that the bakery send in more supplies during the course of a day for a sudden surge in demand, it seems that wastage at Spianata is not really a major problem. They are able to keep tabs on demand and volume and bake accordingly (off-cuts of the bread from the sandwich making process are even made available free to customers, for use as accompaniments to soup, for example).

The fact that their bread is stone-baked from scratch every day in a dedicated bakery using time-honoured techniques and recipes from Roman master bakers is what is at the heart of these outlets and gives them the edge, the bread being something the founder, Stefano Nicolai, has worked very hard to perfect and make as authentic as possible, and so understandably refuses to compromise on.

Indeed, Stefano Nicolai (who came to London from Rome with his family as a teenager and subsequently worked in the City before giving up his finance job to start Spianata), had long dreamt of bringing this type of bread and food concept to London, firstly spending some time at a famous bakery in Rome with the master bakers there, learning all about the product and how to perfect it, as there are some handmade aspects to its production.

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profile Eventually, when Stefano Nicolai set about creating his own bakery in London, he imported everything he needed from the Eternal City, not least the crucial oven and specially designed work surfaces. And now he feels that there could well be an opportunity to take his own concept back to Rome itself (it being more usual there for bakery and salumeria to be separate entities and people buying their own meat to put into the bread bought from a nearby bakery).

Ambient display It is the bread which is the key, confirms Stefano Nicolai, pointing to the fact that the often frozen, or refrigerated equivalents used by other outlets often leads to a cold sandwich that can not really be enjoyed in terms of flavour, and also might not always be as easy to digest for some.

The opportunity to be able to taste and appreciate the carefully selected, but simple, ingredients (such as freshly sliced Mortadella ham or Parma ham, or the most popular filling – mozzarella and tomato) that go into a Spianata sandwich at room temperature is a very tangible part of the Spianata experience.

Less is certainly more, and a characteristic which is enjoyed by many regular customers who have come to trust this brand and appreciate not having simple, but premium and carefully selected, Italian hams or cheeses over-run by mayonnaise or other chilled extras. It also appears to act as a subtle education process, giving customers the chance to sample Italian flavours and ingredients that they might not have otherwise fully been able to appreciate in basic, but carefully thought out combinations.

With his financial background, Stefano Nicolai says that he understands the importance of remaining competitive in a volume driven industry, prepared to accept perhaps a slightly lower margin (the average price for a Spianata sandwich is £3.95) for their premium fillings which also feature speck, punta d’anca

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bresaola, taleggio, gorgonzola and reggiano parmesan cheeses.

Some customers, reports Stefano Nicolai, seeing the pizza potential of the pizza rosso (a tomato sauce topped spianata) the outlets serve, have asked that additional toppings be made available, but so far this has been resisted, so committed are the brand to remaining true to their Roman roots.

A range of hot dishes, such as aubergine parmigiana and lasagne, have recently been added, but are made away from the premises, and have presented quite a challenge in terms of ensuring authenticity, says Stefano Nicolai who wanted to find a really good artisan supplier and eventually found it in a chef who had worked in an Italian Michelin star restaurant.

Health credentials Stefano Nicolai reports that he recently had Spianata’s best selling product (prosciutto and mozzarella, Parma ham and mozzarella spianata) tested by a A delivery of extra bread to supplement demand can be made by bicycle.

Highly visible – both the packaging and wooden shelves make for an attractive, ambient display.

reputable, UK-based food research laboratory revealing it to have an energy value of 232kcal/100g. For its Caprese spianata (mozzarella, vine tomatoes, basil and extra virgin olive oil), this was found to be 226kcal/100g, and for their chicken cacciatora (chicken, red pepper paste, pine kernels, olives, sundried tomatoes and lettuce) it was found to be 223kcal/100g.

Thus, they represent a healthy, but also satisfying, lunch

option for consumers. The sandwiches typically weigh around 200g to 203g - almost double the amount of weight you might get with some high street sandwiches, claim the company, yet the price is about the same when comparing them with equivalent ‘specials’ from rival outlets. And of course the weight is not made up with butter, mayonnaise, sauces etc, but rather pure protein and vegetables from the cured meats, cheese and salad fillings.

Growth The first Spianata outlet started near St Paul’s and word soon spread of this tasty, and traditional, Italian alternative to the more usual sandwich bar we have come to expect. At first it was homesick Italians, French and Spanish who frequented Spianata, but it soon became popular with Americans, Australians and Brits too, and now the chain has opened its fourth outlet at More London.

As far as their expansion plans are concerned, they say that they would prefer commercial partnerships over any franchised route. They have their eyes on more sites in the City, and some for the West End (where they see potential for a longer lunch time period, whereas in the City the lunch time rush tends to be from noon to two), and pride themselves on slow but sure, single outlet by single outlet growth as opposed to the often riskier venture capital-backed expansion of others.

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The taste of

tradition The production of San Daniele hams and Grana Padano cheeses, whose respective consortiums have this year begun a three year campaign to raise awareness of the PDO (protected designation of origin) status of these products, is characterised by both artisan and large scale producers. However, in order to meet the strict quality standards required, all producers of both products must remain true to their traditions in order to make hams and cheeses of the highest quality.

Natural process Prolongo (www.prolongo.it) in San Daniele del Friuli, for example, describes itself as an arts and crafts firm that was originally founded in 1957 by Giovanni Prolongo and is now run by his son Lucio, his grandson Alessio and his granddaughter Arianna.

