Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food - Issue 150

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pizzapasta and Italian food magazine

Issue 150 June 2012 www.papa.org.uk

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pizzapasta AND ITALIAN FOOD

Editor telephone e-mail

Clare Benfield 01291 636336 clare@jandmgroup.co.uk

Advertising telephone e-mail

Andrew Emery 01291 636334 andrew@jandmgroup.co.uk

Production telephone e-mail

Jayson Berry 01291 636344 jayson@jandmgroup.co.uk

Subscriptions telephone e-mail

Welcome It seems fitting that in the 25th year and 150th issue of Pizza Pasta & Italian Food magazine there’s a feature about ‘real’, Neapolitan style pizza, showing just how successful and diverse the UK pizza business has become as more and more operators pay homage to the artisan roots of a dish that has now become quite sought after here.

With many businesses finding it hard to gauge how their trade is likely to fare during the Olympics, we highlight some of the activities businesses may need to focus more on in order to be fully prepared. In addition, it’s time to get your award entries and nominations in for this year’s Pizza Pasta & Italian Food industry awards and Pizza Chef of the Year competition (turn to pages 12 and 16 for details).

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

CLARE BENFIELD EDITOR clare@jandmgroup.co.uk

Contents NEWS 4 Papa John’s new franchisee sets first week’s trading record.

28 Ice cream – new flavours and new equipment.

38 Going for gold – is your business ready for the Olympics?

5 Individual Restaurant Company plans £4 million expansion.

ARTICLES

6 New Domino’s store welcomed to Ramsgate.

44 Pizza Expo, Las Vegas – Salvo’s John Dammone reports on his visit.

8 New UK MD for Vapiano.

PROFILES

PAPA 12 Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Awards 2012

37 Pizza My World – celebrity chef, Giancarlo Caldesi.

16 Pizza Chef of the Year Award 2012

REGULARS

REVIEWS

46 Service call – your catering equipment maintenance questions answered.

34 Cibus 2012 – Italy’s annual food expo.

FEATURES 18 Pizza Napoletana – the challenges and characteristics of ‘real’ pizza.

48 Index of PAPA registered suppliers.

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news

Papa John’s new franchisee sets first week’s trading record

Dave Galvin, UK franchise sales manager at Papa John’s

Papa John’s cooks up major expansion plans Papa John’s has announced that it is cooking up some major expansion plans, aiming to open a further 25 stores across the country and taking the total number of Papa John’s outlets to 200 in the UK by the end of the year.

“First pioneered in the USA, the Papa John’s concept of only using the highest quality ingredients and 100% fresh dough to create a top quality pizza with a better natural flavour has proved incredibly popular over here,” confirms Dave Galvin UK franchise sales manager at Papa John’s.“We currently have 88 UK franchisees operating 185 outlets and with nine new stores already opened this year, we are well on target to reach our goal of over 200 by the year end.

“Each store is run by a franchisee who employs up to 20 people. Many of our franchisees have recognised the business opportunity running a Papa John’s franchise represents and now operate multiple outlets. We help source premises and provide full training and support to allow franchisees to run a successful operation under the popular and highly regarded Papa John’s brand.”

Papa John's is one of the largest pizza companies in the world, with over 3900 stores worldwide and is rapidly expanding in 33 markets around the globe. Placing a strong emphasis on its product quality, it has opportunities for potential franchisees throughout the UK including the key locations of Yorkshire, Manchester, West Midlands, East Midlands, South West, North East, Wales & Scotland (visit www.papajohns.co.uk/ franchise for more details).

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Papa John’s has announced that its new franchisee for Hertfordshire – Luigi Forgione has set a new company record for a first week’s trading.

Luigi Forgione opened his Papa John’s pizza outlet in Ware, Hertfordshire, in March with his brothers Tony and Libby Forgione, and saw takings up in excess of 20% in the first week compared to other Papa John’s store opening in the past 12 months.

Luigi Forgione puts his start-up achievement down to proactive marketing and previous food retail experience. “I also run several fish and chip shops and a chicken shop in the area, so I knew how to prepare my staff ready for the busy opening period,” he explained.

“Enthusiasm for the product is also essential when running any successful business. I believe in the Papa John’s concept of only using the highest quality ingredients and 100% fresh dough to create a top quality pizza with a better natural flavour. Combine this with excellent customer service, rapid delivery times and a great brand and I knew the franchise would be a winner from the outset.”

Luigi Forgione, who funded the franchise through the success of his other investments, first discovered Papa John’s when he was on

Luigi Forgione and brothers have broken the Papa John’s record for the highest amount of first week’s trading for a new store.

holiday in the US. He was so impressed he returned home determined to open his own Papa John’s with his brothers. Now, the enterprise employs 20 people in the Ware outlet and there are plans to open a further Papa John’s in Broxbourne within the next few months.

However, Luigi Forgione’s ambitions don’t stop there.“My aim is to open a total of 10 Papa John’s over the next five years,” he says.

“It will be hard work, but with the right staff and the Papa John’s UK head office team behind me, the potential of running multiple franchise outlets is really exciting.”

Retail park creates 20 new pizza jobs with Domino’s Domino's Pizza has chosen the Onyx Retail Park for one of its latest franchises, resulting in the creation of a further 30 new jobs.

The former colliery site located in WathUpon-Dearne, almost mid-way between Barnsley and Rotherham, attracted the pizza chain thanks to its prime location near to a major housing development and proximity to other food retailers who are also located onsite.

"Head office is continually looking for high impact places and picked Onyx because of its prime location to existing and planned new housing,” said area manager, Jay Ravel, who is responsible for five Domino establishments in South Yorkshire.

“The site ticked all the boxes and I am pleased to advise that following the completion of the construction phase our business is now fully operational. Initially we hired 15 people but with the uptake in sales we are now recruiting a further 15 staff members."

Onyx, which has attracted a steady stream of well-known food names including Greggs the Bakers and Subway,

has developed a food niche thanks to sensible lease rates and its proximity to a large number of consumers. The full site comprises 17,500 square feet of retail space, and is located above the former Manvers main colliery, an area of major development following the recent decision to construct an additional 1,100 adjacent homes.

The Onyx Retail Park site which holds A1 (retail), A2 (financial), A3 (food) and A5 (hot food take away) planning consents has attracted a cross-section of businesses which in addition to the food blue chip names also includes a Thai Garden Café and motor parts retailer.

Developed by Onward Holdings, part of the site's appeal is its proximity to leisure facilities including the Manvers Lake and parkland, Waterfront golf course, the Old Moor RSPB Reserve and the historical Trans Pennine trail. Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council also advises that the adjacent A633 has 18,000 vehicle movements a day which when coupled with additional homes nearby, makes it ideal for out of town retailing.

June 2012

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news

Individual Restaurant Company plans £4 million expansion Individual Restaurant Company (IRC), home of the Piccolino and Restaurant Bar & Grill brands, is embarking on a new phase of growth after a £4 million fundraising supported by its new owners, W2D2 Limited chaired by Iceland Foods Chairman and chief executive, Malcolm Walker, which took IRC private last year.

The money raised through a four for three open offer of new shares in IRC, which closed recently, will support the company’s ambitious plans for expansion and the refurbishment of existing restaurants.

The growth programme has already begun with the opening on Monday 16 April of a stylish new cicchetti bar and late lounge at IRC’s very successful central London Piccolino restaurant on Heddon Street, a few steps from Regent Street. The bar serves small casual cicchetti plates of delicious Italian classics designed for sharing, accompanied by a cocktail or a glass of wine.

Piccolino Heddon Street has also become the first restaurant in the group to open throughout the day for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late lounge, with a central marble cocktail bar on the lower ground floor where DJs play cool tunes until the early hours.

IRC is based in Manchester and currently operates 32 Piccolino and Restaurant Bar & Grill restaurants located in major cities and prosperous suburbs across the UK, from Glasgow to London

Inside the new look central London Piccolino restaurant.

and beyond.

Commenting on recent developments in the business, IRC chief executive Steven Walker said: “Having grown IRC from four to 33 restaurants in just six years, we had to tear up our expansion plans when Lehman Brothers went bust in 2008, signalling the start of the recession. We were quick to react by putting our restaurant openings on hold.

“Our guests have remained very loyal throughout the last four years of recession, choosing to spend the same each time they came to us, but to visit us less often. It has been a great pleasure to be able to repay this loyalty through our Club Individual membership scheme, which we successfully launched last year and which already has nearly 160,000 members.

“Our guests have responded positively both to this initiative and to our simple, uncompromising approach to

running the business. We have stuck throughout to our core principles of having a happy well looked after team delivering great food and service in spotless restaurants, and we have continued to invest in the quality of both ingredients and service through a period when many of our competitors were focused on value engineering and discounting.

“As a public company we were heavily criticised for not joining in this discounting trend, and saw our shares slide from £1.75 to just 10p, even though profits only fell from £5.3 million at their peak in 2008 to £4.3 million in 2010. Banks did not want to lend and we concluded that the only sensible strategy was to take the business private in order to return it to growth.”

IRC became a private company in July 2011 after a successful offer

by W2D2 Limited, led by Steven Walker’s long term business

partner Malcolm Walker (no relation). The deal valued IRC at an enterprise value of £24 million.

Steven Walker said:“It is fantastic to have Malcolm’s support and advice - he is a retail genius and his standards are higher than anyone else’s I have ever met. This business is all about standards. It’s great being private again, doing the right thing by the guest no matter what. It will always pay and be right in the long term. It sounds straightforward but very few others in our industry can look themselves in the mirror and say they live by these principles.

What’s more, there is good evidence that our strategy is already paying off, with sales in our last financial year to 31 December 2011 growing by 7.4% to £55.1 million.”

Malcolm Walker added:“I like Steven’s restaurants so much I was delighted to help buy the company. Their food is so delicious that I even took a selection of their delicacies and wines with me when I climbed Mount Everest last year – and actually agreed the deal to take the company private from Base Camp. Although my main focus is obviously going to be on Iceland Foods after our recent £1.5 billion deal to buy the company, I am very much looking forward to helping Steven and his team drive IRC forward and bring the Piccolino and Restaurant Bar & Grill brands to many more new guests across the UK.”

Prezzo appoints head of training The restaurant group, Prezzo, has appointed Janene Pretorius as its head of training.

Janene Pretorius was previously head of staff training and development at Gaucho, overseeing training for staff at its 14 UK restaurants as well as those in the Middle East (she also had responsibility for overseeing all training at Gaucho’s other concepts - CAU, Galante and Freggo).

Janene Pretorius will be responsible for Prezzo’s 2,500 staff at its 184 Prezzo, Chimichanga and Caffe Uno restaurants

www.papa.org.uk

across the UK. “We are delighted that Janene has joined the company,” said Prezzo chief executive, Jonathan Kaye.“Her wealth of experience and skill will be a major asset for Prezzo as the company continues to grow.”

Janene Pretorius added:“I am looking forward to my new role at Prezzo and playing my part in the company’s future success.”

Janene Pretorious who has joined Prezzo as the group’s head of training.

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news

New Domino’s store welcomed to Ramsgate Domino’s has opened a new store in Ramsgate, with the outlet being officially welcomed to the town when they received a visit from the mayor and mayoress of Ramsgate, David and Elizabeth Green.

Arjun Patel, franchisee of the new Domino’s Pizza store, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome the mayor and mayoress to our new store. We ensured they received a warm welcome at the door from Danny Domino, our resident mascot. I then introduced them to the team before giving them a lesson in pizza making. The mayor proved to be quite a natural at it – I think he really enjoyed the experience! I know they left with one of our

menus, so hopefully we can expect an order from them very soon!”

Mayor, David Green, commented: “We

Häagen-Dazs introduce improved package design The £44 million (IRI Total Grocery Outlets 52 w/e 29th October 2011) luxury ice cream brand Häagen-Dazs, have introduce a revamped packaging look across its entire portfolio to boost instore product appeal and increase sales, with a more contemporary, premium and shopper-friendly design.

The new packaging makes it easier for shoppers to instantly recognise different flavours by introducing eye-catching and enlarged ingredient photography, which helps to increase visibility, appetite-appeal and build on the impressive 93% brand awareness Häagen-Dazs enjoys, according to IPSOS Brand Equity monitor September 2011 – Brand awareness.

Häagen-Dazs sells over 13.4 million units of ice cream every year and is utilising the specifically designed new packaging to further boost sales through impactful visuals which drive visibility and awareness at fixture for retailers, regardless of whether they use a chest or upright unit for ice cream.

The sophisticated new-look Häagen-Dazs packaging will see the on-pack doily pattern replaced by a more subtle, gold symphony ribbon design, which understatedly cues the brand’s luxury heritage. The original gold colouring will be replaced by a warmer burgundy, which maintains the brand’s association with warmth, familiarity and sensuality, but givesit a clear stand-out amongst

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competitor brands.

The burgundy will be introduced alongside an appetising cream colour, which will feature across the bottom of the packaging. This provides a fresh canvas which will help to amplify the new design elements including the enlarged brand logo and ingredient photography, as well as providing greater flexibility for future flavours and designs.

“Implementation in other markets, like Japan, has shown really positive results, indicating an increased purchase interest amongst consumers. Retailers, therefore have a real ready-made opportunity, through better positioning and merchandising to boost sales of luxury HäagenDazs ice cream,” commented Ed Culf, maketing director at Häagen-Dazs.

“The new look packaging also comes at a time when the brand is showing impressive growth figures and we expect the new design to help bolster this even further. The brand’s 100ml mini tubs in particular are outperforming the total ice cream category, growing at 80% year on year according to IRI Infoscan figures, and having the highest loyalty rate within the mini tubs market according to Kantar figures” Luxury ice cream is still outperforming total ice cream in growth, at 5.2% against 3.1, with penetration at 11.5%, up 0.6% (Kantar 52 w/e 29th October 2011).

thoroughly enjoyed our trip to the new Domino’s store. It is fantastic to see such a well established brand come to Ramsgate.

The creation of new jobs is an important addition to Thanet in these difficult times. It was a pleasure to meet the staff and view the impressive equipment available to ensure fast delivery of their range of popular pizzas.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my pizza making lesson – it was great fun. I am sure Domino’s will be well received by the residents of Ramsgate and I for one will certainly be placing an order or two! I wish them every success.”

Pub re-launches with Italian food focus The Plough in Winchmore, Buckinghamshire – once owned by Barbara Windsor – has been sold to Raffaele Mercurio of the Neapolitan Pubs & Restaurants Company Henry Wilson, at Shelley Sandzer who acted on the sale said: “The Plough has been re-launched as an Italian style gastro featuring a traditional pizza oven. It will remain at the heart of the close knit village

community as it will continue to operate as the village shop serving the local community with fresh produce and their daily needs.”

Raffaele Mercurio was formerly the operations director at Oakman Inns and this will be his first solo venture, having already enjoyed success with the Forno Vivo team in Tring, Hertfordshire in 2003 when they won a PAPA award.

Best New Distributor award Over the past year Tim White from White’s Foodservice Equipment has been busy launching and promoting XLT Ovens in the UK and his hard work was recently recognised when he received an award for Best New Distributor in 2011 from the owner of XLT ovens, Ron Wolfe.

Tim White received the award during a presentation this March when visiting the factory in Wichita, Kansas, USA. “I am really pleased with the award,” he said.

“I really believe in the XLT Ovens and I am looking forward to promoting the brand even further in the coming year.”

To promote how well built the ovens are, Tim White has recently launched a five years parts warranty on all new XLT ovens.

“Every store operator wants a pizza oven that matches their demands,” added Tim White. “The

ovens are built with fewer components which means they break down less than other brands and also means that they are sold are at an attractive price.

And for operators who want to see what an XLT oven can bring to their business, they are always welcome to come along and bake their pizza in our test kitchen!”

Tim White (right) receiving his Best New Distributor award from Ron Wolfe of XLT ovens.

June 2012

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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

New UK MD for Vapiano Vapiano, which has its headquarters in Bonn, Germany, and operates more than 100 restaurants in 25 countries, including two in the UK (both in London), has appointed Phil Sermon as its UK managing director Phil Sermon has more than 25 years experience in the catering and hotel industry, having worked with companies including JD Wetherspoon, Hilton Hotels and Sodexo.

“I am looking forward to my new role with Vapiano,” he said in a statement. “My main focus will be on expanding the business in London and throughout the UK, one of the key markets that Vapiano has identified for major investment over the next five years.”

Vapiano chief executive officer, Gregor Gerlach, added: “We are delighted that Phil has taken on the position of managing director in the UK. His

Phil Sermon, Vapiano’s new managing director for the UK.

experience and knowhow will give the company the drive needed to open further restaurants throughout the UK, following the success of the first two outlets.”

Vapiano combines ‘fast casual’ and ‘casual dining’ elements, providing customers with a great range of quality fresh pasta, pizza and dolci, served in a contemporary environment with a cosmopolitan atmosphere. Its London restaurants are at Great Portland Street and South Bank.

Salvo’s wins double award for Best Italian – again!

Salvo’s, the family run restaurant established in 1976 in Leeds, stole the show at the prestigious Yorkshire Evening Post Dining Awards attended by over 400 restaurateurs, winning the “Best Italian” restaurant for the second year running, as well as owners Gip and John Dammone being presented with the Outstanding Achievement Award.

This coveted award is given to individuals who have made a significant contribution to the regional dining scene.

Over the years Salvo's have forged partnerships with local farms with San Marzano tomatoes specially grown by Swillington Organic Farm in Leeds, for bottling as well as specially raising livestock for the restaurant. Two other local farms supply them with herbs, vegetables and meat.

New and improved pestos for foodservice

Domino’s scoops top award for its Milton Keynes head office Milton Keynes-based Domino’s Pizza has scooped a top regional award for its new head office building at West Ashland.

The British Council for Offices (BCO) Awards recognise excellence in office space. Domino’s was awarded the title in the Projects up to 2,000m2 category for the South West, Thames Valley and South Wales.

Designed by q2 Architects, Domino’s state of the art head office building was completed at the end of 2011. The building comprises office space set over three main floors with a lower ground floor main entrance, striking reception area, penthouse boardroom and a test kitchen where exciting new products are created for Domino’s menu.

