FROM SMOKE - Stone provides a solid base for thriving business

A great pizza requires the perfect base, and thanks to Smokehouse Pizza Kitchen the perfect stone-baked pizza bases are available at plenty of quality delis and supermarket fridges right across the Mornington Peninsula.

After 15 years running the iconic Smokehouse Pizza restaurant in Sorrento, David and Elizabeth took their side hustle making stone-baked pizza bases, which at the time supplied other catering venues and a few independent grocers, to the next level. “After a fairly short period, the demand for the pizza bases grew and grew and before we knew it we were also supplying wineries, breweries, cafes and restaurants here on the Mornington Peninsula and in Melbourne,” Elizabeth said. It became time to move to larger premises when their leasing options at their original restaurant in Sorrento became unsatisfactory, so the search for the factory space for the making and baking was under way. Eventually in 2016 they moved into the Henry Wilson Drive Estate in Capel Sound, where they remain today.

The New York-style thin crust stone-baked pizza bases are preservative and sugar-free and are made from 100 per cent Australian ingredients. They are also vegan, which gives them a very wide appeal. The most popular of the Smokehouse pizza bases is the 11-inch base sold in two packs. Catering packs of 20 delicious bases – also available as a sourdough – are available for cafes or restaurants to order, allowing those venues to control their costs in the knowledge they are using a top-quality local product.

As David pointed out, the depth of flavour in the sourdough enhanced with EVOO, coupled with the large stone tiles in the oven, make for an ideal baking combination. David starts baking daily at 4am and Elizabeth manages the orders and the packaging. They bake to order, thus guaranteeing freshness, and any spares get sent to Southern Peninsula Care, with which the couple have an affinity after having worked with the Streetsmart program for more than a decade in their restaurant years. “We genuinely bake to order so at the end of the week we like to ensure any extra stock gets sent into the community where it’s most needed,” David said.

A few years back the family business was particularly busy during the lockdown period and luckily for Elizabeth and David they could use and occupy some of their adult children to help. Four of their seven children were busy remote schooling, so the family worked together to do both baking and schooling. This was a win for everyone, including customers who were still able to buy the pizza bases at their local deli or supermarket to make pizzas at home during a time when everyone was cooking and making at home so much more than they ever had before.

One of many great local supporters of Smokehouse Pizza Kitchen are the team at Cellar & Pantry at Red Hill, who not only stock its products but regularly use Smokehouse pizza bases to create amazing pizzas and share the recipes on their socials and in owner Dee’s popular newsletter.

Once you pick up some Smokehouse stone-baked pizza bases from your local outlet, the next decision will be what to place on top. “It’s really a personal choice,” Elizabeth said, “but our customers constantly tell us they prefer to keep their toppings super-simple and fresh, allowing the flavours and texture in the base and toppings to complement each other rather than overwhelm.”

Smokehouse Pizza Kitchen

1/15 Henry Wilson Drive, Capel Sound

P: 0409 185 070

Smokehousekitchen.wixsite.com

FB: smokehousepizzabases

INSTA: smokehousepk