This company cures in the region of just 7000 San Daniele hams in a year, following the traditional manner of hammaking and meaning that they only bring in their fresh meat in the cold period - from October to February - enabling them to then keep 80% of their production to a natural maturation period.

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It is the particular microclimate of this area (where there are ideal conditions for aircuring) and the long natural curing process deployed, care and observation of the meat during storage that results in the characteristic sweet taste and pink colour of San Daniele ham.

The cold winds that blow down from the north meet and mix with the warm breezes that arrive from the Adriatic Sea creating a natural ‘air conditioner’ that artisan producers such as Prolongo and bigger concerns, such as Morgante SpA (www.morgante.it), exploit in their curing and drying rooms that have been positioned with October 2011

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ham specially designed windows to enable the hams to be exposed to the air, as and when the producers deem the conditions to be right.

Selection By law, to be able to achieve the PDO status, it is only the thigh meat (the back legs in particular, as they have been found to affect the drying process) of specified breeds of pigs that are born, raised and slaughtered in certain, specified areas of Italy that can be used.

The traceability of the meat is ensured by a series of codes and stamps on the thigh, such as the pig farm identification stamp which also indicates the date of birth of the pig, and the abattoir identification stamp. All this is done to optimise meat quality and help monitor, trace and guarantee a satisfactory maturing process.

The thighs must be fresh, but not frozen, and need to weigh no less than 12.5 kilograms.

During the receipt of fresh hams, Prolongo, just as at the bigger producers, make their selection, dividing their thighs into groups with similar weights. Only then can they brand them with the symbol that bears the date on which the ham-making process began (day, month and year).

Salting The second phase of the process is called salting – this is when the thighs are covered with additive-free sea salt and massaged, salt having been used as a preservative since ancient times, notably by the Celts who resided in this area due to the location’s position en route to north east Europe. The grain size of the salt is also instrumental in affecting the taste of their hams, report many producers, its selection down to their personal choice, but usually sourced from Sicily or the Puglia region of Italy.

After this, they are put into a refrigerating room with a constant temperature of +2°C. At this point, they are following an ancient rule, say Prolongo - the so called ‘golden rule’, which requires the thighs to be left in the cold store for as many days as their kilos of weight (for

www.papa.org.uk

example, a 13 kg ham would need 13 days storage in these conditions at this stage). Half way through this period of time, they ‘refresh’ the hams by once again massaging and salting them. This, say the company, serves to ease the coming out of blood and other liquids.

After salting, at Morgante SpA (who traditionally place their hams under salt for one day per kilo of weight), the hams are usually washed to remove the excess salt prior to further processing and maturation.

Being a larger scale producer they have mechanical conveyors and lifts to help move their hams through a series of storage rooms designed to cope and maintain a higher volume (they usually process some 3000 thighs a week). Their year-round production means that they need to reproduce the relevant weather and seasonal conditions via temperature control, but just as at Prolongo, they have rooms fitted with shuttered windows to allow them to utilise the natural external conditions too.

Pressing The pressing stage is something which characterises San Daniele ham making, one reason why the hams develop their slightly flattened, but typifying, shape.

The thighs are usually placed, one upon the other, divided by boards, so that their own weight presses down on them. This pressure helps all liquids to come out. It also means that the lean mass and the fat mass come closer, and the ham takes on its characteristic shape of a guitar.

Resting At Prolongo, after being pressed, the thighs are moved to a refrigerating room and begin a rest period. Here the temperature is between +4 and +6°C, and the humidity is controlled so that the hams can begin to dry. The thighs stay in this cold store until they reach three months of age.

After this period of rest, the hams go directly to what’s known as a pre-maturing room.

This is a spacious storage hall where there are no airconditioners, just several

to ensure the osmotic process between the ham and the external environment, and prevent excessive drying.

Morgante SpA follow a similar procedure, but coat their hams at the seven to eight month stage.

windows that at Prolongo they open or close depending on the weather outside in order to make full use of the local microclimate and obtain a perfect and natural air-curing through a gentle but constant ventilation.

Trimming The trimming stage involves the cleaning of the thighs, and cutting out the edges of the small haunch bone and removing the excess meat all around the head of the femur.

After this, Prolongo wash the hams, just using drinkable water and brushes. Then they let them dry and take them back to their pre-maturing room for a further period of rest.

At around the five months, Prolongo carry out what is called sugnatura (also known as stuccatura) - coating the open surface (the part of the thigh that is not covered by the rind) with a thin paste consisting of pork fat, cereal flour, salt and pepper, the thickness of which can affect taste and drying rate.

This is done in order to protect and soften the surface, and also

Maturing At approximately nine months into the production process, the hams are moved to another maturing room, where they are exposed to a completely different environment from the one in the pre-maturing room.

Here, the temperature and humidity are constant and there is no ventilation. In this final period of maturation, stuccatura is once again carried out and a further layer of lard and flour paste is applied to the uncovered parts of the surface. It may be that a different part needs to be covered or thickness applied, so an eye is kept on the ham’s progress at this stage.

Checks A series of checks is carried out during every stage of the hammaking process. Important methods of inspection include the assessment of the external aspect of the rind and its colour, and with further additions, Prolongo are able to control the consistency and the flexibility of the meat as they feel to be appropriate.

During the final phase of maturing another check is made to ensure the quality. This is the so-called needle-probe for aroma. As is the tradition, it

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ham

involves using part of a bone taken from a horse's shin and inserting it into the ham at specific points in order to check that there are no unpleasant odours. This piercing is performed at points in the ham where maturing problems can arise more often, report Prolongo.