Built to BREEAM standards (BRE Environmental Assessment Method), the office has been given a rating of excellent. The BREEAM environmental assessment aims to minimise environmental impact by ensuring sustainable best practices are in place, helping to lower costs through efficiency.

The BCO judging panel commented on Domino’s head office building: “This

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The opening of the Ristorantino in the Salumeria seven years ago saw the launch of their Cenare Con Amici menus and Regional Evenings offering no choice multi course rustic dinners (these evenings enable the restaurant to showcase the imported produce and dishes from the various regions of Italy). Salvo’s now in its fourth decade - has just undergone a half a million pound facelift and expansion to their restaurant.

"It’s great to be recognised as a trendsetter in this fast moving environment and introducing customers to more esoteric Italian ingredients,” commented John Dammone on the award.

was a very well executed and considered project with superb attention to detail and quality of finish. The efficient footprint works well, with cellular spaces on the ground floor and predominantly open plan on the upper levels. The design team clearly enjoyed working alongside the client and included a look-out tower at the top of the building, used as a boardroom.”

Adam Batty, general counsel and company secretary at Domino’s Pizza, said: “We are delighted to receive this award for our new head office. The award is testament to our project team who did an outstanding job in making it all happen. We have a fantastic team here in Milton Keynes and it is an honour for us to work in award winning building too.”

All the regional winners go on to compete in the national BCO Awards in October.

Fine food and ingredients specialist Cooks & Co is launching a new and improved recipe for its popular pesto foodservice offerings.

Featuring only the finest ingredients including fresh Italian basil and extra virgin olive oil, Cooks & Co green and red pestos are available to order now and come in convenient 1.2kg sapphire catering jars with screw top lids (each one contains approximately 50 servings, with pricing maintained at the previous level, say the company).

Cooks & Co Green Pesto uses fresh basil from Liguria and extra virgin olive oil, meaning it is classified as a superior-grade alla Genovese pesto. Its Red Pesto, meanwhile, features real sun dried tomatoes to deliver a superb quality and texture, allowing it to also use the alla Siciliana nomenclature, and both new and improved pestos offer a shelf life of 12 months from manufacture.

Simon Fry, marketing director at fine food distributor, R.H. Amar, which owns the Cooks & Co brand, explains:“We constantly strive to ensure that all our Cooks & Co offerings are the very best they can be.

“Our foodservice range complements the growing range of Cooks & Co retail products, making it an increasingly important and recognised brand in the fine food industry. All items in our foodservice range are selected for their excellent quality and kitchen-friendly packaging.”

June 2012

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retail news

Romans welcome crisps from Kent!

Crisps. Now ex-pats Bars in Rome are giving seeking a taste of home their customers a taste of as well as local citizens the Garden of England by exploring British culture serving Kent Crisps can enjoy the unique (www.kentcrisps.com) flavours of the Garden of during the Eternal City’s England,” said Anthony traditional cocktail hour.

Curwen, managing It is the first time Kent director of Quex Foods.

Crisps have been Made from potatoes exported since the grown in Kent and award-winning brand hand-cooked for was launched a year ago premium quality and

by Quex Foods, based in texture, Kent Crisps Birchington, Kent. reflect the tastes and The company has landscapes of the delivered more than county (flavours include 7,000 packets, featuring a first for the crisps all four flavours, to industry – Oyster and leading British-style bars Crisps from Kent are being enjoyed aperitivo style in Rome Vinegar, plus Great Taste in Rome, including The Award winner Ashmore Cheese and Onion, Albert in the Via del Traforo and The Lord Sea Salt and Biddenden Cider Vinegar and Litchfield in Via Luca Valerio.

Sea Salt).

Many bars in the capital follow the Back in the UK, Kent Crisps are on sale at tradition of serving stuzzichini (snacks) to selected Waitrose stores, farm shops, cafés, tempt customers during the early-evening delis, pubs, village shops and tourist aperitivo, when Italians tour the bars, socialise attractions nationwide. Sales help to maintain over cocktails and enjoy complimentary Quex Park, one of Kent’s historic estates and finger food before going to dinner. the Powell-Cotton Museum, plus other “We have already exceeded our sales attractions. expectations and this is another first for Kent

www.papa.org.uk

Cirio’s first UK TV ad’ campaign Cirio has become an icon of Italian cuisine in over 60 countries and since 1856 has been creating a range of tomato products to help bring the authentic taste of Italy into every home.

Now, following Cirio’s first UK TV campaign, millions of UK consumers are discovering Cirio for the very first time, say the company, experiencing the distinctive aromas, taste and passion of genuine Italian cooking. The TV campaign, which ran for four months ending March on national digital channels including E4, Film 4 and Watch, was also supported with a national press campaign to say hello to over 10 million households, helping to maintain Cirio’s position as the UK’s fastest growing tomato brand!

Cirio has now introduced its range that’s already available in Morrison’s, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s nationwide, and says that it is now looking to romance professional chefs and food lovers everywhere through an ongoing investment in PR, recipe DVDs and videos, as well as ongoing TV advertising to help consumers prepare fresh, simple and authentic Italian dishes at home.

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news Domino’s scoops major app award for mobile ordering Domino’s Pizza has scooped the Best Food & Cooking award in the prestigious Carphone Warehouse Appys 2012, which celebrate development and innovation in app technology.

Domino’s iPhone, Android and iPad mobile ordering apps were awarded the title at an awards ceremony in London, having been selected from a shortlist compiled by over a thousand Carphone Warehouse staff who suggested their favourite apps in the first stages of nominations. Entries from Carphone Warehouse staff were then debated by a panel of expert judges, who carefully selected the top five apps for each category. A public vote finally decided the overall winners who were announced at the awards event.

Domino’s Pizza fought off hot competition from Jamie’s Recipes, BBC Good Food Healthy

Recipes, Epicurious and Gordon Ramsay Cook With Me to take the spoils in the fiercelycontested Food and Cooking category.

Dave Masters, online features editor of the Sun and appys judge, said:“Domino’s Pizza is how takeaway apps on your iPad should be.

Mouth watering menus with a slick and simple display. It should be used along with a screen cover as it may induce dribbling!”

Simon Wallis, sales and marketing director of Domino’s Pizza, added:“We’re over the moon to have scooped this top award for our ordering app. We’re always looking for convenient new ways for our customers to order and to receive this accolade is truly amazing. Mobile currently accounts for 14% of online sales and download figures for our apps continue to grow. We’re sure this trend is set to continue – especially with this prestigious appy award now under our belts!”

Birra Moretti to promote a relaxed, Italian style lunch Londoners have forgotten the simple pleasures of a relaxed lunch, claim the authentic Italian beer brand, Birra Moretti, who are on a mission to bring people ‘back to the table’, to sit and enjoy great food and beer with family and friends – just like the Italians do.

The brand is to welcome the city’s residents and office workers to the Moretti table and take some time out of their busy schedules and indulge in some Italian hospitality. Hosted by renowned Italian chef, Giancarlo Caldesi, guests will be able to enjoy a master class illustrating how delicious, authentic Italian pizza is made, followed by some time to savour their culinary creations with a complimentary sample of Birra Moretti. Guests will also leave with Birra Moretti inspired recipes to recreate the Italian magic at home to impress family and friends.

Places at the masterclass can be secured on www.facebook.com/morettiuk from midday, Wednesday, 6 June 2012. Otherwise, there will

be some places available on the day, based on a first come first served basis. Failing that, visitors can join at the pop-up pizzeria where they will be able to soak up the atmosphere, purchase a pizza and enjoy a cool Birra Moretti.

Massimo Barboni from Birra Moretti says: “For us the Moretti table symbolises so much of the Italian way of living – it celebrates the best that life has to offer, great food and beer in the company of family and friends. We want to reward busy Londoners with the opportunity to take some time out from their hectic schedules and enjoy ‘il dolce far niente’ – ‘the sweetness of doing nothing.’”

‘Pop Up’ Gourmet Pizza Masterclasses’ are free and will be taking place at the following locations - 14th June/15th June, Pizza in Piazza Event at Islington Green, 21st June/22nd June, Pizza in Piazza Event at Tavistock Square and 28th June/29th June, Pizza in Piazza Event at Potters Fields Park.

The Arena event will start at noon with a lively networking drinks reception, followed by a three-course lunch and Simon Kossoff’s (pictured) enlightening address (for further information and tickets visit www.arena.org.uk).

Carluccio’s chief executive to speak at Arena event Simon Kossoff, chief executive officer at Carluccio’s, will take to the stage as guest speaker at the Arena networking lunch on Tuesday 17 July 2012 at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel, London.

The summer Arena lunch sees senior professionals from across the hospitality industry seizing the opportunity to interact with business colleagues and contacts before the holiday period. They also enjoy the informative, interesting, and often inspiring, post-lunch talk given by the carefully selected speaker.

This year attendees will gain a fascinating insight into the motivations and philosophies of Simon Kossoff, the man who has steered the creation and development of one of the UK’s most successful restaurant groups, Carluccio’s.

Born out of a chance meeting with Priscilla and Antonio Carluccio, the now famous Carluccio’s brand has grown steadily since inception in 1999, and under Simon Kossoff’s expert guidance it has grown from a solitary venue in central London to a national, £90million plus, 59-strong restaurant group.

Second phase of partnership announced The Italian food consortiums Prosciutto di San Daniele and Grana Padano cheese have announced the second stage of a three-year partnership focused on promoting Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) products.

With a significant marketing budget supporting advertising, in-store, and public relations initiatives, the integrated campaign will seek to educate and raise awareness about the quality, authenticity, and traceability of PDO products amongst retailers and consumers throughout the United Kingdom.

The campaign was commissioned in 2010 by the European Union and Italian government to support and integrate the

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promotional efforts of Consortium of Prosciutto di San Daniele and Consortium of Grana Padano Cheese, non-profit organisations dedicated to protecting, promoting, and enhancing their own products. The Consortiums are separate institutions that work together to promote awareness of the PDO logo (the Consortium of Prosciutto di San Daniele represents 31 prosciutto factories and the Consortium of Grana Padano Cheese represents 204 suppliers and dairies).

The EU has invested in the program with two clear objectives. Firstly, to improve the understanding of the PDO logo and its

meaning, targeting three key audiences - retail operators, media and consumers – and secondly, to stimulate demand for PDO products, aiming to increase exports to the United Kingdom.

This year, the campaign will focus on building on the success of the first year and continuing to educate retailers and consumers throughout the country about the importance of the PDO logo and what it stands for. The Consortiums have also signed on renowned Italian chef Giancarlo Caldesi as a face to the campaign, and he will be creating a series of consumer-friendly recipes incorporating the products and hosting media events.

June 2012

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news SmartDiner aims to optimise bookings SmartDiner, a new capacity optimising booking system designed to improve the financial performance and kitchen efficiency of restaurants and pubs, has been launched nationally.

Its creators report that the latest research would suggest that restaurants and pubs suffer large capacity shortfalls in excess of 60% in any given week. However, this is often juxtaposed with high influxes of diners at busy times –resulting in heavy pressure on front-of-house and kitchen.

Specifically designed to support the restaurant and pub trade, SmartDiner’s simple to use patented capacity optimising booking system works in real time.

Via the use of this time-related pricing, SmartDiner enables restaurants to attract new incremental diners and encourages existing customers to modify their booking times – so as to spread service more evenly.

“In this tough economic climate many restaurants are trying to address capacity shortfall via the use of internet coupons, group-ons, vouchers and special offers.

However, these can cause ‘channel

overload syndrome’ with more offers than can be handled flooding in at peak times - exaggerating rather than mitigating imbalanced busy and quiet times. Such mechanics can also be costly for the restaurant or pub, de-value their brand and cause offer fatigue,” says SmartDiner’s founder, Stanley Wootliff.

SmartDiner’s online system has no set up cost, no monthly fee and no long-term contract. £1 per diner is levied per diner delivered, and if no bookings are delivered no charge is applicable.

Establishments can set themselves up on SmartDiner’s web site via three simple steps setting their own tailored offer (for example money off the main course, food only or a total bill), setting the level of incentive (to encourage diners to eat at a time and day controlled by the establishment) and finally by deciding the number of sittings available for a particular offer throughout the day. The restaurateur can then amend these settings at any point using SmartDiner’s‘real time’ control (www.smartdiner.co.uk).

Delivery bike insurance provider enjoys repeat custom MCE Insurance, a UK provider of motorbike insurance, says that it is one of the few insurance companies in the market to offer specialist delivery bike insurance and that over recent times, more and more fast food outlets have been taking advantage of its insurance offers, which currently includes a recessionbusting 10% initial deposit scheme.

One of its repeat customers is Raheel Choudhary, regional director of several Papa John’s outlets in the London area, who has had his pizza delivery fleet insured with MCE for two years now.“I did a quick google search and MCE were the first company at the top of the page. When I rang and spoke to them, they knew exactly what I was talking

www.papa.org.uk

about and met my fleet needs perfectly,” he recalls.“Obviously price is a consideration when you have a fleet as big as mine.

It was the right price from MCE, combined with the excellent service that I had received throughout the previous year, that made my decision to renew an easy one.”

Raheel Choudhary is one of thousands of fleet owners who could benefit from MCE’s delivery bike insurance products, feel the company, who pride themselves on combining state of the art technology with a highly trained and motivated team to enable them to deliver a first class service. MCE was established in 1975 and has over 160,000 policy holders and a team of 190.

SHORTS New appointments at Papa John’s Papa John’s Jack Swaysland is off to head up the chain’s European, Middle Eastern and Indian businesses with Gareth Davies now taking over his role in the UK, having been promoted to vice president for the UK. Sales of Parma ham up 2011 was another successful year for Parma ham. Exports recorded a 4% growth, with the UK performing particularly well. Exports made up almost 26% of Parma ham production, with an estimated turnover of 210 million Euros. The pre-sliced product is worth 42% of all exports and in the EU has overtaken whole hams for the first time ever. UK demand for pre-sliced continues to rise, report the Parma ham consortium, with over 350,000 hams exported in 2011, up 1.5% on the previous year.

Sustainable best sellers M&J Seafood reports that it has witnessed record sales of sustainable fish, thanks to its new Sustainable Hero promotion initiative which introduces a different species of sustainable fish each month with information on how it tastes, how it’s prepared and what its benefits are compared to other well-known counterparts. Since implementation in January sales of sustainable species have significantly increased. Most significantly, sales of Dab - a popular alternative to other flat fish such as plaice and lemon sole – recorded a 593% sales uplift in March.

Queen’s Award for Italian Beverage Company Established in 2004. the Italian Beverage Company manufactures and distributes food products in the form of ancillary products for the coffee bar, coffee shop and food service market sectors, and has won the Queen’s Award for Enterprize – International Trade 2012 for its outstanding achievement in growing its overseas sales by some 257% over the last three years. Currently, they work globally with distributors in over 40 countries and say they hope to develop another four further export markets in 2012.

Win a trip to Florida!

Hospitality Action is giving all hospitality workers, plus their family and friends, the chance to win a luxurious three-night stay for two in the Chesterfield Palm Beach hotel in Florida. Donated by Red Carnation Hotels, the prize will help Hospitality Action raise the vital funds it needs to support hospitality workers who find themselves in need. The trip, which includes flights, is the star prize of the HA Big Prize Draw, part of Hospitality Action’s dedicated fundraising week (to enter the draw, call the Hospitality Action fundraising team on 020 3004 5504 for details).

BBC Two’s The Fixer seeks family businesses Do you run a family business and work with members of your family? Are you facing any challenges or dilemmas connected to your business and family? Are you worried about the future of your company? Finding it hard in the current economic conditions?

Whatever your situation, the makers of the next series of the successful BBC 2 show The Fixer with Alex Polizzi want to hear from family businesses (contact Naomi on 0207 438 1812, or email familybusinesses@twofour.co.uk).

Oregano on pizza helps fight cancer Scientists at Long Island University in the US have shown that oregano, used on many pizzas as a topping, can help fight prostate cancer by killing off the diseased cells. The herb can already claim antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, but it is its carvacrol chemical content that it is now believed to be the active component in combating cancer cells (it is already known that the lycopene content of tomatoes on pizza also helps cut down the risk of cancer).

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Overall Supermarket Section Sponsor

2012 Overall Independant Section Sponsor

Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Industry Awards 2012 T

his year sees the 23rd Anniversary of the Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Industry Awards and it’s a great opportunity to put your business in the spotlight.

Between now and the annual industry awards dinner on November 15th 2012, we will be scouring the country for the very best examples of pizza, pasta and Italian food to showcase in the awards. So make sure you are not left out by entering now – all it takes is a phone call or email to get yourself on the nomination lists.

The aim of the awards is to recognize excellence in all aspects of the market, from designing pizzas to manufacturing and selling pasta products. And the results will be announced at the annual industry gala dinner, to be held this year at the Lancaster Hotel in London on 15th November 2012…….but judging starts this summer, so don’t delay in getting your entries in.

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

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

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

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

So, to get on the first rung you need to send us your nominations – which must reach the Association by no later than Monday 3rd September 2012. Nominations can be accepted from anyone….you can even nominate yourself! – and you don’t even need to fill in any forms, simply email pam@jandmgroup.co.uk stating which category you wish to enter, details of the entry and why you think it deserves consideration.

The Awards Overall Operator of the Year Award This lifetime award will be presented to an individual, company or organization who the judges consider deserves recognition for the contribution made to the industry. Nominations should state simply why they should be considered for this award.

Pizza Restaurant Platinum and Gold Awards These awards are given to independent (businesses with less than 10 restaurant sites) pizza restaurants that are outstanding and set a standard for others to follow. They are presented to specialist restaurants where pizza is the predominant item on the menu. In assessing entries the judges will be focusing particularly on standards in terms of product, service and overall atmosphere. Platinum awards will only be given if one or more restaurants are outstanding.

Judging will initially involve entries being assessed on the material submitted and those shortlisted will be asked to provide a voucher for a meal for two which will be used by independent judges who will report on the restaurant from a customer’s perspective – a copy of their reports will be sent to each restaurant visited after the awards are presented.

What to send in: Your entry should include a brief note saying why you think the business should win, a copy of the menu and photographs showing the outside, the customer area and preparation areas (with preparation underway).