As the sharp-pointed horse bone is porous in nature, it can absorb the inner aroma of the ham very easily, but it also loses

the smell very quickly, making it well suited to being a quality control tool. Thus, meat with even the slightest maturation problem and emitting a clearly recognisable odour can be readily detected by the smelling of the horse bone when it is pulled out of the ham.

In addition to these internal checks, the producers have to undergo rigorous and constant hygienic and sanitary controls that are made by the official

veterinary officials. Also, the INEQ (North East Quality Institute), an independent control body, certifies with its inspectors the compliance with the regulations and is on hand to supervise every stage of the production process.

After at least 13 months (the minimum required by the regulations, as opposed to the average time of seven to eight months for non-PDO hams), the ham making process is

completed, and a final check is made by the INEQ, who take a sample from each batch and carry out their own chemical analyses in their own laboratory to see if the results fall within the prescribed parameters for PDO status. There is no typical time of maturation for San Daniele ham, and no maximum time, but if left too long, the meat becomes too dry and cannot be classed as ham.

Only when all these inspection tests have been passed, can a San Daniele prosciutto be branded with the famous mark that will also feature the ham maker's own identification code. It is this official mark which guarantees the quality of the ham to buyers and consumers, and it is applied only in the presence of inspectors from INEQ (any very bad hams are usually destroyed by burning).

Now the San Daniele ham is ready to be sold, with its bone or de-boned, whole, half or in pieces. At the end of production, it has lost more than 30% of its original weight, but has been naturally matured, making it smooth on the palate and offering a sweeter taste and pinker colour than many of its rivals.

In the next issue, we consider the traditional production process associated with Grana Padano

Each year, San Daniele del Friuli holds a ham festival, celebrating 50 years of the event this year.

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October 2011

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profile

Bunga Bunga!

This summer Bunga Bunga (www.bungabunga-london.com) arrived in Battersea, London. Deriving its name from Italy’s most titillating joke, this tongue-in-cheek bar and pizzeria is now making a name for itself, serving up authentic cocktails and cuisine, not least pizza, in a vibrant space dedicated to some of Italy’s most recognisable icons.

A pastiche Dynamic duo Duncan Stirling and Charlie Gilkes are at the helm, their previous projects having included the cult speakeasy Bart’s and a 1980s themed nightspot called Maggie’s.

Bunga Bunga, they say, is a celebration of all that is amusing and melodramatic in Italian culture (the name coming from the so-called ‘bunga bunga’ parties alleged to have been held by the country’s current and longserving prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi).

Inspired by many trips to the country, as well as by New York’s Little Italy district, Duncan and Charlie say that they have set out to create an unforgettable pastiche of what they describe as “Europe’s most unpredictable state”.

From the moment they arrive, guests are essentially whisked away on a Roman holiday, even entering the bar through an Italian phone box. The ground floor houses a striking gondolashaped bar with the canals of Venice depicted on the wall behind.

The venue also houses an entire floor dedicated to the

world’s most kitsch competition the Eurovision Song Contest (despite the fact that Italy does not seem to have entered this particular competition for some years now).

Other quirky design features include a tribute wall dedicated to Silvio Berlusconi, as well as lamps fashioned from upside down Vespa helmets. Needless to say, Italian language tapes play in the appropriately named bathrooms (Donatella’s for ladies, Silvio’s for men).

The bar area is overseen by talented general manager, Robin Kay (ex-Mahiki), who has created a suitably Italian range of drinks, not least some typical Italian bellinis.

Bunga Bunga also claims to stock London’s widest range of different Proseccos, as well as innovative drinks that are already becoming popular with customers, such as a signature sharing cocktail in the form of The Colosseum and another called The Horse's Head, inspired by that classic film, The Godfather, of course.

Moving upstairs to the second floor, when visitors turn a corner, they are struck by perhaps one of London’s most dramatic staircases - a painstaking wallpaper

reproduction of the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo which covers every inch of the walls and ceiling and brass mirrored steps and handrail, and is lit by a 15-foot crystal chandelier so as to create an opulent and aweinspiring space.

The top floor offers an ideal private events space, with the elegant l'Osservatorio (the observatory) room affording stunning views over the London skyline. Telescopes are to be positioned at intervals beside the glass windows, allowing guests to gaze at the stars in the observatory style space, say Bunga Bunga’s owners. With a 50person capacity, the stylish room has the potential to be the perfect location for private dining, or a canapé reception, suggest the outlet.

A larger, second room will offers its own unique variation on the European pastiche downstairs, being entirely dedicated to The Eurovision Song Contest. Here, the walls have been covered with memorabilia from this annual institution and karaoke is the the order of the day, with guests having the chance to belt out ABBA and Buck’s Fizz hits on a

stage, hoping to make it into the 'The Nul Points Hall of Fame'. A Eurotrash-inspired fancy dress box also offers enough flares, spandex and lamé to keep revellers entertained and dancing until dawn!

Wood fired pizza For those who want to feast on a slice of Italy, pizza is served in a dining area that is separated from the bar by a stage in the shape of The Colosseum (where regular performers, as well as guests who want to indulge in a spot of karaoke, can entertain both drinkers and diners).

Guests can sit at informal trestle, or at bar tables, and enjoy simple but delicious Italian cuisine including antipasti, salads and wood fired pizzas. Those with a big appetite and sense of humour can always order ‘The Leaning Tower of Pizza’, a pizza in the shape of Italy's most loved monument (needless to say, there is also a range of pizzas named after the famous ‘Bunga Bunga girls’, allegedly including Ruby,

The ‘Eurovision room’.