Pizza Restaurant Chain of the Year Award This award will be given to the pizza restaurant chain (a business with more than 10 restaurant sites) which the judges consider to have done June 2012

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Presenter Sponsored by:

the most in the last year to develop their business and which sets a standard for others to follow. For the purposes of the awards, a pizza restaurant is defined as one where pizza forms the main focus of the business. In assessing entries the judges will be focusing particularly on standards in terms of product, service and overall atmosphere.

Judging will be done by a central panel of industry experts who will consider reports from independent ‘mystery shoppers’ who will report on the restaurant from a customer’s perspective– a copy of their reports will be sent to each entrant after the awards are presented. Data from market research will also be considered.

What to send in: Your entry should include a brief note saying why you think the business deserves to win, a voucher for a meal for two, plus a list of locations which can be visited.

The Italian Restaurant Platinum and Gold Awards These awards aim to identify the best in genuine Italian restaurants in the UK. To this end they will be presented to specialist restaurants where the food served is rooted at the heart of Italian cuisine and which offers a genuine taste of Italy and experience.

Judging: Those judging these awards will be looking for restaurants (whether independent or chains) which set a standard for others to follow.

Judges will be focusing particularly on standards in terms of menu choice, food quality, service and the ambiance of the restaurants that enter. Platinum awards will only be given if one or more restaurants is outstanding. Judging will initially involve entries being assessed on the material submitted and those shortlisted will be asked to provide a voucher for a meal for two which will be used by independent judges who will report on the restaurant from a customer’s perspective – a copy of their reports will be sent to each restaurant visited after the awards are presented.

www.papa.org.uk

What to send in: Your entry should include a brief note saying why you think the restaurant or chain should win, a voucher meal for two, a copy of the menu and photographs showing the outside, customer area and preparation areas, (with preparation underway). If your entry is for a chain, please provide a list of sites which can be visited by judges.

will be required. Those shortlisted will also be asked to provide a voucher for a meal for two which will be used by the independent judges who will order a delivery and report on it from a customer’s perspective – a copy of their report will be sent to each of those shortlisted after the awards are presented.

PAPA Technical Excellence Award This award is designed to recognise the work being done by technologists to advance systems and working practices across the pizza, pasta and Italian food industry. The award is particularly intended to acknowledge initiatives which have a wide industry benefit and to particularly recognise the work being done by individuals within the industry, with their employer gaining the kudos from his or her success. This award is open to all those involved in the market, including suppliers.

Entries should recognise the work done by the individual in identifying and championing technical initiatives that bring real benefits to a business as well as to the industry. Entries will be considered not only on their technical merits but also the relative difficulties in achieving innovation within large businesses over smaller ones. The judges are particularly keen to acknowledge initiatives which have a wide industry benefit.

Entries should state the work that has been done and the outcome as well as the role played by the technologist in achieving the results. The best entries will be invited to make a presentation to the judging panel.

In this category, all entries should be sent in confidence to the PAPA director Jim Winship, and will only be shared with the judging panel, all of whom will be senior technologists in the food industry and subject to confidentiality agreements.

Initially, all you need to do is to submit a brief (ideally no more than A4) resumé stating what has been done and the results. All entries will be treated in strict confidence.

The ‘Award Qualifying Period’ is 1st September 2011 to 30th August 2012 and the closing date for entries for this award is 1st September 2012.

NE

Independent Pizza Delivery Store Award This award aims to recognise the independent operators who are successfully driving their businesses in the delivery/takeaway sector.

Judging: Those judging this award will be looking for an individual operator (up to 10 stores) who sets a high standard in terms of the overall operation – from customer service to food quality and delivery to the customer.

What to send in: Entries will be initially assessed on the material submitted, which should include a brief note saying why you think the business should be considered for an award, a copy of the menu and photographs showing the business premises and the preparation areas (with preparation underway). Entrants should also outline any marketing/promotion initiatives undertaken in the last year as well as details of their success.

All those shortlisted in this category will also be asked to provide a voucher for a meal for two which will be used by independent judges who will order a delivery and report on it from a customer’s perspective – a copy of their report will be sent to each of those shortlisted after the awards are presented.

Pizza Delivery Chain Award This award aims to recognise the chain operators who are successfully driving the delivery/takeaway sector.

Judging: Those judging this award will be looking at chains (more than 10 stores) which set a high standard in terms of their overall operation – from customer service to food quality and from delivery to the customer – and which are positively driving the market.

What to send in: Details of the overall performance of the business in the last year

W

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papa industry awards 2012

Frozen Pizza Multiple Retailer Award This award aims to recognise those supermarket retailers who are actively driving the frozen pizza sector of the market.

What to send in: Retailers are asked to complete a short questionnaire and to briefly state why they should be considered for the award.

Judging:‘Mystery shopper’ reports will be obtained from random retail outlets across the UK as part of the judging process and the central judging panel will consider these, and the submissions, as well as independent research in reaching their decision.

Manufactured Pasta Product Award This award aims to encourage new product development in the pasta market by rewarding those who are striving to develop the market through innovation and recipe development. This category is open to any product launched within the 12 month period leading up to the closing date of 3rd September 2012 and which is still on sale at the time of judging. Products short-listed for this award will be presented to a panel of judges for sampling.

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

Pasta Retailer Award This award aims to recognize those supermarkets which are actively driving sales of pasta. What to send in: Retailers are asked to complete a short questionnaire and to state why they should be considered for the award. Judging: ‘Mystery shopper’ reports will be obtained from random retail outlets across the UK as part of the judging process and the central judging panel will consider these, and the submissions, as well as independent research in reaching their decision.

Manufactured Pizza Product Award This award aims to encourage new product development in the pizza market by rewarding those who are striving to develop the market through innovation and recipe development. This category is open to any product launched within the 12 month period leading up to the closing date of 3rd September 2012 and which is still on sale at the time of judging. Products short-listed for this award will be presented to a panel of judges for sampling.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Please tick the award categories you wish your entry to be considered for: Pizza Chef Award

Convenience Pizza Award This award aims to recognise those convenience store retailers who are actively driving the convenience pizza sector of the market.

What to send in: Retailers are asked to complete a short questionnaire and to state why they should be considered for the award.

Judging:‘Mystery shopper’ reports will be obtained from random retail outlets across the UK as part of the judging process and the central judging panel will consider these, and the submissions, as well as independent research in reaching their decision.

New Product or Ingredient Award This award aims to recognize those suppliers who are developing/sourcing new equipment, products and ingredients for use by manufacturers or restaurant/delivery market. The judges will be looking for innovative ideas which can positively benefit operators. What to send in: Entries should state details of the products being entered and explain the benefits they offer to the manufacturer/ restaurant etc.

Those short-listed in this category may be invited to submit samples for judging in the Autumn.

Party Packs Sponsored by:

To enter the PAPA Awards 2012 simply complete this form and send it with the material requested to PAPA Awards 2012, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow NP16 5DB to arrive by no later than 3rd September 2012.

Chilled Pizza Retailer Award Convenience Pizza Retailer Award Pasta Retailer Award Manufactured Pizza Product Award Manufactured Pasta Product Award New Product or Ingredient Award If you are entering a catering or retail award category, please state how many units you operate under this brand name? _________ units If you would like to book places at the PAPA Awards Dinner on November 15th in London. Please complete the following: I would like to book: ____ table(s) of 10 places at the 2012 PAPA Dinner at a cost of £2,200+ VAT ____ place(s) at the 2012 PAPA Dinner at a cost of £230 + VAT each Please note that all bookings must be accompanied by the appropriate remittance. Cheques can be made out to either The Pizza, Pasta and Italian Food Association or PAPA. Alternatively payment can be made by credit card by completing the section below. No refunds can be made if cancellations are made within 20 days of the event and any cancellations before this time will be subject to a 25% cancellation charge.

Credit Card Payment

Pizza Restaurant Chain of the Year Award

Card No: ______ ______ ______ ______ Valid From ____ /____

Pizza Restaurant Platinum and Gold Awards

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

The Italian Restaurant Platinum and Gold Awards

Name on Card:_______________________ Post Code_____________

Independent Pizza Delivery Store Award Frozen Multiple Pizza Retailer Award PAPA Technical Excellence Award

House No. ________ (for security purposes only) Please return this form, with the appropriate remittance, to: PAPA Industry Awards, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow NP16 5DB

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

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

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

www.papa.org.uk

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HAVE YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES? This competition aims to encourage new product development in the pizza restaurant/delivery market and comprises a series of four individual competitions where entrants are required to develop recipes using specific ingredients.

Free samples of the sponsors’ products will be sent to those wishing to enter the competitions to enable them to experiment and create their pizza recipes.

The sponsor’s product in each category, must be used in the recipe for the pizza.

Entries can be made into all four competitions but entrants must enter at least two categories from any of the four listed below – they must be innovative, attractive to consumers, taste good and be commercially viable to make.

The four categories are: Bel UK Boursin Cuisine Pizza Chef of the Year Competition The creamy and spreadable consistency of Boursin ® Cuisine adds a subtle yet exciting dimension to any Pizza.

Boursin ® melts smoothly and mixes easily with other ingredients, hot or cold, and gives a creamy bite to classic dishes.

Dell’ami Harissa with Rose Petal Pizza Chef of the Year Competition Produced to a unique dell’ami recipe; it is a blend of aromatic spices enhanced with the addition of rose petals. A fantastically diverse pesto that enhances fish, chicken and particularly tomato based sauces.

Whitworths Bros Pizza Chef of the Year Competition Whitworth Bros produce all grades of pizza flour for the pizza professional Leathams Roquito® Chilli Pepper Pizza Chef of the Year Competition Sold exclusively by Leathams, Roquito® Peppers are used on pizzas all across the country. Sourced from South America, these hot sweet peppers could be the only hot pepper you could ever need and can liven up all types of pizzas.

Sponsored by:

PIZZA CHEF of the year 2012

A winner will be chosen in each category and from these four the judges will select the overall Pizza Designer of the Year.

Judging Initial entries will be selected by a panel of judges to go forward into one of four heats where those responsible for creating them will be asked to make up their pizzas in front of a judging panel. The regional heats will take place as follows: Glasgow heat 11am, Monday 1st October 2012 New Concept Test Kitchen, 588 Glasgow Road, Glasgow, G81 1NH

In each category a winner will be selected from each heat to go forward to the final, which will take place on Thursday, 15 November 2012 at the Lancaster London Hotel, in London.

The overall Pizza Chef of the Year Award winner will be announced at the Awards Dinner and will receive a trophy plus considerable publicity. The winners of the individual categories will also receive trophies.

London heat 11am, Monday 15th October 2012 Bel UK Kitchen Suite 1, 2nd Floor, 160 London Road Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 1BT

What to send in What to send in: Please contact Pam Sainsbury with your details for entry forms and to receive samples of the sponsors’ products, BY JULY 14TH on 01291 636341 or email pam@jandmgroup.co.uk Entries should be submitted by post or email stating the names of the pizzas, the ingredients, the preparation method and a short description of the pizza. All entries must state a selling price plus the market (e.g. delivery, restaurant etc) where the pizza would be sold.

South West heat Date and venue to be confirmed

CLOSING DATE FOR COMPLETED ENTRIES: 3rd September 2012

Bolton heat 11am, Tuesday 2nd October 2012 Stateside Foods Ltd, 31-34 Great Bank Road Wingate Industrial Park, Westhoughton Bolton, BL5 3XU

Full details of this competition can also be obtained from the Association by calling Pam Sainsbury 01291 636341 or by visiting the PAPA web site at www.papa.org.uk/awards 16

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Pizza Napoletana Neapolitan pizza

Pizza is usually associated with the whole of Italy, whereas as every Italian knows pizza Napoletana in particular – ‘real’, authentic pizza baked in a wood fired oven – traditionally comes specifically from Naples. Now a protected dish in terms of its method of production, as well as its ingredients, more and more outlets are eager to take on the challenge of making this historic and tasty dish that can deliver the ‘wow’ factor when done well. So what are the challenges when it comes to crafting this classic dish?

TSG status Towards the end of 2009, at a special European Union meeting, Neapolitan pizza (the Margherita and Marinara variants) were granted TSG status (Traditional Speciality Guaranteed, http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriS erv.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:034:0007:00 16:EN:PDF) in recognition of the particular geographical origins and association with the Italian city of Naples, and the Campania region from where its constituent ingredients are sourced.

In addition, the aim of this designation is to help protect this special dish from imitations that claim to be authentic, but in actual fact are not due to the incorrect use of ingredients, or the incorrect method of preparation and cooking (which the TSG provision also specifies).

And fines could be imposed on those found to breaking the rules.

In various interpretations (thick base, thin base, for example, as well as in terms of toppings), ‘pizza’ has been phenomenally successful the world over, with some restaurants inadvertently – or quite 18

pizzapasta AND ITALIAN FOOD

deliberately – using the term ‘pizza Napoletana’ to describe a dish that is in actual fact a far cry from the original, and that is felt by organisations such as the L’Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani (APN, www.pizzaiuolinapoletani.it, originally founded in 1998 to help preserve the cultural status of pizza and pizza makers), to be at risk of misleading consumers who may have yet to sample the real thing itself (whether that be in Naples, or elsewhere, because as long as you use the right ingredients and processes, then it is perfectly possible to make real pizza Napoletana outside of Naples).

To outline just a small part of the requirements, Pizza Napoletana TSG must be a round product baked in the oven with a variable diameter not exceeding 35cm, with a raised rim golden in colour and a garnished central part, and one to two centimetres thick. The pizza also must feature San Marzano tomatoes and real buffalo mozzarella cheese, both sourced from the Campania region. The olive oil used must also come from the region, and

the pizza should also be topped with a small amount of fresh basil applied before cooking, not after – and in a wood fired oven. Even its transfer from paddle/peel to oven involves a particular series of rapid, skilful movements on the part of the pizzaiolo. In fact, upon closer reading of the TSG ‘rules’, it soon becomes clear that the making of pizza Napoletana is in fact a skilled art form, which goes some way towards explaining why it takes Neapolitan pizza chefs years to perfect their craft, passing on the tradition from father to son, and so on.

Tradition In Italy, in contrast to the UK right now, Naples has long been synonymous with artisan pizza, the city already well known to consumers and restaurant goers there as being the ‘home’ of good, authentic pizza. It has enjoyed this tradition since Roman times, with the southern Mediterranean region as a whole having had a long ‘flat bread’ association.

Most Italians are fully aware that the method of production of

‘real’ pizza (pizza Napoletana) is an artisan process that combines a lot of natural factors from the ingredients used to the skill of the pizza chef involved.

Elsewhere, and not least in the UK, this can not yet be said to be the case, although with the arrival of Rossopomodoro here in 2006 (which can boast over 130 outlets in Italy, three in London and now one in Selfridges, Birmingham), as well as independent operators who have already been specialising in ‘real’ pizza, this situation is changing.

Pizza has witnessed many interpretations, and in many ways can perhaps be viewed as a victim of its own success. Served in thick and thin base formats of differing dough types, pizza comes with all manner of exotic toppings far removed from its humble origins as a ‘street food’ of the poor that featured what, by today’s standards, might be considered to be far too mean a coating of tomato sauce, cheese and odd herb only. This is why to appreciate a good, authentic Neapolitan pizza, all the ingredients used must be of high quality and just right in order to June 2012

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Neapolitan pizza About Rossopomodoro

turn what looks like a simple dish into something distinct and memorable.

So while there is understandably a place and fondness for many types of different pizza served by a variety of outlets to suit a variety of meal occasions, more and more UK consumers are becoming far more informed and in a better position to appreciate true, artisan Neapolitan pizza by understanding that there’s far more to this ‘original’ dish than they might have realised.

Today, the pizza chef tradition still continues in Naples with many families having seen generation after generation of their sons become skilled pizza chefs in what has now become a highly valued, and for some, potentially very lucrative career that has the possibility to take them all over the world if they so choose (an experienced pizza chef could well expect to earn in the region of £3000 per month net). Competition can be strong when it comes to sourcing and employing a top pizza chef. In addition, there is rivalry too between families over who might

www.papa.org.uk

be the best, or who is felt to be making the best pizza at any one time.

Most Neapolitan pizza chefs start learning how to make pizza very early from their father, starting with minor jobs in the kitchen such as cleaning the preparation area before building up to learn more about the wood fired oven and the pizza dough itself. In fact, the dough is the last thing they get to learn about, reports Rossopomodoro’s head pizza chef in the UK, Tonino Magno, who started learning about pizza via his father when just twelve, and comes from a family of four generations of pizza chefs.

It takes years of experience to become a fully trained and experienced pizza chef, one able to deal with not only a busy restaurant and demanding oven that must always be up to temperature, but the additional complications of coping with changes in the weather and atmospheric conditions, as this can have a critical effect on the nature of the dough’s performance, just as the nature of the ingredients themselves can.

The ingredients may, on the surface, appear to very basic indeed, but the way they interact is key as a rise or decrease in humidity can affect the desired elasticity of the dough, for example. However, experience tells, and so having served a long pizza apprenticeship, reacting to such changes and daily challenges becomes almost second nature to an experienced pizza chef who will go by eye, touch and smell to assess whether all is as it should be.

At Rossopomodoro, for instance, when they recruit a pizza chef, they require them to have at least five to six years experience, with most senior, or head, pizza chefs likely to have already amassed 25 years’ worth of experience by their midthirties. As a result, many of Rossopomdoro’s pizza chefs come from Naples, and are already very experienced needing very little additional training.

The premium pizza chain’s pizza chefs are not the only part of the pizza making process to come from Naples. Their wood fired ovens – made using 342

Rossopomodoro (which means ‘red tomato’) is the number one brand for sit-in pizza restaurants in Italy.

Owned by the restaurant holding company, Sebeto Group (founded by the current CEO, Franco Manna), it offers an authentic Neapolitan casual dining experience in an energetic, modern and colourful Mediterranean environment with a wood fired oven taking centre stage in each restaurant. The distinctiveness of the concept is further defined by the use of fresh PDO ingredients (Protected Designation of Origin – or DOP certification which was started in 1992 following the CEE 2081/92 regulations of the EU to protect and characterise the nature of specific regional foodstuffs and dishes).

The brand has had a presence in London since 2006 (Covent Garden, Notting Hill and Fulham). It was acquired by Change Capital Partners in 2011 and is now pursuing an international expansion programme focusing on the UK and US markets. The backing and expertise (Roger Homes, former CEO of Marks & Spencer and Luc Vandevelde, former chairman of Marks & Spencer and Carrefour) provided by Change Capital means that the chain is now poised to accelerate its UK expansion plans. However, it still aims to maintain a strong emphasis on the traditional methods of production that has been at the heart of its success to date. bricks - are built by a crew of experienced Neapolitan oven makers who come over specially to ensure that these ovens are commissioned with the correctly shaped cupola (dome) which helps to keep the high temperature inside the oven so that the pizza will bake quickly, as well as a black lava stone for base. In fact, one of the restaurant 19

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Neapolitan pizza

COMMENT Domenico Crolla (restaurateur, Bella Napoli, Glasgow) Real Neapolitan pizza hit the headlines recently when it was classed in the same league as DOP protected products such as Prosciutto di Parma and fine Barolo wines, gaining recognition as a national dish.

This pizza is now referred to as the STG (Specialita' Traditionale Garantita, or Guaranteed Traditional Specialty), and offers the customer a product created in a certain manner to counteract pizzerias worldwide selling a Neapolitan pizza that bears no resemblance to its origins.

There are now pizza associations that are happy to visit your pizzeria and give you a plaque saying that you bake the real deal (after paying them a fee!), but in my opinion this ‘real’ pizza from Naples can be recreated easily using ingredients that are now available worldwide. These ingredients are not only easily available, but also relatively inexpensive. After all, we are talking about an old Neapolitan dish enjoyed by peasants for many years – la cucina povera (poor man’s food).

It requires a simple pizza dough - flour, water, salt and fresh yeast. The tomato sauce requires plain San Marzano tomatoes, salt, fresh basil and a swirl of extra virgin olive oil, and the cheese should be mozzarella di bufala. The rules also state that a real Neapolitan pizza can only be baked in a wood burning oven. The method of rolling out of the dough is strictly by hand, no tossing in the air, just working on the table. The border should be the thickness of a pound coin and the pizza can be no bigger than 14 inches.

So with so few

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ingredients why is it so hard to get right? It’s the very fact that there are so few ingredients that this dish really has to depend on the quality of each individual ingredient and the quality of bake to taste just right.

The tomatoes have to be just perfect because there are no flavour enhancers, no sugar, no oregano or thickeners as found in many other sauces - just tomato pulp, salt, fresh basil and olive oil. The mozzarella has to offer a taste sensation not normally associated with this simple white cheese. The mozzarella di bufala has a complex balance of sweetness and acidity that if it hits the spot, you will remember that dish for a long time. And of course the bake has to be just perfect to offer a beautiful golden crust but cheese that is still white and melting.

Most chefs interested in presenting a real Neapolitan pizza are maybe put off by the requirement for an authentic wood burning oven. In reality the majority of people working a wood oven will be baking at around 300oC, probably the same if you are using a deck oven in which case (in my humble opinion) there is no difference. A wood burning oven only comes into its own when you stoke the fire up to full blast at 450-500oC. Why has this dish become so popular recently? For one thing there is still a recession out there and a margherita offers an inexpensive meal.

Good mozzarella is now readily available to allow for a real Neapolitan experience.

It has also become chic to ask for a ‘real’ margherita just like other peasant dishes such as polenta and maybe Tuscan bean soups. And last, but not least, it’s damn good!

group’s mantras is cuore Napoletano (Neapolitan heart), a concept which they admit is more difficult to try and convey in the UK market, but that speaks volumes in terms of tradition and heritage back home where they can claim to be the oldest and most well established chain specialising in Neapolitan pizza.

Once in the oven, the pizzas are baked quickly at a temperature of 450oC to 480oC for just 120 to 180 seconds so as to retain a bit of moisture inside the centre and deliver that all important soft and chewy centre.

The outer edge (cornicione, or frame) of the pizza which gives a hint of crispness is also very important as it is possible to judge from slicing through this how well the dough has risen, whether or not there are air bubbles inside, how light it is, and therefore how well made the pizza dough is. The aim is for a soft centre of the pizza to be complemented by the outer cornicione which must not be allowed to over-burn (this is why one of the earliest skills the pizzaiolo learns is how to bake).

Rossopomodoro started out in Italy in the eighties, and now have over 130 outlets there in every major city of every region there. Mario Romano says that he feels the market has matured for them there, but will still keep on growing while they set their eyes on the UK and the US as being their target markets, with the US, they observe, having a higher level of what Mario Romano refers to as ‘gastronomy’, particularly in New York, and perhaps do to the legacy of Italian emigrants who left Italy to settle there.

The group arrived in the UK in 2006 and have four stores here, the latest having been Selfridges in Birmingham (the store having extended an invitation to them), and more are planned for London. They would consider elsewhere in the country, but until their critical mass here increases, it would be difficult for them supply and support without re-evaluating their supply chain accordingly. They also have two stores in Tokyo (Japan being very keen on pizza), two in Saudi Arabia and three so far in the US. The first requirement when it comes to starting a new store is that a wood burning oven is permitted in the area. So far, most councils in London, they report, have no issue with this, apart from Westminster.

Simple ingredients used skilfully Why Naples? It is the presence of the volcanic Vesuvius and resultant rich soil has furnished the Campania region that Naples is located in with a fertile area where a wealth of ingredients of high quality can be grown.

In particular, the area has had a strong history of wheat and tomato production. The famous San Marzano tomatoes, for example – which were originally brought into Italy from South America by early explorers – are a requirement for authentic DOP standard pizza, as now specified in a European Union regulation that was devised to help protect the future nature of this ancient dish. The growing of wheat in this area also explains why pasta was developed here too.

Tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella June 2012

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Neapolitan pizza and olive oil are still sourced from the Campania region today, whereas these days, the wheat used to make the all important flour and subsequent dough is usually a blend of the best performing wheats that have to be sourced from around the world in order to keep up with demand at home and overseas.

The pizza Napoletana dough is made from just four ingredients – flour, natural yeast, water and salt (there is no fat in the dough, although olive oil is traditionally used to dress the final, baked result).

Given the artisanal nature of their pizza yet their chain presence in Italy, and now in the UK, when asked how they can claim to have an artisanal approach, Rossopomodoro’s marketing director, Mario Romano, he himself half Neapolitan, responds by pointing out that although they are a group, they behave like individuals. In other words, each of their pizzaioli is able to react to different conditions and challenges wherever they may be

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in order to create a consistent, authentic product that would be impossible to do if these pizza chefs did not have their own individual experience and skills to draw upon.

Given their extensive presence in Italy, Rossopomodoro have dealt with many suppliers and have subsequently built up good, longstanding relationships which are now enabling them to look at expanding elsewhere. As they grow, it gets more expensive to monitor standards and deliver a high quality product, but this trading and supply investment and experience pays off when they come to launch in a new market, such as the UK. Here, they rely on twice weekly air freighted deliveries of fresh buffalo mozzarella from Naples, which is an expensive way to go about things, but something which they require in order to maintain a high quality authentic product.

They have great experience in sourcing the right ingredients, with an Italy-based team dedicated to this task.

The flour Rossopomodoro use is supplied by Caputo, the Naples-based flour millers who are arguably the most famous flour brand there and can claim to supply over 50% of the pizza flours in Naples itself.

The olive oil they use comes from Sorrento, and the San Marzano tomatoes they use are one of the more expensive varieties, popular throughout the world and so instantly always in great demand when the current year’s crop ripens. A poor, diseased crop, or low yield, can, on occasion, drive the price up even more, leading to future speculation on how a growing chain such as Rossopomodoro will be able to secure future supplies from the Campania region, and the chain accept that this will be a future challenge (they are arguably the biggest restaurant customer for San Marzano tomatoes in Italy).

The tomatoes are supplied peeled in cans prior to being made up into a sauce in the UK. It is vital to ensure that there is a good ratio pulp to liquid (too

much liquid, and the resultant sauce will not be of a sufficiently high quality).

The pizza dough is allowed to rest at room temperature for between and eight and ten hours, but it could be longer or shorter, or the dough might have to be stored in the fridge for a bit, depending on the weather and environmental conditions. These are the judgement calls that the skilled pizza chef will make upon examining the dough. The ratio of water, salt, flour and natural yeast is very important, and again can be altered by the pizza chef on the day of preparation, if felt necessary for some particular reason.

At Rossopomodoro - without revealing too many secrets firstly the salt is dissolved into the room temperature water, prior to the yeast also being dissolved into the liquid. Then the flour is added, mixed in and kneaded until a rope-like (corda) texture and elasticity has been achieved, again at the judgement call of the pizza chef who will go by touch.

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Neapolitan pizza

COMMENT Michael Eyre (product director, Jestic, Kent)

Apparently there are over one thousand wood-fired ovens in Naples. I can believe it - there seems to be a wood-fired pizzeria on every corner. Even more amazing is that almost all are baking essentially the same pizza, and all of them are busy.

What do people love about Neapolitan pizza? Well, it's fast, flavourful, and fresh! The quality of the dough, tomatoes and cheese and the intensity of the oven create a slightly charred rustic experience that is hard to beat. But is a woodfired oven a critical element?

Citizens of Naples seem to think so. Cook times average 60 to 90 seconds, with most closer to 60 seconds and this speed equates to around a 750°F floor temperature.

Probably the most important technique of the pizzaiolo is that every pizza is spun 180 degrees and then lifted four to six inches off the oven floor within the last 10 to 15 seconds. This elevates the pizza into the smoky part of the oven dome, creating the potential to influence the flavour profile. This spin and move off the floor is critical to a balanced bake. Left only on the intense heat of the oven floor these pizzas would almost certainly burn before the tops are coloured nicely.

So what does it take to make a memorable pizza Napoletana? For one thing, well cured oak appears to be the pizzaiolo's wood of choice with a combination of 75% oak for coaling and open flame, and 25% sawdust or light wood for fire starting and intense open flame.

At the end of the night a metal door is put in front of the oven opening. The following

After being left to mature, the dough is cut into smaller dough balls and will rise and increase still further prior to being used. Each dough ball weighs approximately

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day the night door comes off, the fly ash is removed, and the fire is started on existing coals with sawdust and small pieces of dry wood. Larger pieces of oak are then added. It takes about 90 minutes to establish a good coal bed and saturate the oven. During busy hours the open flame licks about half way across the dome. Any time the oak fire lags behind, sawdust or small pieces dry light wood are added to maintain the balance of air and floor temperature.

Most fires are located against the left-hand wall of the oven and take up about a third of the oven’s floor space Most ‘stations’ feature three main positions. The pizzaiolo opens the pizza, moves them to the saucing station, after which they're loaded onto a wood peel, released onto the volcano's floor and then removed seconds later. Each and every one of these positions qualifies as artisan, but only the main person carries the pizzaiolo title.

Pizzas are normally built, loaded into the oven and baked in groups of three or four. Pizza one is ready to spin, lift and finish first, then pizza two. As two comes out of the oven pizza four is spun back into position one, three is finished and then number four, all of the pizzas are elevated off the floor for a few seconds. This sequence takes less than two minutes from the time the first pizza hits the oven floor. About this time four more pizzas are ready to bake. The finished pizzas should all look the same with a nice little scorch across 20% to 30% of the bottom, and a beautiful airy outer crust full of tiny bubbles and occasional blisters.

”

250g, with Tonino Magno being so precise in cutting the dough that each one varies very little in weight from the next. The dough must stretch, but not too much,

and when it comes to topping the dough with the first layer of tomato sauce, the pizza is then expertly stretched before being stretched further as the additional toppings (mozzarella and a few leaves of basil) are added when it is put on the paddle ready to be placed into the oven for baking with little delay.

For the UK market, Rossopomodoro use slightly more basil on their pizzas and also add a sprinkling of Parmigiano cheese.

They offer three types of mozzarella – provola (smoked), fior di latte (a lighter version) and buffalo (the original version).

Needless to say, the quality of the mozzarella is also important to the finished pizza with a good mozzarella cheese needing to exhibit a salty exterior that is in balance with a sweeter interior (this is why, traditionally in Naples and Campania, it is usual to cut open a ball of mozzarella rather than slice it – only by doing this can you assess the whole cheese for its required characteristics).

It remains to be seen if such considerations and attention to detail will be fully appreciated in the UK market where Mario Romano feels there is a greater demand for high service levels, whereas in Italy it is always about the quality of the food served (even if the people gathered around a table are not necessarily all served at the same time!).

Tactics they use to educate the UK consumer, includes inviting local people to come and taste the pizza alongside regional wines.

Recruitment Rossopomodoro acknowledge that the recruitment of pizza chefs in the UK presents a challenge, whereas if they recruit from Naples very little extra training is required. They have built a relationship with a Neapolitan pizza school in Italy, and hint that when they are up to speed in the UK, they might well start a similar venture here. In Rome, they also have their own dedicated pizza academy which is really for fully trained and experienced pizzaioli – a place where they can effectively take a masters training course in pizza making and share ideas and opinions.

In the UK, they report that they often interview pizza chefs from

rival chains, but most lack the necessary skills they are really on the look out for. Assuming that they have had experience of using a wood fired oven, some candidates might be invited to work a trial shift and get involved in stretching and making the pizza, but that is no guarantee of future employment. Recently, they had 40 applications for one vacancy and only felt able to interview three or four individuals.

In the event, however, they were not able to take on any of the final few, which just goes to show how specific a skill the business of making ‘real’ pizza really is.

Spectacle There’s no question that when it comes to a bit of showmanship, it is the wood burning oven that brings real theatre to the pizzamaking process. Not only does it reinforce the image of an authentic pizza made to an ageold artisan process, but the oven engages the customers who are eating with their eyes in anticipation before their pizza is even served up.

So how much does the quality of the wood fuel influence the performance of the oven and the results of the pizza? According to Big K Products Ltd (a supplier of restaurant quality wood and charcoal for over 40 years, www.bigk.co.uk), if you want to get greater oven control, higher cooking temperatures (up to 475°C) and a quicker turn-around of food from order to table, it is the moisture levels of the wood that can make a big difference.

“Low moisture woods not only burn at higher temperatures and more efficiently, they also produce less smoke, tar and soot deposits in the flue with less risk of flue fires,” explains Big K sales director Mike Theodorou.

Big K is a major UK producer of kiln dried logs, and say that they offer a specialist log product with the lowest moisture contents available on the market, at below 20%. They are produced at their modern production and warehousing facility in Norfolk and shipped to restaurants throughout the UK. Their woods are also sourced from managed British forests, under the auspices of the Forestry Commission, point out the company.

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Neapolitan pizza

In order to maintain consistency, the company utilises predominantly a single species of hardwood, which is seasoned for around three months before cutting and splitting, and then stored once packed for a further six months to continue the drying process.

“Every batch is checked for moisture levels, and to further decrease the moisture content, the wood is kiln-dried prior to delivery,” adds Mike Theodorou.

“It’s worth the extra effort to us to assure our customers that we can help their wood burning ovens perform to their full potential.”

A family run business that has been supplying restaurant quality charcoal, hardwood logs and other solid fuels for over 40 years, the company specialises in the restaurant market and claims to offer the biggest selection of specialist restaurant grade charcoal available from around the world. In addition to its national distribution centre in Norfolk, the company also operates its own fleet of vehicles from its Tottenham Hale depot in North London, enabling the firm to provide a fast and reliable service that can cater for small drop deliveries as well as full pallet loads.

For many years, Wood Stone

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customers have been using the company’s range of wood fired ovens to make traditional Naples style pizza, and now Wood Stone has introduced a new oven - the Gas Fired Naples Pizza Oven. This new custom gas oven is dedicated to the art of creating the same great Neapolitan pizza, but with the convenience of a gas fuel source that will also suit outlets located in areas where local laws do not always permit the use of wood-fired ovens.

The archway into this gas oven has been lowered to create a lower thermal headspace and includes a cut out groove for the pizzaiolo to finish the pies in the dome, Neapolitan style. The gas flame in this model is moved from the back of the gas oven to the side of the oven to bring the “hot spot” closer to the operator.

Wood Stone has also added BTU’s (British thermal unit calculators) to its latest Gas Fired Naples Pizza Oven. With Neapolitan style pizza requiring the oven to operate at a higher temperature, these additional BTUs make it easier to achieve them, say the firm.

Authentic supplies Italy has a strong tradition of using flour in many food and baking applications. There are weak (up to

170 W), medium (180 to 260 W) and strong (280 to 350 W) versions, the latter two types being invariably used for pizzas and both capable of absorbing more than 50% of their weight in water (the strong flour even more so).

‘W’ is the unit of reading obtained with the Chopin alveograph, or ‘extensimeter’, which measures the flexibility of the dough produced from the flour, by inflating a bubble in a thin, stretched sheet of it until it bursts (the resulting values show the strength of the flour, and thus its suitability for different uses).

This value can be thought of as the ‘baking strength’ of the dough – the higher W value, the stronger the dough. Thus, most good flour companies will carry out regular analysis of their supplies in order to make sure their product can offer the required properties for the application in question.

In response to the steadily increasing demand for pizza Napoletana, as well as Neapolitan style pizzas, it’s not just the Italian flour companies such as Caputo and Agugiaro & Figna (the company behind the Le 5 Stagioni brand) who are now actively targeting the UK with their products.

More and more UK-based companies such as Leathams, Donatantonio and Carnevale (who supply Rossopomodoro in the UK) to name but a few are now offering their customers a comprehensive range of high quality ingredients to help operators deliver an authentic product when it comes to the toppings for this type of pizza.

Giuseppe Pollara, the director of J&G Italian Foods, has worked closely with Rossopomodoro restaurants from the outset here in the UK by helping to import and distribute some of their superior quality food ingredients, the likes of which include fresh buffalo mozzarella flown in from Caserta, durum pasta from Gragnano, friarielli (broccoli tips from the Naples region), limoncello from Sorrento, buffalo ricotta and smoked cacciocavolo Irpino.

Donatantonio have been working with consultant chef, Lee Purcell, to develop a small, but more cohesive range of

ingredients that are ideal for putting on pizzas, and that will be showcased on a new web site to go live shortly. The company also point out that as they have an office near Naples, they are ideally placed to source the right type of ingredients from the Campania region. As a matter of routine, they always place great emphasis on their suppliers meeting their strict technical standards in terms of maintaining quality of supply for a growing customer supply base that includes chains such as PizzaExpress.