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profile

Q&A Is it a takeaway as well as a restaurant?

No, it’s a restaurant only.

Are more planned?

Possibly, but nothing confirmed as yet.

Aida and Micaela). For the summer months, there are also plans for a traditional stall to be stationed outside serving homemade fruit-based gelato to visitors and passers by.

Just as the Italians did in the fifteenth century, it is fair to say that Battersea is currently undergoing a Renaissance of its own with the development of Battersea Power Station and The Royal College of Art following in celebrated designer Vivienne

www.papa.org.uk

Westwood’s footsteps and relocating to the area.

There’s no doubt that Bunga Bunga’s arrival in Battersea this summer has helped to cement the neighbourhood’s reputation as one of the capital’s epicentres of cool. Founder and selfconfessed Italophile, Charlie Gilkes, sums it up by saying: “We’ve created Bunga Bunga with a big sense of humour as a really fun place to drink, eat, sing and be entertained.”

How much longevity do you expect to get from the name?

We hope Bunga Bunga will be around for much time to come due to the high quality of the product that will be available, long after all the fuss about Berlusconi has died down. Our aim is to be a great, tongue-incheek Englishman’s bar, pizzeria and karaoke place.

Describe your typical/target customer.

We have a broad ranging demographic ranging from Battersea local residents to tourists and people living all over London.

What's been the feedback so far from Italians?

Very positive generally, everyone thinks the name is fun and we have no political leanings either for, or against, Berlusconi.

How did you decide on which toppings reflect which names?

Well, the spiciest pizza is called Ruby, as we think she was definitely the most controversial of women allegedly linked to Berlusconi!

How are the pizzas made?

Are they authentic, Neapolitan style?

They have a very thin Romano style base. Charlie actually travelled to Puglia and learnt how to make the perfect pizza whilst researching this latest venture.

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pizza my world

A Pizza My World In 2008 Scottish born, Simon Bell took over as CEO of UK based Mediterranean food importer and distributor, Donatantonio.

Specialising in supplying olive oils, pasta and tomato products to the retail, food service and manufacturing sectors, last year Donatantonio turned over just under £19 million, a 40% uplift since Simon Bell joined the company.

Growing up in Edinburgh, Simon says that he always envied his Italian schoolmates -not only were they smooth guys, he reports, they also seemed to eat far better than their Scottish counterparts! Ever since, Simon had a strong desire to work with Italian food. Until two years ago he’d enjoyed a good career in food – at Covent Garden Soup and United Biscuits for example - but it is only now that he describes his career in food as being ‘great’, and that is because he is now finally working with Italian food – a genuine passion.

6.00am

6am I get up at 6am and enjoy a couple of slices of traditional Italian bread for breakfast before I leave. There’s a great local farmer’s market near me in Twickenham where I can buy some Pugliese bread at the weekend, pop it in the freezer and then defrost a couple of slices every morning to ensure I never run out.

If my journey to work was 10 miles or less I’d cycle, but it’s a 21 mile trek across London so I either drive or get the train, depending on which went badly the day before. Today I have to take the train (three trains) because I have my weekly Italian lesson tonight and the hour long journey provides a good opportunity to catch up on the homework I haven’t done yet. I’ve been going to Italian lessons for three years now and on my recent trip to Italy I was pleased to observe that they’re really starting to pay off. I’m fine with Italian food words, obviously, but struggling with my imperfect tense. I also recently acquired a dictionary of Italian swear words, which has proved to be very worthwhile.

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pizzapasta AND ITALIAN FOOD

8.00am

8am I arrive at the office in Borehamwood at 8am. After a catch up with the finance director about the latest exchange rate (as importers of products from the Euro zone this is of vital importance for the company), my first job of the day is to have a walk around our warehouse and check in with the team. It’s important to know what’s going on as there are so many deliveries coming in and out every day so I try to do this every morning.

9.00am

9am Next is a catch up with the sales team following our recent visit to balsamic vinegar and pasta manufacturers in Italy. We brainstorm around how we will present the new products to existing and prospective clients in the UK and also discuss the content for our next bi-monthly newsletter, for which the trip to Italy will form the backbone.

I then have an hour to go through my emails over a traditional Italian coffee to keep me going until lunchtime. I respond to the urgent ones and also get in touch with our locally based designers regarding the production of the next newsletter.

12.00pm

Noon Once a week two people from our team of thirty cook for everyone and this week it’s my turn. The challenge is you have one hour and you have to use as many of the ingredients from the warehouse as possible. It’s great, as not only does it ensure that the whole company comes together at least once a week, but everyone gets to know the products better too.

Today we’re doing a simple dish – farfalle con salmone - which I think most of the team will like.

One of the warehouse team is my co–chef and is a good cook (he used to live in Italy), so I don’t feel under too much pressure! Our high protein pasta is almost impossible to overcook and we’re pretty good at judging the right quantities.

With plenty of crème fraiche and some dry white wine added we’re pleased with the end result and there are clean plates all round. Luckily it’s someone else’s turn on the rota to do the washing up!

2.15pm

2.15pm I try to step out of the office at least once a day. As we had lunch in the office today and I have no external meetings, I take a quick post lunch ‘secret shopper’ trip to the local Tesco and Morrison’s stores in Borehamwood. I check the fixtures of the ready meals and own label antipasti lines we supply ingredients for, as well as any new products and promotions throughout the stores.

3.00pm

3pm I relay my findings back to the purchasing and development teams when I get back to the office. Then it’s straight onto a conference call with a supplier and our technical and sales teams regarding some new own label lines we’ve developed and are preparing to launch with a major customer. It’s a productive call and we all hang up feeling confident that this venture is on track for a successful launch.

4.30pm

4.30pm We regularly use our test kitchen for tasting and benchmarking new

and existing lines. From experience we know that this doesn’t work very well straight before lunch when everyone is hungry, as people aren’t discerning enough.

Mid afternoon is a far better time.

Today we’re blind testing three new shapes of our high protein Franciacorta pasta compared to the same shaped ‘normal’ pasta.

The colour, taste and texture results are even better than we’d hoped so we’ll share the results with some of our major customers’ development teams over the next month or so.

6.00pm

6pm I always try to leave by 6pm and today is no exception, particularly because I have my Italian class tonight, so I head straight there on the way home. I grab a sandwich on the way, forensically examining it to see if it contains any ingredients we might be able to source. Despite the study time on the train, my grasp of the imperfect tense is exposed in a short class test – must try harder next week!

9.30pm

9.30pm I get back in time for a brief catch up with my wife and son. It’s late so they have already eaten and we have some relaxed family time (no work emails) and an early night as I have a customer meeting and a long drive tomorrow morning.

October 2011

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Eurilait will supply the lucky winner with over 20kg of Maestrella Mozzarella

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✃

new products Having a gas with hot cupboards Victor Manufacturing has developed its gas operated Peer and Sceptre ranges of hot cupboards featuring the latest gas valve and burner technology. The plain top Peer range available in four lengths, in both single and two tier formats, offers maximum storage capacity, while Victor’s Sceptre, Wet or Dry heat bain marie models come in four sizes with either heated or ambient cupboards below.

Both are available as passthroughs with removable sliding doors to both sides

and are aimed at busy kitchens, particularly those in hotels, restaurants, conference universities, schools and holiday centres.

The models can be supplied in either Natural gas or LPG. All are third party certificated and CE marked in accordance with the EC gas directive. They feature a combined spark ignition, flame failure and thermostatic control and are supplied with half-inch BSP gas connections (call 01274 722125, or visit www.victoronline.co.uk).

Victor tops the lot Victor Manufacturing, a British manufacturer of hot and cold foodservice solutions, has a range of Heated Display Units for all applications where space is short but expectations high.

The range features six models in a range of sizes with a choice of glass or stainless steel tops.

One of the units is the Gastronorm GN1/1 compatible HDU30G glass top unit with its slimline base and 300W operator changeable quartz heat lamp to maintain hot food

temperatures ready for service.

Measuring 1110 x 580 x 520mm it has a stainless steel body and boasts a toughened glass sneeze screen with independent controls to both base and gantry.

With a 13 Amp plug fitted and two metres of cabling the ‘topper’ is an extremely versatile and invaluable addition to any operation. A complementary matching chilled unit is also available (call 01274 722125, or visit www.victoronline.co.uk).

JustOne® Mini supports eateries on the go Georgia-Pacific EMEA has unveiled the launch of the JustOne® Mini napkin dispenser, part of the brand’s hugely popular JustOne® napkin range, designed to meet the needs of today’s ‘graband-go’ demands in the UK catering industry.

With the arrival of the JustOne® Mini napkin dispenser, the Lotus Professional® brand provides an ideal solution for counter and table tops at busy eateries thanks to its user friendly design. Vertical dispensing and single sheet napkin delivery provide a reliable, efficient and hygienic solution for a range of outlets, from ice cream parlours to outdoor food kiosks.

Contained within a robust and compact dispenser, each premium Lotus® flower embossed napkin is soft and

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absorbent. Ideal for the environmentally conscious service provider, each napkin is made from recycled paper and, thanks to the single sheet dispensing function, designed to eliminate any unnecessary waste (call 0114 2856666, or visit www.lotusprofessional.co.uk).

35

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Introducing

Vouchercloud PAPA members can now take advantage of a great new marketing tool following agreement between the Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association and Vouchercloud, rated the UK’s leading consumer voucher app by the Sunday Times, Sun and Daily Telegraph with over 1.3 million downloads.

Promotions Vouchercloud enables businesses to run voucher promotions over mobile phones, providing consumers with an instant incentive to visit their outlet. Furthermore, because it is localised, even individual restaurants or delivery outlets can use it as a means of promotion – and you can change the promotions from weekto-week, month-tomonth or even day-to-day. You can also control how many vouchers each person gets with each voucher campaign as well as how many in total can be redeemed. With every redemption you also receive a digital receipt.

For the consumer, the apps are free to download, free to use and deliver a fantastic range of money-saving offers from popular national brands, such as Odeon and Vue cinemas to Debenhams, as well as local businesses.

50

pizzapasta AND ITALIAN FOOD

Using GPS technology, Vouchercloud instantly identifies the deals nearest to where the consumer is located when they are out and about. Alternatively, they can choose any location they will be travelling to in the UK to check out what’s on offer.

Food, drink, entertainment, leisure, travel professional services and shopping – they're all there, with new ones added every day. So there is a real benefit.

User friendly Vouchercloud is also extremely user friendly and using the app is as easy as 1, 2, 3…

1) Consumers simply browse for an offer by category, or by using the search facility.