The growing of wheat in the fertile area provided by Vesuvius, coupled with the humidity and drying conditions facilitated by the geography of the lie of the land around there, has also long been utilised in high quality pasta production in the Campania area, which is why so many of Italy’s oldest artisan pasta producers can be found there too.

Garofalo pasta (www.pastagarofalo.it), for example, which is currently available through Ocado and also to foodservice, is created from only the finest durum wheat in Gragnano, a place which lies in the shadows of the ruins of Pompeii, and where Garofalo has been making pasta for more than 300 years, combining the art and skill of traditional Neapolitan pasta making with more modern technology to still create artisan style pastas.

The golden rule for cooking pasta properly, say the company, is to use one litre of water for every 100 g of pasta. Do not bother adding any oil - it has better uses to prevent pasta from sticking (it is the quantity of water and regular stirring that will ensure that the pasta does not stick).

June 2012

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celebrating 25 years

Congratulations to Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Magazine on reaching its 150th issue.

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celebrating 25 years A Good Crust. Great Retention. A Strong Base.

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ice cream

Ice cream New flavours of ice cream continue to be launched, but with new launches of easy to use ice cream making machinery to suit busy outlets you can be just as creative when it comes to making your own.

Trends and tactics “Few things are more appealing than delicious freshly made ice cream – in fact, the ice cream industry has fared well in the recession, which shows that consumers not only like to treat themselves to good quality product but are prepared to pay a little more for it too,” says Gary Ingram, sales director at Carpigiani UK Ltd. “When it comes to ice cream, producing it is one thing – knowing how to create a mouthwatering display is essential to sales, and an attractive display of your ice cream offering is a must if you want to entice customers and ensure purchase. Ice cream sells itself providing customers can see it, and a highly visual display of pan after pan of product will help generate sales as customers will be encouraged to spend more when they see what is on offer.

“Summer is obviously a popular time for people to consume ice cream, however there are many ways to secure ice cream sales throughout the year. Reflect seasonal changes in your ice cream offering by discovering the availability of locally sourced ingredients, particularly if this is something your establishment prides itself on using. The provenance of the produce being used is something which can make all the difference to where customers choose to dine, or to whichever items they choose to order off the menu. Carefully planned offerings can include refreshing berry sorbets and deliciously fruity ice creams during summer.”

It is also important to remember that there are two main types of ice cream production, point out Carpigiani UK – artisan and soft serve. Soft serve ice cream can be served straight from the machine as a delicious sundae or cone, or as an accompaniment to traditional puddings, and makes a pleasant change to bought-in tubs.

“In Europe, Italy especially, the introduction of ‘soft serve ice cream bars’ has started to emerge. This trend - an extension of the traditional artisan gelatarias which are famous on the continent - sees soft serve machines situated side by side to offer customers a choice of soft serve ice cream, sorbets and frozen yoghurts in a variety of flavours,” explains Gary Ingram.

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“Much like a coffee shop concept, these ‘bars’ present a great opportunity for people to come and relax and socialise or to enjoy product on-the-go, and are very much something that we expect to see taking off in the UK – albeit on a smaller scale. Apart from the large array of flavours usually associated with a scooping display cabinet, a fundamental point of difference is the true artisan product on offer within these soft bars, say Carpigiani.

“Such ice cream mixes can be prepared using fresh ingredients on-site with Carpigiani mix treatment and pasteurisation equipment in just the same way as you would expect in a traditional gelateria,” Gary Ingram continues.

“The result is a unique and supremely smooth soft ice cream that bursts with flavour and freshness, and banishes the misconception that soft ice cream has to be in some way an inferior quality product to scooped ice cream.

The introduction of our new Magica and EVD machines will allow operators to easily replicate the offering which has become so well loved by our international counterparts.

“For operators who wish to make their own ice cream, a full range of bespoke flavours can be made – from the weird and wonderful, to varieties which satisfy specific dietary requirements. This can help separate you from your competitors, and mean that you will be in complete control of the recipe. Using good quality ingredients, it is possible to produce an ice cream which is much lower in fat in comparison to industrially manufactured ice cream.”

Using machines like Carpigiani’s new Freeze & Go, for example, allows operators to let their imagination run riot and create exciting new flavours.

“Why not add your favourite fruit or flavouring to developing something really special and unique? By introducing a variety of unusual flavours and traditional ‘old favourites’ to your existing menu, sales can be boosted even further. Offer a choice of flavours or theme your offerings depending on seasonal events – you could even make varieties for customers with special diets, something that is sure to get you the sales over your competition,” suggests Gary Ingram.

The Tonda unit from IFI makes an eye-catching ice cream servery.

Carpigiani say that they can help with recipe formulation and ingredient selection to make a product your customers will want to try again and again. You can also learn more about the art of ice cream production with a visit to the Carpigiani Gelato University – an internationally recognised centre of excellence.

This free, one-day course in Hereford, Reading or Glasgow has been designed and developed to promote and communicate the culture of artisan ice cream to a global audience, and is tailored to suit all levels of expertise, from complete beginners to professional chefs.

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ice cream

The course covers subjects such as market trends, innovation, what is needed for ice cream, ice cream ingredients, and includes practical demonstrations and tastings too. A panel of experts are also on hand to answer specific queries about production, storage, presentation and sales, as well as give advice on health and hygiene regulations.

Traditional versus gourmet “A favourite of many, traditional vanilla always tops the polls when it comes to ice cream flavours. Its versatility means it makes a great accompaniment to an array of desserts, both

hot and cold. Alternatively served as a dessert in its own right, it partners beautifully with a multitude of mouth-watering toppings and sauces drizzled over the top,” says Anthony Wilkinson, marketing manager for Kerry Foodservice.

“Recent trends have seen soft serve ice cream appearing on restaurant menus, a move first made by the global chains which were instrumental in re-igniting consumer enthusiasm for the popular dessert. Caterers can take advantage of this trend by developing signature recipes, adding their own choice of sauces and other toppings for that personal touch. Indulgent chocolate, toffee fudge and caramel regularly appear on top ten flavours lists, with strawberry often the number one fruity choice.”

Kerrymaid Ice Cream Mix is available in 12 one litre tetra packs for ambient storage.

Offering all the flavour and taste of a classic ice cream, both Kerrymaid Ice Cream Mix, and Kerrymaid Cornish Ice Cream Mix are gluten free, contain no hydrogenated fats and are suitable for vegetarians.

In addition to Kerrymaid Ice Cream Mix, Kerry Foodservice also offers the Margetts range of dessert sauces and toppings, allowing operators to offer a tasty and inspiring dessert menu. The full range of flavours features Toffee fudge, Strawberry, Maple Flavoured, Raspberry, Chocolate Flavoured, Coconut, Butterscotch, Lemon, Caramel and Chocolate Fudge (for more information on Kerrymaid and the rest of the Kerry Foodservice portfolio, visit www.kerryfoodservice.co.uk).

Mövenpick Ice Cream have extended their range recently with the launch of two new products – Fior di Latte Ice Cream and Apricot Sorbet.

Fior di Latte is a 51% whole milk ice-cream.

Made with whole Swiss milk – famous worldwide for its excellence – Fior di Latte is an ideal base for gourmet desserts, point out the company, giving chefs the flexibility to add a range of flavours and ingredients.

Its smooth, creamy texture and subtle flavour not only delivers a mouth-melting gourmet experience, but also makes it ideal for chefs looking for an ice cream that will work with a variety of dishes, such as a chocolate tart or even an indulgent after dinner hot chocolate drink.

“Swiss milk is renowned for its unique creaminess and the subtle taste of Fior di Latte gives chefs the freedom to create new combinations of ingredients and flavours,” says Julia Jones, head of customer marketing for Mövenpick Ice Cream.

Mövenpick has also launched the eighth addition to its line of light, refreshing, 99% fatfree sorbets with Apricot, a combination of velvety apricot sorbet and sun-ripened Bergeron apricot pieces from France. The high fruit content (40%) and intense flavour of Bergeron apricots lends this luxurious sorbet its distinctive saffron colour, velvet texture and juicy taste, a good complement to fresh red fruit with a hint of honey or as part of a

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ice cream delicious fruit smoothie, suggest Mövenpick.

“With the summer months approaching, refreshing fruit-flavoured desserts really come into their own and sorbets make an appealing option for those looking for a light afterdinner option,” adds Julia Jones.

Like all Mövenpick products, Fior di Latte Ice Cream and Apricot Sorbet are free from artificial additives, flavourings and colours and are suitable for vegetarians. Both products are available in 2.4 litre tubs from wholesalers nationwide (for a free copy of the recipe booklets for these latest range additions, call 01483 205500 or email enquiries.moevenpick@uk.nestle.com).

The luxury ice cream brand, Häagen-Dazs, has introduced Secret Sensations, its biggest product innovation in recent years. It features a new patented technology which creates a liquid centre of gooey sauce, enveloped by luxurious Häagen-Dazs ice cream. The launch, in January this year, was supported by a £1.6 million marketing campaign including TV advertising, digital activity, an in-store support programme, consumer sampling and PR. The Secret Sensations range comes in two indulgent new flavours - Chocolat Fondant (chocolate ice cream with small and soft brownie pieces and a rich chocolate sauce centre) and Crème Brûlée (a crème brûlée ice cream with small and crunchy caramel pieces and a smooth caramel sauce centre). The range is available in the 100ml tubs as a twinpack or individual units for impulse purchase, in both flavours.

Secret Sensations was developed to capitalise on the ‘indulgent treat’ moments that more and more consumers are seeking as they opt to stay in rather than eating out during the financial downturn. Ice cream is currently the third (Usage & Attitude Study Added Value) largest category for in-home indulgence, after chocolate and chilled desserts and Secret Sensations, with its ‘heart’ of sauce and popular new flavours, helps ice cream rival these categories for such occasions.

Ed Culf, Marketing Director at Häagen-Dazs, commented: “Häagen-Dazs Secret Sensations is a huge innovation. The patented technology which gives Secret Sensations its innovative ‘heart’ of sauce alongside two new and exciting flavours, creates real excitement and buzz amongst consumers. The range will help ensure Häagen-Dazs is chosen by consumers as an indulgence or dessert for special ‘treat’ moments, in addition to the traditional ice cream consumption occasions.”

Hampshire based New Forest Ice Cream has launched another interesting flavour to add to their rapidly expanding range. The real Liquorice infused ice cream base has been further enhanced with a thick liquorice ripple to give that added hit. Part of the company’s Continental range, the ice cream is made without the need for eggs, and is both suitable for vegetarians, and is completely

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gluten free, say the firm.

Christina Veal, director at New Forest Ice Cream believes that liquorice could possibly be the next big flavour in the kitchen.“From a chef’s point of view, liquorice is a flavour that accompanies a variety of foods. From chocolate torte to citrus cheesecake, vanilla panna cotta to tiramisu, liquorice can either be used as a complementing or a contrasting taste. Furthermore it is delicious on its own either as part of a cone or coupe,” she says.

Liquorice is just one of 18 varieties in the New Forest real Continental range, with a further 20 flavours available in their Real Dairy Ice Cream Range (for further information call 01590 647611, or visit www.newforesticecream.com).

Gelo Bar is a new concept which is aiming to bring the highest quality, freshly prepared, Italian-style gelato to the UK's leisure customers.

Gelato is an artisan ice cream created using fresh and authentic ingredients, home made with care and passion to deliver the creamiest textures and most mouth watering flavours.

The main differences from a normal industrial ice cream are that gelato contains no preservatives. It also has a lower fat content compared with a premium industrial ice cream and contains on average 50% to 60% less fat.

Gelo Bar gelato has approximately 6% to 10% fat, while an industrial ice cream contains 14% to 24% fat. The lower fat content is good for two reasons, firstly it is healthier and secondly, the lower the fat content the fuller the flavour of the ice cream, say the company.

Gelato is also held at a higher temperature

compared to industrial ice cream, helping to create a velvety texture.

Featuring inviting kiosks designed specifically for the needs of the indoor leisure industry, they have highly visual displays with striking branding to help add real value for leisure businesses and their customers by offering a simple to prepare and premium product range to complement any existing food offerings, at an affordable price point.

Gelo Bar started life as Bella Gelato over three years ago, serving a variety of handmade gelato and fresh fruit sorbets. The management team led by David Devaney has over 18 years experience working within the restaurant and leisure industries.

"Over the last three years, our team has developed a winning formula of delivering high quality food and service to give customers a unique and memorable experience,” says David Devaney (dave@ddleisuresolutions.co.uk).

“We've learned from those customers along the way, developing more than 125 gelato recipes, all using authentic Italian produce and finest, locally-sourced ingredients to get people talking and returning for more. Now is the right time to roll out the service to more customers by partnering with leisure venues that wish to offer their customers the best possible experience."

Gelo Bar says that it is aiming to improve the quality and customer perceptions about food standards within the leisure sector. Fresh gelato is not generally available and in some cases, customers will have never experienced the authentic taste of fresh gelato.

(picture credit: Barbara Watson)

(picture credit: Barbara Watson)

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ice cream Ice cream making equipment ChefTools - sole UK importer of the iconic Pacojet food processing system - has now launched two attractive new packages which it believes will more closely match the differing requirements of individual chefs. The new packages are called Standard, and Restaurant System.

In recent years, the Pacojet has become recognised as an indispensible piece of kitchen equipment, widely praised for producing desserts and savoury food stuffs with sublime texture, true colour and intense flavour. It is labour-saving, minimises waste and produces dishes to a standard manual processing cannot. Widely praised for its ice cream and sorbets, the Pacojet is also perfect for making mousses, pâtés, farces and concentrates for soups and stocks, say its manufacturers.

The Standard package (PJ14000) includes a Pacojet machine and two Pacotising beakers.

This is ideal as an ‘add-on’ machine for kitchens that already have a Pacojet machine and wish to extend the use to another area, say ChefTools ( the cost is £2535 + VAT).

The Restaurant System (PJ14000RS) is perfect for new users and kitchens adopting the Pacojet system for the first time and includes everything a chef needs to start Pacotising – a Pacojet machine, a total of 18 Pacotising beakers and a gold blade (the cost is £2959 + VAT, representing a saving of £143 if the accessories were to be purchased separately).

Speaking about the two options, ChefTools director, Graham Bagnall, says: “We have tailored the packages to what chefs are asking us for. New users will want the full Restaurant System, but those looking to add another Pacojet, perhaps for savoury dishes, will want nothing more than the machine itself. Now the choice is in the hands of the individual chef.”

From left to right, the Magica, Freeze & Go and EVD machines from Carpigiani.

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For further information about Pacojet which can be used to make ice cream, visit www.cheftools.co.uk.

Carpigiani’s 191 Magica soft serve ice cream machine is an independent, freestanding piece of equipment which is suitable for use in a wide range of different locations, feel the company, including selfservice, making it perfect for busy outlets where food isn’t necessarily available throughout the day.

The innovative Magica machine can produce different ice cream flavours and incorporates a number of key design features, such as a plastic tank lid to prevent any loss of temperature and to improve the preservation of the ice cream mix in the upper refrigerated tank. The lid can also be locked to ensure that only the operator of the machine manages the mix, thus reducing the possibility of any contamination of the ice cream.

There is a gear pump to pressurise the mix with air and feed the production cylinder

for a smoother, creamier ice cream, and there is a mixer within the tank to churn the ice cream mix continuously, keeping the mix fluid to ensure a smooth end-product. A selfscraping beater ensures the perfect scraping of the production cylinder and the freezing of every type of ice cream. A full cycle pasteurisation system that sanitises the mix and all parts in contact with the ice cream helps ensure consistent product.

Simple to use, the Magica gives step-bystep operating instructions to users via an easy to read instruction panel which shows users a graphic representation of the four simple steps to dispensing their own ice cream (inserting a token, placing a cup under the machine, selecting the flavour for the gelato to be dispensed in a few seconds before removing the cup).

Carpigiani’s new Freeze & Go machine can help enhance menus and boost profits with the introduction of homemade ice creams and sorbets. With a compact footprint – the machine is just 260mm (w) x 530mm (d) x 530mm (h) with a net weight of 30kg – Freeze & Go is spacesaving, countertop model suitable for use by caterers with even the most limited amount of kitchen space.

Ideal for busy outlets, Freeze & Go allows for the quick provision of premium quality ice creams and sorbets in just five minutes by any member of staff, no matter what their skill set, claim the company. Users simply follow three simple steps – pour the chilled mix into the machine’s cylinder, start the machine to begin the freezing process and listen for the ‘beep’ to know that the product is ready.

With a 5kg hourly production cycle, additional cylinders are also available – perfect for operators looking to present customers with a choice of flavours, and which means there can be a flavour to suit all tastes which can ultimately contribute towards encouraging repeat visits (www.carpigiani.co.uk).

Another option is Carpigiani’s new Ergonomic Versatile Dynamic (EVD) soft serve range which features a unique movable dispensing head and low noise refrigeration in a space-optimising floor standing unit.

The EVD range consists of two models –

June 2012

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ice cream EVD 1 for single flavours, and EVD 3 for double flavours. Both models are ideal for self service and for outlets where quick and easy deserts are a popular choice, suggest the company.

EVD 3, the larger of the two models, allows for two flavours to be served, either separately or a mixture of both – perfect for standard cone ice creams or for impressive ice cream-based cakes and deserts. The machine itself incorporates a number of key design features, including an ‘empty’ hopper alarm to warn users when only 0.2litres of mix remains, and a touchpad control panel at eye level to allow for the speedy selection of programmes. A promotional panel allows for customer personalisation such as promotional images and messages and there is a convenient large worktop with room for bowls, trays, toppings and so on.

The Ugolini Minigel, now available from Jestic, can help make light work of soft ice cream and other profitable frozen and whipped delights, say its creators.

The compact Minigel is just 195mm wide x 480mm deep x 615mm high, taking up hardly any counter space. What it lacks in size, however, it makes up for in performance, tackling everything from ice cream to frozen yogurt, sorbets, milkshakes, slush drinks, smoothies, and even cocktails, all off a 13 amp plug, with no plumbing required.