2) They then read the terms and conditions, then 3) When in-store, press the USE VOUCHER button, show the next screen when paying and press SHOW CODE when prompted to do so.

The voucher use is then recorded through the system.

Benefits In setting up an arrangement with Vouchercloud, the Association has agreed a 12.5% discount for members off the annual rate for a business to use the system. For a small restaurant, this brings the annual cost down from £199 + VAT to £174 + VAT. Any members wishing to take up this offer (or get more information on it) should contact Tony Lorimer at the Association on 01291 636331 (tony@papa.org.uk) to obtain the special discount code.

April 2011

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Subscription Form pizzapasta pizzapasta and Italian food magazine

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Pizza, Pasta and Italian Food magazine, available on subscription at £55+vat per annum (outside UK £95), is published six times a year and distributed to all those involved in the pizza, pasta and Italian food industry.

Subscribers have access to the Free Advice Line run by the Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food Association and other benefits including discounts and special offers.

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Reserve your place for a great night out with music, singing and dancing until 2am THE PIZZA, PASTA & ITALIAN FOOD INDUSTRY AWARDS DINNER AT THE LANCASTER LONDON HOTEL, HYDE PARK

Contact: Pam Sainsbury

2011

01291 636341

52

pizzapasta AND ITALIAN FOOD

October 2011

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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 BD Foods Ltd 68 Castleham Road, Castleham Industrial Estate, St. Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex TN38 9NU Contact: John Davis Tel: 01424 853000 john@bdfoods.co.uk www.bdfoods.co.uk

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 www.bel-foodservice.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

www.papa.org.uk

DeCecco UK Ltd 1 Kimbell Mews, Humfrey Lane Boughton, Northampton, NN2 8XB Contact: Stephen Barlow Tel: 01604 820022 / Fax: 01604 820033 sales@dececco.org.uk www.dececco.com

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

Casa Julia PLC 11 Springwood Drive, Braintree, Essex CM7 2YN Contact: Vincenzo Santomauro Tel: 01376 320269 / Fax: 01376 349436 info@casajulia.co.uk 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 C K Food Processing Limited 70 Northumberland Avenue Hull, East Yorkshire, HU2 0JB Contact: Omar Bhamji Tel: 0845 053 5648 / Fax: 0845 053 5649 Info@ck-foods.com www.ck-foods.com Continental Quattro Stagioni 8 - 33 Royal Elizabeth Yard, Kirkliston, West Lothian EH29 9EN Contact: Mr Paolo Veneroni Tel: 0131 3191919 Fax: 0131 3315566 p.veneroni@continental-wine.co.uk www.continental-food.co.uk Cooktek c/o MCS Technical Products Ltd MCS Technical Products, Building 2, Westmead Industrial Estate, Westmead Drive, Swindon, Wiltshire SN5 7YT Contact: Steve Snow Tel: 01793 538308 / Fax: 01793 522324 sales@mcstechproducts.co.uk www.mcstechproducts.co.uk

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 F J Need (Foods) Ltd. Spinneyfields Farm, Worleston, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 6DN Contact: Charlotte Need Tel: 01270 611112 / Fax: 01270 611113 charlotte@needfoods.co.uk www.needfoods.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 Giovanni Rana (UK) Ltd 6 Valentine Place, London SE1 8QH Contact: Stephen Hull Tel: 0207 921 9550 shull@giovannirana.co.uk Glanbia Cheese Ltd 4 Royal Mews, Gadbrook Park, Rudheath, Northwich, Cheshire CW9 7UD Contact: David Cruddos Tel: 01606 810900 / Fax: 01606 48680 Heineken UK Ltd 2-4 Broadway Park, Gyle, Edinburgh EH12 9JZ Contact: James Woodman Tel: 07884 113534 james.woodman@heineken.co.uk

Dairygold Food Ingredients UK Lancaster Fields, Crewe Gate Farm Industrial Estate, Crewe, CW1 6FU Contact: Anthony Kourellias Tel: 0870 766 9563 Fax: 01270 530 726 sales@dairygoldingredients.co.uk Dawn Farm Foods Ltd. NEW MEMB Cardwell House, ER Meadowcroft Business Park, Whitestake, Preston, Lancashire PR4 4BA Contact: Ian Ritchie Tel: 01772 750450 / Fax: 01772 746930 iritchie@dawnfarmfoods.co.uk

Kingdom Cheese Co. Glenfield Industrial Estate, Cowdenbeath, Fife KY4 9HT Contact: Phil Morgan Tel: 01383 610114 / Fax: 01383 610526 phil@kingdomcheese.com www.kingdomcheese.com Kiren Foods Unit 3 Small Bridge Industrial Park Riverside Drive, Rochdale Lancashire OL16 2SH Contact: Mr Nazir Mackmood Tel:01706 526732 / Fax: 01706 869749 nazir@kirenfoods.com La Pizza Company Ltd Units 25-26, Holmbush Industrial Estate, Holmbush Way, Midhurst, West Sussex GU29 9HX Contact: Chris Dickinson Tel: 01730 811490 / Fax: 01730 811491 chris.dickinson@lapizzacompany.com Contact: Richard Jansen Richard.jansen@lapizzacompany.com www.lapizzacompany.com Leathams Ltd 2 Rollins Street, London SE15 1EW Contact: Mr James Faulkner Tel 0207 6354026 / Fax 0207 6354017 ingredients.sales@leathams.co.uk www.leathams.com M&Q Plastic Products Inc 7 Gartree Court, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire LE13 ORF Contact: Edwin Shufflebotham Tel: 01664 568064 edwin@pansaver.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 50a St Andrews Street, Hertford SG14 1JA Contact: Mr M.J. Donnelly Tel: 01992 641641 / Fax: 01992 210177/8 matthewdonnelly@martinmathew.co.uk www.martinmathew.co.uk