The tilted bowl is easy to empty and is

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fitted with a defrosting system. The unit also has a safety cut out feature to prevent over freezing, plus a handy clean mode. Other features include a user friendly keyboard, product temperature display, and a large drip tray with an overflow level indicator to avoid spillage. An integral storage area can hold chilled product for up to three days. Branded panels can also be fitted to the Minigel to attract impulse purchase.

The Minigel is expected to pay for itself in just 50 days if 30 portions of ice cream are sold per day, based on a cost per portion of 34 pence, profit per portion of £1.16, and rrp of £1.50 per ice cream. Even five portions sold per day will see a return on the investment in under a year, says Jestic (for further information call 0845 504 8050).

A circular, rotating ice cream servery, such as the the Tonda unit from IFI, is a sure way to attract customers’ attention and achieve high sales. First imported to the UK by catering equipment supplier, New Concept, for one of Glasgow’s oldest Italian restaurants, Coia’s Café, it has recently been installed in the newly refurbished Sant’Angelo restaurant in Wetherby.

As the third generation to run Coia’s Café in Glasgow, Alfredo Coia wanted to make his mark – so he installed a unique servery counter. “It helped us to treble profits,” he says. “We were increasing the size of the premises so we had to go with something

that looked the part. We had never sold ice cream flavours before and we wanted something really attractive.”

The company adapted the unit to suit the venue.

“A lot of places that sell ice cream can’t display it properly, and this solution is certainly unique. Most units are square, so the minute you bring in something circular it’s a real design challenge. We were almost designing the extension around the ice cream servery!” Alfredo Coia added.

“Most displays have standard sized containers but these are all different. It was a bit of a challenge to clean at first, but we’ve overcome that. Customers love it and as far as I know we’re the only place in the UK to have one. I’ve only ever seen another one in Rome.”

In fact, the recently refurbished Sant’ Angelo restaurant in Wetherby has just installed the Tonda as part of its expanded gelateria.

“Ice cream is an under-developed market in the UK. In Italy there are gelaterias everywhere,” says owner, Franco Buono. “We like to offer something produced by us as it’s a better quality for our customers. Our apple pie flavour is very popular and so is mango and Prosecco. We serve 22 flavours and since making it ourselves we are selling more ice cream than cakes in the restaurant.

Customers always want to try new flavours.”

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cibus

Cibus 2012 The 16th international food exhibition – Cibus (www.cibus.it) – took place in Parma, Italy, between the 7 and 10 May in revamped exhibition halls at the Parma Fiere. It featured some 2,300 exhibiting companies and welcomed thousands of international buyers and visitors, as well as trade delegations from around the world, with Pizza Pasta & Italian Food magazine invited to accompany the delegation from the UK. Buoyant sector According to Export Italy Food 2012 (www.exportitaly.net) and Federalimentare figures, while all other manufacturing industries have been ailing since 2008 when the financial crisis hit, the Italian food sector is still consistently on the up (+10.3% in 2011 compared to +10.5% in 2010, having experienced constant growth in the period from 2008 to 2011, and now experiencing a global turnover of some 4 billion euros - up 20% on the figure from the last year before the downturn struck).

Demand for Italian ‘lifestyle products’, it seems, and in particular those connected to the Italian diet, continues to gather momentum worldwide, but more noticeably these days from the so-called BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China). Therefore, although the development of a food export focus has long been a set mission of many Italian companies and trade organisations, it has now arguably been further defined and heightened, as exemplified at international exhibitions such as Cibus - not only in terms of the companies and visitors present, but the nature of its seminar programme and discussion forums which this year promoted their PDO products, as well as initiated discussion on how the country, characterised by many small to medium-sized producers can 34

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better ensure its products meet the strict retail requirements of some overseas buyers.

The organisers of this year’s show reported that the number of overseas buyers looking to book visits had tripled when compared to 2010 with greater visitor participation from leading retailers in the emerging BRIC countries (the Chinese A-Best supermarket and Russian Group X5, for example). At the same time, there was also an increase in the level of interest from established markets, not least the UK, where Italian food continues to enjoy strong appeal.

Italian food showcase Although not on the same scale as Germany’s Anuga or France’s Sial, Cibus is none the less a large and comprehensive exhibition covering seven halls that are all dedicated to showcasing the very best food products Italy has to offer, although you will also see companies from other European countries, and from far further a field, in attendance too.

Health and diet products were also on show in a special section called Planet Nutrition, and new areas of the exhibition included Venditalia Self Expo, MicroMalto (dedicated to micro breweries – and a growing area, apparently), together with Cibus Frozen. The Food Service Lounge, Hall 6 was dedicated to away from home catering

provision and catering services.

If driving there yourself, or attending as part of a very well organised ‘bussed in’ trade delegation, then remember that despite appearing to have a relatively rural location at Parma’s out of town Fiere - and unless you have access to one of the many helicopters flying in and out during the show! - you will still have to negotiate the ample traffic, in turn meaning that it will be unlikely that you will be able to make an appointment first thing. This is a busy trade show that is a regular event in many buyers’ diaries, and it is soon obvious from the lavish stands in all the halls that Cibus is in fact a major focal point, if not a social gathering and annual celebration of Italy’s vibrant food business.

If attending for the first time, then to do justice to this event and take time out to explore and investigate the impressive range of products by engaging with the very many knowledgeable people who are manning stands and representing all of Italy’s regions and its food culture, then you would be advised to dedicate at least two days, but perhaps longer.

There is plenty to see, and so much to learn for any buyer keen to source a new product, or source an alternative supply. By taking up the opportunity to be part of a trade delegation, you will enjoy ‘back up’ in the form of translation assistance,

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cibus

In the Dolce Italia section of Cibus, Dolciaria Luigia (www.dolciarialuigia.com) exhibited its chocolate pasta products which, say the company, are just as good accompanied by ragu or pesto sauces, as they are by sweet options, and so providing creative food for thought.

Italian pasta legend, Giovanni Rana (centre left), who created quite a stir when he visited his company’s stand.

appointment making facilities and a special buyers’ lounge where you can drop in to be fed (assuming that you have not already sampled plenty of food!) and watered between spells of exploring the halls. All of the gathered buyer delegations were also treated to a gala meal held in the impressive surroundings of Parma’s Abbazia Cistercense di Valserena, providing further good networking opportunities across the nationalities attending, as well as serving to practically demonstrate the versatility and potential of numerous Italian ingredients when prepared on the ‘home soil’.

This year, the Cibus web site (www.cibus.it) offered a useful ‘appointment planner’ facility called Catagenda whereby it was possible to list and make appointments in advance, but in reality, it transpired that most buyers from the UK had already planned their meetings well in advance. The UK’s trade delegation included companies such as Donatantonio, Seggiano, The Food Resource, Suma and Clearspring to name but a few. If you do decide to leave your appointments to the last minute, then you could be asked to call by again some time later, only to have already become distracted by yet another all too consuming stand or product.

For Italian speakers, there was

also the possibility to attend various informative seminars and presentations that focused on new international markets, covering a range of topics from how Italian companies can better ensure that their products are ready for export and retail overseas to the increasing importance and value of PDO

(protected designation of origin) certified products. With a hall dedicated to the latter – particularly hams and cheeses from the Emilia Romagna region - there was a noticeable emphasis on such products, and reflecting the gathering trend for authenticity and provenance.

At the same time, it was

Professional chefs were in attendance on many of the stands, including pasta company, Surgital’s.

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cibus equally noticeable that the Italian regions of Sicily and Campania seemed to be enjoying a strong presence and very visible promotion with products from these southern parts enjoying a premium profile that conveyed quality as well as their traditional, artisan heritage.

Sicily did seem to be the region of the moment, not only already laying claim to a fine sweet treats and dessert tradition that is already well known about, but now making inroads with a gathering reputation for good wines and olive oils, and much more besides.

The Campania region - noted for its pizza and pasta-related products - seemed just as keen to educate people more about what this often lesser known area has to offer (tomatoes, flour, pasta and fresh buffalo mozzarella). The pasta company, La Fabbrica della pasta di Gragnano, for example, from the Naples area, exhibited its large pasta shell (or case) concept which can be par-cooked by boiling in water prior to filling it with an assembly of ingredients of the chef’s, or cook’s, own choosing before completing the dish by baking in an oven.

Buffalo mozzarella companies were prevalent too, such as Cantile srl and Anteo Societa Agricolo. According to Italy’s buffalo mozzarella consortium (Il Consorzio di Tutela della Mozzarella di Bufala, www.mozzarelladop.it), the packaging of PDO designated buffalo mozzarella must show the relevant trademark to evidence the fact that the producing company is adhering to the rules, regulations and production standards that help to ensure the continuing quality of this cheese.

There were plenty of new, or improved, products on display too such as Barilla’s ready meals (pasta with Italian recipes that can cook in the microwave in just 90 seconds), Eurovo Eggy instant mousse for desserts and sweet and salted preparations, La Contadina PDO lactose-free mozzarella, gluten-free baked corn balls, Melinda apple bars with chocolate and cereals, Lou Blau blue cheese with vegetable rennet with halal certification

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Freshly baked pizza was also being served up by Green Pizza Bio.

from Fiandino Farms and Pineta mineral water that has eliminated the traditional packaging by replacing it with two PET straps.

Balsamic vinegar company, De Nigris, who export some 80% of their production overseas, put the spotlight on its range of balsamic vinegars which range from 25% to 65% concentrated grape must content (denoted via different coloured eagles on their packaging), to a special aged for three years variant. The company also showcased a new balsamic flavoured ketchup, and had a chef on their strand to help illustrate how balsamic vinegars of different intensities can be used to bring optimal flavour to various dishes (a high density balsamic vinegar, for example, can be best used to complement ice cream, or strawberries, whereas a lower intensity one is better suited to salads and grilled vegetables, advise the company).

Pizza presence Pizza and speciality breads were

very much in evidence at the show. In particular, the Associazione Pizzaiuoli had an active presence with a woodfired oven up and running, manned by skilled pizza chefs, and which enabled them to produce traditional handmade Neapolitan pizzas using authentic ingredients, as specified by the now EUregulated TSG status. Needless to say, come lunchtime, this stand was a very popular place to be with queues of people forming, all eager to sample some freshly made and authentic Neapolitan style pizza.

The Italian pizza franchise concept Green Pizza Bio (www.greenpizza.it) was also at the show with a stand producing freshly baked pizza for visitors to eat. Green Pizza Bio started out in 2003 with the aim of making pizzerias mouldbreaking but typically Italian at the same time, and is a franchise chain of pizzerias using Italian organic product only.

So far, it is present in the North East region of the country,

but is looking to expand elsewhere with sales manager, Nalin Giampaolo, feeling that the concept is sure to appeal to overseas operators too. Indeed, the company say that they already have plans to take their ‘organic only’ pizza concept out of Italy’s borders by promoting the profitable benefits of food quality, sustainability and ethics of their brand elsewhere.

Their point of difference, say the company – who, as a franchise operation, help their franchisees out with raw materials, territory planning, shop design and marketing activities - is in their attention and care in the selection of high quality raw materials. They also deploy a special kneading technique to their dough, which, they claim, is another one of the secrets behind their success. All the products that they use undergo rigorous in-house quality controls in order to guarantee their organic status and, in turn, the exclusive recipe to their franchisees and consumers. The consistency of the pizza produced in question was very thin and very light, but not in any way crispy or crunchy, and was also proving very popular with visitors.

La Pizza +1 showcased its range of ready made line of pizza and bread products, all designed to be quick, tasty and ready to eat, and with the possibility of being supplied via vending machines.

Italian flour companies with stands at the show included Caputo, Molini Pivetti S.p.A. (Passione Pizza brand), Agugiaro & Figna (Le 5 Stagiona brand), Molino Pasini S.p.A. (Farino del Mio Sacco brand) and Molino Dallagiovanna.

In the city of Parma itself, as part of the CibusInCitta (‘Cibus down town’) “fuori salone” event, there was further promotion of traditional Italian foodstuffs by Parma Breadmakers (panificatori Ascom) who set up an open air bread-making station that offered all the smells and tastes you would expect from this long-held Italian tradition. Bread, pizzas, focaccias were on offer, with visitors to the stand also making donations to local charity projects.

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pizza my world

A Pizza My World Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi own two Italian restaurants – one in London’s Marylebone and one in Bray, Berkshire - as well as a state-ofthe-art cookery school, La Cucina Caldesi (also in Marylebone). Born in Tuscany, Giancarlo frequently visits Italy with his family to rediscover his roots and find new inspiration. Famous for their ventures on the BBC’s Return to Tuscany, Katie and Giancarlo have become a 6.30am 6.30am I usually get up around 6.30am, make a cup of tea, and have a shower. Once I’m up, it’s my job to try to wake the children – Georgio (12) and Flavio (10), to get them ready for school. If I’m lucky, I’ll then head back to bed for a cheeky cuddle with my wife, and co-chef, Katie. We’re very lucky to work closely together every day, and we often plan the day together over breakfast. This usually consists of pancakes or toast. Before I get started with work, I take our children to their various bus stops and schools, until finally the working day begins!

8.30am

8.30am In the car on the way to our rustic Italian restaurant in Bray, ‘Caldesi in Campagna’, I usually call my marketing manager, Jim, to discuss the day’s agenda. Once I arrive in Bray, I start with a nice cup of coffee before heading straight to the kitchen, where I might plan a few dishes, experimenting with freshly delivered produce. I always spend time with my chefs in the morning, and inspect any goods that have arrived. Nine times out of ten I lose my temper, as I demand perfection, but this is understood, and we always do our best.

10.30am

10.30am In the mornings, Katie and I hold regular Italian cookery classes at our restaurant in Bray, and also at La Cucina Caldesi, our cookery school in London, so we often alternate between the two. These are hands-on courses for all ages and abilities, and we often get couples or groups in who are celebrating special occasions. We

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have great fun teaching our guests the secrets to cooking fantastic Italian cuisine and often show people how to make pasta from scratch, or encourage them to try authentic Italian produce such as Grana Padano Cheese and Prosciutto di San Daniele – ingredients that can’t be substituted for quality and flavour.

1.00pm

1.00pm After a morning of chopping, roasting, smelling, tasting and sautéing, our guests enjoy a sitdown meal around 1pm, eating the delicious dishes they have made along with a glass of chilled wine. I love it when we get a lively crowd in, as this makes the experience even more enjoyable,

formidable duo with a passion for promoting simple, yet delicious Italian cuisine. As well as juggling their restaurants and cookery schools, Giancarlo actively works as a brand ambassador for products he is passionate about, and is currently supporting a PDO campaign for Grana Padano Cheese and Prosciutto di San Daniele, which aims to promote authentic high quality Italian produce. and we tuck in to the feast. In moments of calm throughout the day, I will always call the restaurants to check that all is well.

I know by listening to the sounds in the background – the murmur of the diners – whether everything is going to plan.

dishes which feature Grana Padano Cheese and Prosciutto di San Daniele. When developing recipes, I have to think outside the box to create new combinations and flavours, which is usually instinctive, but also trial and error, and Katie and our chefs will help provide ideas and feedback.

3.00pm

3.00pm Once the guests have gone home, I collect the kids from school. At the moment we are building a LEGO fortress together, and I chat to the children about their day.

Quite often I will do more work in the afternoon – this might be learning lines for an advertorial, or creating new recipes for brands.

This afternoon I am developing recipes including salads and pasta

pm

4.00 4.00pm Sometimes in the afternoon I am asked to hold media events for journalists. At these events I try to convey what I feel passionately about. For a PDO event for Grana Padano Cheese and San Daniele, I was pleased to discuss the special qualities and characteristics of these premium Italian products, describing their flavour and rich history. These products are particularly interesting to me as they are inseparable from the landscape, people and culture where they are produced.

6.00pm

6.00pm After the guests have gone home with new knowledge, I head back to Caffè Caldesi in London to look at the restaurant takings, talk to the diners, and make any decisions for the rest of the week.

There are always decisions to be made and never a dull moment, but it is a privilege to spend my days doing something I love, serving and talking about food that is cooked by Italians, served

by Italians and loved by everyone.

10.30pm

10.30pm I usually get home quite late in the evening and relax by watching a spot of TV, before heading to bed around 1am for a well-deserved sleep. With Katie by my side, I know we will have another actionpacked day tomorrow!

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the olympics In preparation for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, as well as the Olympic Games, the packaging manufacturer, Huhtamaki, has developed an exclusive, limited edition print run for some of its most popular foodservice disposables called Celebration2012, and featuring designs capturing key sporting events as well as a selection of iconic London landmarks.

gold Going for

Unless you’ve been under a rock, then it’s likely that you are already more than aware that the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games are imminent! During this busy time, operators across the UK will need to be prepared for the influx of non-English speaking spectators, as well as other challenges and promotional opportunities.

Marketing your message The Olympic Games will run from July 27 to August 12, and the Paralympic Games are scheduled for August 29 to September 9. In order to cater for the predicted flurry of visitors both in and outside of London, and turn the inflow of visitors to your advantage, there are a number of things for outlets to consider.

You may have the best restaurant, customer service and serve the most delicious food in the world but with many other good quality restaurants all fighting for their share of customers you need to set yourself apart to ensure visitors want to grace your doors.

As VisitBritain predicts nearly 900,000 fans could arrive for the London Olympics - not all of whom will be English-speaking – you will need to make sure your outlet shines. It’s therefore highly important to make sure that non-English speaking visitors are aware of what your outlet has to offer, and so if your marketing or information messages are in multiple languages then your business will stand out from the crowd and your business will benefit, suggest translators, Prestige Network (who cover 200 languages and work with over 5,000 linguists in the UK, www.prestigenetwork.com).

After a day at the games many visitors will be looking to unwind with a cold drink or

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coffee and a bite to eat. Once again, if your menus and blackboards are in multiple languages your business will benefit as visitors will feel relaxed, happy that you’ve catered for their needs and safe in the knowledge that they know what they are ordering.

The Olympics can also be used as a great tool in marketing your restaurant. As a result, many businesses are already using it to show their support and how now is a time to be proud. Therefore, you may want to consider special Olympic offers and discounts to entice people into your restaurant. Communicating your marketing literature such as brochures, leaflets and web sites in lots of languages shows your company welcomes visitors even though you’re proud to be British.

Transport action plan The influx of tourists, athletes, officials, sponsors and international media offers a massive potential source of business (research has suggested that the UK is set to benefit from a £750 million consumer spending boost in the seven-week Olympic games period).

Although this is great news for outlets, this will cause a massive surge in traffic so, particularly for London-based businesses, and those near Olympic venues, it’s important to

make sure that you have put an action plan in place to ensure that your staff, suppliers and visitors can get to you without any major problems. Therefore, it’s well worth looking into if deliveries and collections will be affected due to congestion to make sure you get your vital supplies and ingredients on time.

London-based outlets in particular should also be aware of the heave of traffic and the planning restrictions of the Olympic Route Network – a system designed to get athletes, officials, VIPs, sponsors and media to events on time. The Olympic Route Network will have a direct impact on some retailers. It’s therefore highly important to ensure they have considered this impact if staff, deliveries and possible visitors are to reach their premises.

Popular tube and bus stations may also be busier than usual. So looking into alternative routes to your business, and advising potential visitors to your restaurant about other ways of reaching you so they can avoid the crowds, could be a good idea.

If you are worried about how potential problems with deliveries and transport will affect you Transport for London (TFL) are offering free face-to-face support to restaurants, retailers and bars about deliveries and how staff will get around during the games.

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the olympics

The Food Storage and Distribution Federation (FSDF) is set to continue supporting logistics service providers who will be affected by the Olympic Route Network closures and restrictions during the London 2012 Olympic Games.

“With less than 60 days to go until the Games begin, we hope that companies are already in the process of making sure that they have addressed their organisations ability to remain effective and profitable during the Olympics and Paralympics,” commented Chris Sturman, FSDF’s CEO. The FSDF recently concluded a programme of Olympics Planning Workshops, which have helped to ensure that the Federation’s members are able to satisfy their customers requirements and maintain food supplies to businesses and consumers in London during this busy period. The workshops also provided practical advice on how to manage their businesses through the disruption and congestion that is forecast in London between July and mid-September.

Working with Transport for London (TFL), the FSDF developed a programme of events which began in early January. During these events, Dave Silvey of TFL examined in detail the Olympic and Paralympic Route Networks (ORN/PRN). He reviewed the restrictions that will be applied to traffic -other than that which relates to the Olympic Family - and provided detailed information on how best to keep operations running whilst the Games are happening in and around London.

Due to the success of this programme, TFL has recently announced that additional workshops have been scheduled with the first taking place on 30th May in London.

Commenting on the decision Chris Sturman

www.papa.org.uk

said:“We are delighted to have been asked to support TFL on a further five Olympic Planning Workshops. Freight and delivery operations must run smoothly during the Olympic and Paralympic periods if consumers demands are to be met, so it is good to see that the importance of this has been recognised.

“Since the previous set of workshops, the London Council’s concluded that the deliveries will need to be made out of hours in order to reduce traffic congestion. This new opportunity to deliver within Central London during the night time hours with all sizes of vehicles is crucial in this regard, whilst of course ensuring adherence to the Quiet Delivery code of practice. The option to also to park vehicles away from their usual operating centre without change to Operators Licences, and the Fast Track O- Licence variation scheme (as discussed

by Sarah Bell, SW Traffic Commissioner, at the recent Motor Transport Conference), will also provide much welcomed flexibility to respond efficiently to demands during the Olympic period.”

Additional workshops are scheduled for 6th, 11th, 20th and 26th June at 71 High Holborn, WC1V 6QS. There will be a morning and afternoon session at the times of 9.30am12.30pm and 1.30pm – 4.30pm (if you have any questions or concerns about the upcoming Olympic Route Network closures and restrictions, or if you require any further information about the upcoming workshops, call Chris Sturman on 01189 884468 or email chris.sturman@fsdf.org.uk).

Exploring staffing options It’s highly likely too that during the games some staff will be looking into taking annual leave, or there will be higher levels of absences.

For smaller companies this may mean a dent to productivity. It is therefore important to ensure that you’ve considered annual leave requests fully and that your staff are fully briefed about what’s expected of them during this period (it may be that you already have staff who can speak more than one language, for example).

Talk to your staff and find out if they have any language skills they can utilise and ensure these staff members are due to work during the busier periods. This will make sure that visitors feel welcome and are therefore more likely to return.

As you are likely to be busier than usual, don’t forget to make sure that you have enough staff to hand. If you feel you don’t have enough staff during busier periods, it may be worth employing temporary staff to ensure you are covered and to make sure you can still deliver an excellent standard of customer service. Many catering agencies are now looking to take on staff so they can make sure there will be enough qualified people on hand.

At the same time, ignorance of recruitment legislation could put the industry at risk in the run up to, and during, the Games due to noncompliance with Agency Worker Regulations, warns recruitment company, Goldteam (www.goldteam.co.uk).

As hospitality operators plan to employ thousands of temporary staff to cope with an Olympic summer, Rafiq Chohan, managing director of recruitment specialist Goldteam, warns that ignorance of recruitment legislation could land employers in hot water.

“Employers are naturally looking to boost their teams with temporary labour to cope with what’s set to be a bumper summer for the UK. However, unwitting employers are putting themselves at risk of tribunal claims, negative PR and penalties for non-compliance with regulations – in particular the new Agency Worker Regulations (AWR) that came in to force in October,” says Rafiq Chohan.

AWR gives temporary employees the same rights as permanent staff after 12 weeks of work in the same role, with the same employer, and in some cases increased employment rights from day one. The regulation covers everything from pay, rest periods and night work policies to annual leave, and gives additional rights to pregnant temporary workers, and Goldteam is concerned that the industry does not know enough about the legislation and is not taking the necessary precautions to protect themselves.

“With non-compliance resulting in hefty fines it’s vital for hospitality operators to adhere to the regulation, but one of the questions we’re regularly asked is how to comply and how to manage AWR? And some organisations aren’t even aware of the regulation,” adds Rafiq Chohan.

“That’s why we have devised a software tool called itemps which makes it easy for employers to comply with the regulation,

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the olympics saving them time and money. Designed to meet the unique challenges of the temporary labour market, the online system keeps track of the qualifying periods for each employee.”

The software enables employers to see how many weeks an employee has worked, and when their status is due to change. When they’ve reached their 12-week qualifying period, itemps automatically updates their status and adjusts their pay so employers don’t have to.

Equipment supply “The Olympics has created increased investment in new catering equipment to meet anticipated demand,” reports Keith Warren, director of CESA (the Catering Equipment Suppliers Association, www.cesa.org.uk).“As the Games get nearer, the problem will be availability, and if caterers wait too long they are likely to find that many popular models are in short supply – not just major equipment like prime cooking, refrigeration and warewashing equipment, but also small items such as tableware and utensils.

“Buyers need an Olympic work out – that is, they need to work out what they want in good time. Although manufacturers are making contingency plans to increase production, several CESA members have said that if demand continues to rise as they anticipate, they may struggle to supply late orders in time for the Games.”

It may also be doubly difficult for caterers located in and around Olympic sites, whose deliveries could be disrupted due to route alterations, security demands and traffic controls. Rising sales are good news for equipment suppliers, but the prospect of letting down customers is a genuine concern.

“Buyers will be used to getting orders delivered within a certain time frame. They’re going to need to make allowances for the extra demand, or risk not getting the equipment in time,” warns Keith Warren.

Hubbard Ice Systems, for example, has already been urging its hospitality customers to plan ahead for a hectic summer of public holidays, national celebrations and sporting events of Olympic proportions.

Hubbard Ice Systems’ Chris Davis says that anyone looking to replace or service an ice machine during the lead up to and the running of the Olympics and the Paralympics, may find that normal services are limited as a result of travel and security restrictions.“Already we are experiencing a significant upturn in business ahead of the games, especially within the south east of England, where major pub chains are already preparing the ground with planned maintenance and the installation of multiple ice making machines throughout their estate,” he explains.

Chris Davis also points out that holidaymakers will be offered discounts on UK breaks in a major tourism drive aimed at cashing in on the Olympic year, with the

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government unveiling a ‘staycation’ campaign that will see tourism companies slash 20.12% off bills (tourists will be able to take advantage of the discount by using a dedicated web site before the end of the Paralympics on September 9 to make bookings for this year and 2013).

Government officials say more than three million hotel rooms are already lined up under this project which is being backed by a range of companies including Butlins, the London Eye and Alton Towers.

The additional public holiday associated with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations is also set to put pressure on hospitality outlets, and servicing agents will be hard pressed in and around Olympic venues in the lead up to and during the games with transport restrictions having an effect on their ability to hit fast turnaround targets.

Chris Davis concludes:“Even though we will all try our best to look after our long-term customers, it would be wise if anyone identifying a potential shortfall in their ice making capacity addressed the problem sooner rather than later by considering early maintenance.”

Well presented Denny’s Uniforms, a UK professional catering and corporate wear supplier, say that they have prepared for the Olympics by ensuring that an extra 50,000 of their most popular aprons are ready on the shelf, but are already relied upon for offering a wide stock and depth of range.

In addition, as a direct result of this summer’s Olympics, Denny’s Uniforms report that they have received unprecedented demand for banqueting wear and waiters’ gloves. Indeed, a leading contract caterer has placed an order for 15,000 black cotton serving gloves from Denny’s, say the company, with the client choosing the serving gloves because they look smart and have rubber grips to guard against slips and trips, an important consideration

when working in a busy environment.

“There has been an increase in the number of luxury venues, hotels and restaurants placing orders for front of house tailored wear as well as banqueting uniform and matching gloves,” says Nick Jubert, managing director at Denny’s Uniforms.

“Nehru jackets in black are proving to be slightly more popular than the traditional white, partly due to changing fashion trends which are also influencing chefs wear too. However, we feel that the uplift in sales of front of house and banqueting uniform is mainly due to increased numbers of black tie events being held this summer.

“Caterers, hoteliers and restaurateurs generally understand that first impressions count. Your staff represent your brand image and, as a result, they make a big impact on the overall customer experience. Uniform needs to be smart and reliable, especially when worn in front of VIPs and visitors from around the world!”

Food safety focus As part of an FSA (Food Standards Agency) campaign to ensure all food sold, cooked and eaten during London 2012 is safe, a Food Safety Squad has been launched and is now in operation.

The FSA has been leading work with a squad of environmental health officers to increase the focus on food safety in the run up to and during London 2012, with extra hygiene inspections of food outlets aiming to ensure that all food sold, cooked and eaten during the Games is safe.

The Food Safety Squad, comprising 10 members, is representing the many hundreds of environmental health officers across the UK also carrying out additional hygiene and safety inspections on food businesses in preparation for the Games. Working in towns and cities hosting Olympic or Paralympic events, or Live sites (venues with big screens where events will be shown live), the Squad will be giving the inside track and showcasing the vital work they are doing to keep visitors to the Games safe and healthy (as part of the FSA’s Play It Safe campaign, the aim is to raise awareness of food safety among businesses and visitors before and during London 2012).

The focus of the campaign is on areas that are likely to experience a big influx of visitors, and on the expected increased number of outlets selling food during the Games period.

Food businesses that do not make the grade on inspections will be given one to one training to ensure they are aware of, and follow, food hygiene regulations an tough enforcement action will follow where public health is put at risk.

“London 2012 is about celebrating everything that the UK has to offer and food is an important part of this,” says Sarah Appleby, head of enforcement and local authority delivery at the Food Standards Agency.

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the olympics “We have so much fantastic food to showcase to Games visitors, and we want food business owners to ensure that everything they sell is the best it can be. It will be an exceptionally busy time for a lot of these businesses, and the FSA is providing extra support and advice to make sure they are well prepared to meet the challenge.”

The Food Safety Squad and Play It Safe awareness campaign is operating alongside a variety of FSA measures to minimise the risk of food safety incidents occurring during London 2012. These include a food safety coaching programme for small businesses in Olympic areas that are in need of improvement, funding and training initiatives for local authorities in Olympic areas, as well as providing extra equipment for sampling and checks on cleaning for enforcement officers working on the ground in Olympic areas (the FSA is also working closely with LOCOG’s (the Games organising committee) contract caterers within Olympic venues, and helping with sampling and checks on the food supply chain.

Ben Milligan, an environmental health officer from LB Tower Hamlets, adds: "From my regular conversations with food businesses around East London I know the Games are seen as a real opportunity in terms of business and profits. At the same time, having to serve more people than normal can create situations that don’t arise under normal circumstances, such as the need to produce and store lots of food in advance. I’m pleased to be part of the Food Safety Squad and am looking forward to working with my colleagues to provide the support these businesses need during the Olympic Games.”

Further information for food businesses is available at www.food.gov.uk/olympics, and through a dedicated twitter feed (@playitsafefood).

Promotional brands With the London 2012 Games arguably being the biggest event in our lifetime, as well as a financial opportunity that is unlike anything many businesses will have dealt with before, it’s vital that operators do not miss out on the promotional opportunity.

Cadbury-branded products and initiatives, for example, have already been helping operators to maximise the opportunity with operators up and down the UK getting involved.

The Olympic and Paralympic Games are not just confined to London. Events are happening all over the UK, point out the company, such as their own local community-focused Cadbury Spots v Stripes activities (visit www.spotsvstripes.com for more information).

To help operators build connections with their local Cadbury Spots v Stripes community, a practical guide for outlets is also available online at www.spotsvstripes.co.uk/community.

By stocking up early and placing products in eye-catching, promotional confectionery

www.papa.org.uk

In the spotlight – the FSA is working with environmental health inspectors to keep tabs on outlets, as well as offer advice where needed.

Pali Grewal sets a new world record!

Pali Grewal, a Domino’s Pizza franchisee from Surrey, has once again been crowned the World’s Fastest Pizza Maker.

The reigning champion, Pali retained the prestigious title in the biennial competition held in Las Vegas on 16 May 2012 by beating off stiff competition from across the globe to make three large pizzas in an impressive 43.9 seconds. That’s making three pizzas in around 14 seconds each!

The competition marked the 30th anniversary of World’s Fastest Pizza maker, which Domino’s began in 1982 to honour pizza makers who best exemplify the company’s philosophy of keeping efficiency in the store to allow sufficient time for safe, timely pizza delivery. Pali was awarded the trophy and coveted title of World’s Fastest Pizza Maker 2012 by Domino’s President and CEO, J. Patrick Doyle.

Pali Grewal, World’s Fastest Pizza Maker, said:“I am elated to have retained the World’s Fastest Pizza Maker. The more you put into the competition, the more you get out. I like to train hard and fight easy – and having won it for the first time in 2010, I had no intention of letting the title go. To win again in the 30th year of the competition too is a great honour. It was a tough final with some amazing competitors from across the world but I’m so pleased to be returning home to the UK with the trophy safely in my suitcase once more.”

The finalists represented Domino’s Pizza stores from around the world, as far

away as Malaysia. They had to hand-stretch fresh dough, pizza sauce and top three large pizzas – one pepperoni, one mushroom and one cheese – as quickly as possible. While speed was important, it was only part of the recipe. Quality was scrutinised as two judges highly qualified in Domino’s standard pizza-making practices, inspected the stretching of the dough, application of the sauce and portioning of toppings during the competition. If the pizza was not perfect, it was returned to the competitor who remade the entire pizza, while still being timed.

“Domino’s Pizza is extremely proud to employ the fastest pizza makers in the world,” said J. Patrick Doyle, Domino’s President and CEO.“Our emphasis is on the quality of the pizza, while also using our expertise to get them made quickly. The goal for everyone in our stores is to get hot, great-tasting pizzas to customers’ doors as quickly as possible. The annual ‘World’s Fastest Pizza Maker’ competition recognises those who do this with the speed of champions every day.”

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the olympics displays (visit www.deliciousdisplay.co.uk for more information), food businesses can also take advantage of Cadbury’s latest new product development and their confectionery promotions. London 2012 inspired Cadbury confectionery display materials and official licensed products are being made available to help not just boost confectionery sales, but also convey support for Team GB. Coca-Cola Enterprises Ltd (CCE) has unveiled a second series of limited edition ‘Coke’ glass 330ml bottle designs to celebrate the arrival of the world’s biggest sporting event in the UK. Available to customers from this month, the latest Coca-Cola Olympic Sports Collectible designs celebrate the partnership of two of the world’s most iconic brands, Coca-Cola and the Olympic Games. Each bottle features one of five silhouettes from some of the most popular sports at the Olympic Games. Four of the eyecatching designs - beach volleyball, swimming, athletics and gymnastics - will be available on Coke and Diet Coke 330ml glass bottles, and a limited edition BMX design has been created specifically for Coke Zero 330ml glass bottles.

In March, Coca-Cola launched the first series of limited edition bottles, featuring the instantly recognisable Olympic Rings logo. The highly collectable limited edition designs are expected to increase visibility and drive demand for the iconic glass 330ml ‘Coke’ bottle, leading to increased sales opportunities for outlets.

Previous sporting events, such as 2010’s FIFA World Cup saw the soft drinks category benefit from an uplift in sales through the duration of the tournament, in fact, Coke grew value sales by +13.3% (year-on-year) during the World Cup period according to Nielsen figures.

Colm O’Dwyer, CCE sales and customer development director for the out of home channel, comments:“We know that Coca-Cola is the nation’s favourite soft drink and serving customers Coca-Cola from the original glass icon bottle with ice and garnish can drive sales

in the on-trade. So, to ensure they make the most of the unique opportunity presented by the London 2012 Olympic Games this year, outlets should stock up to ensure everyone has a chance to celebrate the arrival of this once-ina-lifetime sporting event in the UK.”

Olympics award for Domino’s team member Domino’s Pizza team member, Lindsay Woods, has been presented with an award for her support and contribution towards Domino’s Pizza’s national charity, Special Olympics Great Britain.

In an awards ceremony which took place at the end of March at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales, Lindsay Woods, who works at the Preston Bamber Bridge Domino’s store, decided to organise a ‘wobble walk’ in aid of Special Olympics Great Britain (the idea being to walk from the Domino’s store in Chorley to the Domino’s store in Thornton Cleveleys, making sure to go via the stores located in Preston and Blackpool along the way, while wearing Domino’s wobble boards!).

Lindsay roped in the region of 40 people to take part in the activity and the group donned Domino’s wobble boards before they set off on their long walk. Not only did they raise money for the charity,

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but the group also raised brand awareness along the way. It was a huge challenge but one that was successfully executed, resulting in £1000 being raised for the charity. Some athletes from Special

Olympics Great Britain also participated as they were so impressed with what Lindsay was doing.