Integer 167 Heywood Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 1LB Contact: Geoff Whittle Tel: 0161 7987307 / Fax: 0161 7733151 geoff@integeruk.com www.integeruk.com

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

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

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

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classifieds Pasta King (UK) Ltd Plantation House, Milber Trading Estate, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 4SG Contact: Lesley Treeby Tel: 0800 458 7898 / Fax: 01626 334481 www.pastaking.co.uk lt@pastaking.co.uk Pasta Reale Ltd Pasta Reale House, Fleming Way, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 9JW Contact: Donald Boyne Tel: 01293 649700 / Fax: 01293 649741 pasta@pastareale.com www.pastareale.com PD Catering International Unit 2, Nile Street, Bolton BL3 6BW Tel: 01204 382800 Contact: Hamid Naraghi info@pizzadirect.com Pizza Plus Foodservice Elliott Street, Preston PR1 7XN Tel: 01772 897 696 / Fax: 01772 252 808 Contact: Chris Smith chris@pizzaplusfs.co.uk Contact: Chris Smith cathy@pizzaplusfs.co.uk Saputo Cheese (UK) Ltd The Creamery, Aberarad Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire, SA38 9QD Tel: 01239 710424 / Fax: 01239 711843 www.saputo.com ServEquip Ltd 214 Purley Way, Croydon, Surrey CR0 4XG Contact: Diane Bowker

Tel: 0208 6868855 / Fax: 0208 6817509 info@servequip.co.uk www.servequip.co.uk Southern Salads Ltd. Cannon Bridge, Cannon Lane, Tonbrige TN9 1PP Contact: Andrew Boakes Tel: 01732 362444 Fax: 01732 361919 andrew@southernsalads.co.uk Stateside Foods Ltd 31 – 34 Great Bank Road, Wingate Industrial Park, Westhoughton Bolton BL5 3XU Contact: Ian Kent Tel: 01942 841200 / Fax: 01942 841201 sales@stateside-foods.co.uk www.stateside-foods.co.uk

NEW

Technomic Inc MEMB ER Knowledge Center, 300 S Riverside Plaza Suite 1200, Chicago, Illinois, IL60606 USA Contact: Patrick Noone Tel: (01) 205 991 1234 Fax: (01) 205 980 3770 www.technomic.com The Fresh Pasta Company Shepherds Building, Rockley Road, London W14 0DA Contact: Sole Nasi Tel: 0845 603 7746 pasta@thefreshpastacompany.com www.thefreshpastacompany.com

The Pizza Factory Gateside Road, Queens Drive Industrial Estate, Nottingham NG2 1LT Contact: Louise Waterfield Tel: 0115 983333 Fax: 0113 3900211 louise.waterfield@northernfoods.com Ticco Ltd Unit B2Y, Skyway 14, Calder Way, Colnbrook, Slough SL3 0BQ Contact: Emma Hallam Tel: 07779 167474 Fax: 01753 689813 emmahallam@ticco.co.uk Vion Pizza 3 Newtech Square, First Avenue, Deeside Industrial Park, Deeside, Flintshire CH5 2NT Contact: Phil Goodall Tel: 01244 838000 / Fax: 01244 838100 phil.goodall@paramountfoods.co.uk www.paramountfoods.co.uk

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

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index of products ANCHOVIES Donatantonio Ltd Martin Mathew & Co BACON (PRE-COOKED) Dawn Farm Foods Leathams PLC BEERS C Carnevale Casa Julia PLC Heineken UK Ltd BEVERAGES C Carnevale BEVERAGE SYSTEMS C Carnevale Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd BREAD, BUNS & ROLLS Montana Bakery CAPERS Donatantonio Ltd Martin Mathew & Co CASH REGISTERS Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd CHARGRILLED VEGETABLES Eurilait Ltd Leathams PLC CHEESE Bel UK C Carnevale C K Food (Processing) Ltd Dairygold Ingredients UK Eurilait Ltd FJ Need (foods) Ltd. Glanbia Cheese Ltd GRH Food Company Ltd Kingdom Cheese Co Meadow Cheese Co Ltd Saputo Stateside Foods Ltd Vion Pizza CHEESE (ITALIAN) FJ Need (foods) Ltd. Leathams PLC CHEESE (MOZZARELLA) C Carnevale Eurilait Ltd Glanbia Cheese Ltd Kingdom Cheese Co CHEESE (PARMESAN) FJ Need (foods) Ltd. Leathams PLC COFFEE C Carnevale COFFEE EQUIPMENT Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd

COMPUTERS Integer COMPUTER DELIVERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS Integer COMPUTER SOFTWARE Integer CONCENTRATES Allied Mills C K Food (Processing) Ltd DELIVERY BAGS/POUCHES Cooktec Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd DESSERTS Meadow Cheese Co Ltd DISH/GLASS WASHERS Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd DISPLAY EQUIPMENT Equipline Ltd Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd DISPOSABLES M&Q Plastic Products Inc DOUGHBALLS La Pizza Company Ltd Montana Bakery Pizza Plus Foodservice Stateside Foods Ltd DOUGH MIXERS Cater-Bake UK Jestic PD Catering International Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd DOUGH PREP EQUIPMENT Cater-Bake UK C Carnevale Jestic Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd Vion Pizza DOUGH ROLLERS Cater-Bake UK DRINK SUPPLIERS - SOFT C Carnevale EQUIPMENT SERVICING Equipline Ltd Hugall Services Ltd Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd FLOUR

The Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association is the trade body representing

Allied Mills C Carnevale DeCecco UK Ltd Whitworth Bros Limited FLOUR (PIZZA) Allied Mills; Casa Julia PLC Whitworth Bros Limited FOOD SUPPLIER Stateside Foods Ltd FRUIT (CANNED) C Carnevale Martin Mathew & Co GARLIC BREAD La Pizza Company Ltd Montana Bakery Stateside Foods Ltd GARLIC SPREAD/MIXES Stateside Foods Ltd HAM Dawn Farm Foods Stateside Foods Ltd HAM (PARMA) Leathams PLC HERBS & SPICES C Carnevale HOLDING OVENS Benier UK Equipline Ltd Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd HOT BOXES Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd ICINGS Allied Mills IMPROVERS Allied Mills ITALIAN BEERS C Carnevale Heineken UK Ltd Salvo CFS MAYONNAISE/DRESSING BD Foods FJ Need (foods) Ltd. Leathams PLC MEAT C K Food (Processing) Ltd Dawn Farm Foods MEATS (ITALIAN) Leathams Plc MIXES C Carnevale Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd OILS

BD Foods C Carnevale OLIVE OIL BD Foods DeCecco UK Ltd Donatantonio Ltd Leathams PLC Martin Mathew & Co OLIVES Donatantonio Ltd Leathams PLC Martin Mathew & Co PACKAGING M&Q Plastic Products Inc PARMESAN Donatantonio Ltd PASTA COOKERS Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd PASTA C Carnevale DeCecco UK Ltd Donatantonio Ltd Giovanni Rana (UK) Ltd Martin Mathew & Co The Fresh Pasta Company PASTA (FRESH) Pasta Reale The Fresh Pasta Company PASTA PRODUCTS (PREPARED) C Carnevale PASTA SAUCES BD Foods DeCecco UK Ltd FJ Need (foods) Ltd. Giovanni Rana (UK) Ltd Pasta King (UK) Ltd Pasta Reale PESTO BD Foods Donatantonio Ltd Leathams PLC Martin Mathew & Co PINEAPPLE Martin Mathew & Co PIZZA (PREPARED-CHILLED) Bakkavor Pizza The Pizza Factory Vion Pizza PIZZA (PREPARED FROZEN) Freiberger UK Ltd Pasta Reale Ltd Pizza Plus Foodservice Stateside Foods Ltd The Pizza Factory Vion Pizza

PIZZA ACCESSORIES La Pizza Company Ltd Pizza Plus Foodservice Vion Pizza PIZZA CRUSTS/BASES La Pizza Company Ltd Montana Bakery Pizza Plus Foodservice Stateside Foods Ltd Vion Pizza PIZZA DISPLAY RACKS Vion Pizza PIZZA FORMERS Cooktec Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd PIZZA MAKING SYSTEMS Benier UK Cater-Bake UK Jestic Servequip Vion Pizza Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd PIZZA OVENS Equipline Ltd Hugall Services Jestic Maranafroni Di Marana F. PD Catering International Pizza Plus Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd PIZZA POUCHES Cooktec Jestic Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd PIZZA SAUCES BD Foods C Carnevale Donatantonio Ltd FJ Need (foods) Ltd. Martin Mathew & Co Pizza Plus Foodservice Stateside Foods Ltd Vion Pizza PIZZA TOPPINGS (FISH) BD Foods C Carnevale; Martin Mathew & Co Vion Pizza PIZZA TOPPINGS (MEAT) C Carnevale Dawn Farm Foods Martin Mathew & Co Pizza Plus Foodservice Stateside Foods Ltd Vion Pizza

PIZZA TOPPINGS (VEG) C Carnevale Southern Salads Vion Pizza PREMIXES (BREAD) Allied Mills PREMIXES (CAKES) Allied Mills PREPARATION COUNTERS Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd PROVERS / RETARDERS Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd READY MEALS Giovanni Rana (UK) Ltd Freiberger UK Ltd REFRIGERATION EQUIPMENT Equipline Ltd PD Catering International Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd RESEARCH Technomic Inc SALAD COUNTERS Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd SALAMIS Leathams PLC SERVERY EQUIPMENT Pasta King (UK) Ltd Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd SUNBLUSH®. TOMATOES Leathams PLC SUNDRIED TOMATOES Donatantonio Ltd Leathams PLC Martin Mathew & Co SWEETCORN Martin Mathew & Co TOMATOES (CANNED) Casa Julia PLC DeCecco UK Ltd Martin Mathew & Co TUNA Leathams PLC Martin Mathew & Co WEIGHING EQUIPMENT Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd WHOLESALERS Continental Quattro Stagioni Ltd Leathams PLC

the UK pizza, pasta and Italian Food Association.

The Association is given direction by a Management Committee comprising:

Russell Allen Basilico*

John Prior Papa John’s*

Alan Ribakovs Whitworth Bros Ltd

Maurice Abboudi Consultant/Domino’s*

Phil Welberry Perfect Pizza

Mark Edmonds Whitworth Bros Ltd

David Cruddos Glanbia Cheese*

Stephen Hull Giovanni Rana

James Woodman Heineken

Phil Goodall Vion Pizza

Camilla Deane Bel UK

Ian Kent Stateside Foods*

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

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