Chief executive for Special Olympics Great Britain, Karen Wallin, said: “Lindsay’s idea was fantastic! We are always amazed at the lengths some Domino’s team members go to in order to raise money for Special Olympics Great Britain. The money raised has been invaluable to the local club near Preston. We are grateful to Lindsay for thinking up this idea and for organising it so well. She is a very worthy winner.”

Lindsay Woods added: “I am so pleased to win this award. I came up with the idea as I thought it was a bit different and would be lots of fun – as well as raise money for such a great charity. It was hard work walking all that way, but we received some great support along the route and it was a pleasure to have some of the athletes join in.”

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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.

www.papa.org.uk

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.

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pizza expo

John Dammone, owner of the award-winning Italian restaurant, Salvo’s, in Leeds has recently returned from the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, where he got an insight into what’s making waves in the world’s biggest market for pizza. Here, he offers a round up of some of his personal observations.

Training The 28th Annual Pizza Expo hosted over three days attracted a record 6700 visitors anxious to visit the 425 exhibitors and find out what’s hot, and what’s not, in the hope of giving them the edge in this fiercely competitive market.

The move towards more product integrity continued apace since my visit last year, and the big noticeable change this year was the amount of firms now offering training for pizzaioli. As well as the Italian pizza associations - such as Vera Pizza Napolitano - often heralded as the guardians of Authentic Italian Artisan Pizza, offering courses in the USA, the flour mills too are now starting to offer training courses.

One of the largest flour mills in Italy, Cinque Stagioni, appears to be at the vanguard of this movement offering courses for the budding pizza shop owner with an eye on keeping things authentic. The courses are in English, and held over five days, and appear to set out to teach all there is to know about the art form of pizza making.

Interestingly, as opposed to some of the traditional Neapolitan pizza associations who only offer training based on traditional wood burning ovens, Cinque Stagioni offer 44

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courses on the full range of pizza ovens and equipment form traditional deck ovens, rotary ovens and also in the use of mechanical pizza dough rollers.

In my opinion, the fact that Italian flour mills are exhibiting at all at this show gives further evidence that there is now a definite leaning towards product integrity, training, knowledge and tradition which is continuing apace in the USA as operators strive to give

themselves an edge over the competition.

Discount decrease?

With the USA being the birth place of the culture of discount vouchers, there was a noticeable absence this year and a lack of stands offering logistical support for discount vouchers something which has very much been in evidence on my previous visits to the Las Vegas Pizza Expo.

On the face of it, it appears

that the US consumer is finally becoming aware of the fact that buying customer loyalty is more about product and less about the last two for one voucher. So it will be interesting to see if this realisation hits the UK market in due course where, in comparison to the US market, the whole culture of vouchers and discounting is really still in its infancy.

The nascent growth of the market catering for coeliacs continues to gather momentum June 2012

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pizza expo

since my visit last year. I counted no fewer than 35 stands exhibiting products for this growing market segment.

Star billing A star attraction of the show continues to be the World Pizza Games and the International Pizza Challenge. The World Pizza Games is all about fun and showmanship and includes categories such as Freestyle Acrobatic Dough Tossing and Fastest Pizza Box Folding!

Growing in stature, however,

is the International Pizza Challenge. Since its inception in 2007, this has continued to attract entries form all over the world including many Italians with the aim of celebrating the art of pizza making. The judging panel again comprised award wining pizzaiolo, Domenico Crolla, of famed Glasgow restaurants Bella Napoli and Pizza Couture.

The 2013 Pizza Expo is scheduled to take place from 19 to 21 March. The date is already in my diary…

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

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

Type of business (please tick as appropriate) Pizza Restaurant Caterer Supplier Pasta Restaurant Manufacturer Italian Restaurant Retail Buyer Other (please state)

Address:............................................................................................

Would you like to receive information on full membership of the Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food Association? YES/NO

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

Pizza Delivery/ Take-away Agency/PR

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

I enclose a cheque for £55 (£95 outside the UK). Cheques should be payable to PAPA and returned to: Pizza Pasta and Italian Food Association, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow NP16 5DB or contact Tony Lorimer on 01291 636333 or email on tony@papa.org.uk Alternatively, if you wish to pay by credit card, please enter your details below.

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

Card No: ________________________ Valid From _______ /_______

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Expiry date: ______ /_____ Last 3 digits of Security No. on Reverse _____ Name on Card:__________________ Post Code_________________

email ................................................................................................

House No. _______________ (for security purposes only)

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maintenance

The importance of servicing and planned maintenance cannot be over-estimated, but what needs to be done, when and by whom? Here, service provider, Servequip Assistance (www.servequip.co.uk), offer some practical advice on how best to keep your equipment in prime condition. This month, how to get the best from your wood burning oven and gas fired equivalents.

Care and cleaning Oven floor As needed, brush food particles and stray fire debris from the oven floor using a longhandled floor brush. If something spills on the floor of the oven, wait for it to burn and/or dry up and then clean the residue off with the floor brush. This process can be sped up by moving a small portion of coals on to the spill causing it to bake off quickly. For removal of fine particles (burned flour or ash), wrap a warm, damp cloth around the brush head and use it to briskly wipe the floor. Do not scrape the oven floor with metal tools having sharp edges or corners.

Stainless steel surfaces The oven tools, the mantle, the night doors and the oven doorway should be cleaned, as needed, using warm soapy water. Do not use abrasive metal scouring pads as they will scratch the stainless steel. Avoid the use of excess water when cleaning the face of the digital readout or oven controller.

Thermal cleaning

If you have a specific service/maintenance related question that you would like answered then why not email clare@jandmgroup.co.uk and Pizza Pasta & Italian Food magazine will endeavour to source an answer for you in a future issue.

The floor If the oven is operated at low temperatures (below 275oC), it is possible that grease and debris from food could build up on the floor of the oven. Often, this build up is perceived as the floor flaking away. To remove the build up that has accumulated on the floor of the oven, at the end of your cooking day simply move a portion of the coal bed to cover that part of the floor covered with grease (if necessary you might do this in sections on consecutive days). Leave the coal bed over the grease build up. By morning most of the grease should have been burned away. If necessary, proceed with scraping of the floor. Scraping is usually done early the next morning using the utility peel or a floor scraping tool. Repeat this process as needed to keep the floor clean. Once the oven is clean, allow the

Ducts As with all commercial cooking equipment, regular cleaning and maintenance of exhaust system is necessary to prevent the possibility of a hood and/or duct fire. The frequency of inspection and cleaning will depend upon hours of use and type and moisture content of the wood used for fuel.

Oven interior We recommend the use of a long-handled, brass bristled brush for sweeping aside excess food particles that will accumulate on the floor of the oven during use. The oven floor can be cleaned with a damp rag. Do not use ice or excessive water on the floor. This is to prevent thermal shocking of the stone.

Oven exterior All painted and stainless steel surfaces should be cleaned as necessary using an approved mild detergent, hot water and a soft cloth or sponge. Stubborn residues may be removed using a non-metallic scouring pad. When scouring stainless steel surfaces, scrub with the grain of the metal to prevent scratching.

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maintenance oven to return to normal operating temperatures and continue normal operation.

The dome Starting from an existing fire, increase the fire's intensity (by adding wood) so that the floor temperature goes above 315oC. Maintain this temperature for approximately one hour or until all visible signs of sooting are gone from the walls and ceiling of the oven. It should not be necessary to physically remove any material from the walls and ceiling with a brush or otherwise. Once the oven dome appears clean, allow the oven to return to the normal operating temperature and continue normal operation.

Preventative maintenance Of course if possible it’s much better to try and prevent problems before they occur so you should seriously consider a planned preventative maintenance contract. A preventative maintenance contract will enhance the oven’s performance and product quality, reduce the possibility of an unforeseen breakdown and could pick up a small problem before it becomes a larger and potentially more expensive one. It will also ensure that you meet any legal requirements in relation to Health and Safety compliance and will include an annual service by a Gas Safe qualified engineer that will validate your insurance.

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Troubleshooting Problem: The oven will not turn on and there are no lights or displays lit on the controller panel Solution: This indicates that the power to the oven has been interrupted. Check and reset the main circuit breaker to the oven. If the breaker has not tripped, is the fan turned on? Some ovens are wired so that the fan must be on before the oven will light. If the oven hood is equipped with an Ansul system, has the system tripped, disconnecting power to the oven?

Problem: The oven controls come on but the burners do not light, however, a glow is momentarily visible at the burner located in the back of the oven Solution: The gas to the oven has been interrupted. Check the main shut off valve in the gas line to the oven to make certain it is turned on. If the hood system is equipped with an Ansul fire suppression system, has it tripped, shutting off the gas to the oven? Debris in the burner may also cause the burner not to light. Have the burner removed and cleaned by a qualified engineer or blow it out using the blower attachment on a vacuum.

Problem: The controls come on but the burner will not light and no glow is present at the burner in the back of the oven.

Solution: The igniter has been damaged (contact your supplier or maintenance company to have it replaced).

Problem: The burner lights, but cuts out occasionally Solution: This symptom indicates the presence of debris in the radiant burner well. The burner should be removed and cleaned by a qualified engineer. If a shop vacuum is available the hose can be hooked to the outlet of the vacuum, attached to an oven tool handle, and used to blow out the burner. Do not attempt to vacuum out the burner as this may damage the burner or igniter. Low gas pressure may also cause this symptom so if blowing out does not solve the problem, you will need to arrange for the burner pressures to be tested.

Problem: The oven will not get up to temperature or takes too long to get to temperature, and the visible flame is short, even when turned up all the way Solution: This is an indication of low gas pressure to the oven. This condition may improve when other gas equipment is turned off and worsen when demands increase such as during cold periods where heating plants are running.

Alternatively, contact your supplier and maintenance provider to check pressures at the burners and adjust the incoming pressure to the oven accordingly.

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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

Cater-Bake UK South Boundary Road, Knowsley Industrial Park, Merseyside, Liverpool, L33 7RR Contact: Mark Hutchings Tel: 0151 548 5818 / Fax: 0151 548 5835 www.cater-bake.co.uk sales@cater-bake.co.uk Continental Quattro Stagioni 8 - 33 Royal Elizabeth Yard, Kirkliston, West Lothian EH29 9EN Contact: Mr Paolo Veneroni Tel: 0131 3191919 Fax: 0131 3315566 p.veneroni@continental-wine.co.uk www.continental-food.co.uk

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

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

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. Cardwell House, Meadowcroft Business Park, Whitestake, Preston, Lancashire PR4 4BA Contact: Ian Ritchie Tel: 01772 750450 / Fax: 01772 746930 iritchie@dawnfarmfoods.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

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

pizzapasta AND ITALIAN FOOD

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 General Mills UK Ltd. Harman House, 1 George Street, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 1QQ Contact: Liam Ward Tel: 01895 201246 / Fax: 01895 201101 liam.ward@genmills.com www.generalmills.co.uk Giovanni Rana (UK) Ltd 6 Valentine Place, London SE1 8QH Contact: Stephen Hull Tel: 0207 921 9550 shull@giovannirana.co.uk

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

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

Glanbia Cheese Ltd 4 Royal Mews, Gadbrook Park, Rudheath, Northwich, Cheshire CW9 7UD Contact: David Cruddos Tel: 01606 810900 / Fax: 01606 48680 Heineken UK Ltd 2-4 Broadway Park, Gyle, Edinburgh EH12 9JZ Contact: James Woodman Tel: 07884 113534 james.woodman@heineken.co.uk

Integer 167 Heywood Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 1LB Contact: Geoff Whittle Tel: 0161 7987307 / Fax: 0161 7733151 geoff@integeruk.com www.integeruk.com Jestic Units 3+4, Dana Industrial Estate, Transfesa Road, Paddock Wood, Kent TN12 6UU Tel: 0845 5048050 Fax: 0845 5048051 Email: info@jestic.net www.jestic.co.uk

Kingdom Cheese Co. Glenfield Industrial Estate, Cowdenbeath, Fife KY4 9HT Contact: Phil Morgan Tel: 01383 610114 / Fax: 01383 610526 phil@kingdomcheese.com www.kingdomcheese.com Kiren Foods Unit 3 Small Bridge Industrial Park Riverside Drive, Rochdale Lancashire OL16 2SH Contact: Mr Nazir Mackmood Tel:01706 526732 / Fax: 01706 869749 nazir@kirenfoods.com La Tua Pasta Ltd. 52 Gorst Road, London NW10 6LD Contact: Francesco Boggian Tel: 0208 961 8022 / Fax: 0208 965 6006 info@latuapasta.com www.latuapasta.com Leathams PLC 227-255, Ilderton Road, London, SE15 1NS AMEND POSTCODE Contact: Mr James Faulkner Tel 0207 6354026 / Fax 0207 6354017 ingredients.sales@leathams.co.uk www.leathams.com Maranaforni Di Marana F. Via Turbina 98, Verona, 37139 Italy Contact: Eleni Olivieri Tel: 0039 0456704503 Fax: 0039 0457156118 elena.commerciale@maranaforni.it

Martin Mathew & Co 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

Meadow Cheese Co. Limited Hazel Park, Dymock Road, Ledbury, Herefordshire HR8 2JQ Contact: Robert Kennedy Tel: 01531 631300 / Fax: 01531 631300 robert.kennedy@meadowcheese.co.uk www.meadowcheese.co.uk Montana Bakery Limited Blackthorne Road, Poyle Industrial Estate, Colnbrook, Berkshire SL3 0AP Contact: Jonathan Mellows Tel: 01753 760 800 / Fax: 01753 760 801 jonathan@montana.bakeries.co.uk

Pan’Artisan 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@panartisan.com www.lapizzacompany.com

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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 Pizza Trading Co Ltd Duxbury Court, Preston Road, Standish, Wigan WN6 0HS Tel: 01257 423376 /Fax: 01257 472086 andy@pizzatrading.co.uk

Saputo Cheese (UK) Ltd The Creamery, Aberarad Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire, SA38 9QD Tel: 01239 710424 / Fax: 01239 711843 www.saputo.com ServEquip Assistance Ltd Suite 8 The Swift Centre, 41 Imperial Way, Croydon CR0 4RL Contact: Diane Bowker Tel: 0208 6868855 / Fax: 0208 6817509 info@servequip.co.uk www.servequip.co.uk Solarsoft Business Systems Solarsoft House, Hampshire International Business Park Crockford Lane, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG24 8WH Contact: Andrew Godliman Tel: 01256 685242/Fax: 01256 685201 andrew.godliman@solarsoft.com www.solarsoft.com

Technomic Inc 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

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

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

The Pizza Factory Gateside Road, Queens Drive Industrial Estate, Nottingham NG2 1LT Contact: Colin Taylor Tel: 0115 983333/Fax: 0113 3900211 colin.taylor@northernfoods.com

Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Limited Cottingham Way, Thrapston Northamptonshire, Kettering NN14 3EP Contact: Sophie Whitaker Tel: 01832 737210 / Fax: 01832 734433 sales@whitcoltd.com

Stateside Foods Ltd 31 – 34 Great Bank Road, Wingate Industrial Park, Westhoughton Bolton BL5 3XU Contact: Ian Kent Tel: 01942 841200 / Fax: 01942 841201 sales@stateside-foods.co.uk www.stateside-foods.co.uk

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

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 COMPUTING SOLUTIONS

Durum Semolina

Preparation Counters

Beer

Allied Mills

Jestic

Carnevale Ltd.

Computers/Software

Carnevale Ltd.

Heineken UK

Integer Computers

BEVERAGES

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

Prepared Pizza (Frozen)

Refrigeration

PIZZA DOUGH, BASES & CRUSTS

DeCecco UK Ltd.

General Mills UK Ltd.

Dough Balls

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Solarsoft Business Systems

Flour

Servicing & Spares

Kiren Foods

Allied Mills

Montana Bakery

The Pizza Factory (Northern Foods)

DELIVERY & PACKAGING

Carnevale Ltd.

Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd.

Pizza Plus Foodservice

Ticco Ltd.

Computer Delivery Management Systems

W&H Marriage & Sons

Integer Computers

The Fresh Pasta Company Ltd.

Heated Pizza Delivery Bag Systems

Carnevale Ltd.

DeCecco UK Ltd. Sorrento Express Ltd.

W&H Marriage & Sons

Serving Pasta King (UK) Ltd.

MEAT Bacon Dawn Farm Foods Leathams PLC

Stateside Foods Ltd. Pizza Bases & Crusts Kiren Foods Montana Bakery Pan’Artisan Ltd.

Freiberger UK Ltd. Pizza Plus Foodservice

Vion Pizza

SOUPS, SAUCES, STOCKS & DRESSINGS Chutneys, Relishes & Sauces

Beef

Pizza Plus Foodservice

Leathams PLC

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Icings

DOUGH & PIZZA EQUIPMENT

Chicken & Other Poultry

Vion Pizza

Allied Mills

Leathams PLC

Improvers

Mayonnaise & Other Dressings

Cakes & Confectionery

Dough Preparation Equipment

Ham

Woodfired Italian Pizza (Base & Sauce)

Allied Mills

Carnevale Ltd.

Pan’Artisan Ltd.

BD Foods

Ticco Ltd.

Cater-Bake (UK)

Premixes (Bread & Cakes)

Dawn Farm Foods

PIZZA TOPPINGS

Pasta Sauces

Leathams PLC

Fish

Allied Mills

DeCecco UK Ltd.

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Carnevale Ltd.

Leathams PLC

FOOD WHOLESALERS

Ticco Ltd.

Fruit & Vegetables

Pasta King (UK) Ltd.

Italian Meat & Sausages

Carnevale Ltd. Vion Pizza

The Fresh Pasta Company Ltd

Sorrento Express Ltd.

Cooktek (MCS Technical Products)

BREAD, CAKES & DESSERTS Bread Rolls & Wraps Ticco Ltd.

Desserts

Jestic

Ticco Ltd.

PD Catering Internatonal

Ice Cream

Vion Pizza

General Mills UK Ltd.

Pizza Accessories

CHEESE, DAIRY & EGGS

Whitworth Bros. Limited

BD Foods Garlic Spreads & Mixes Stateside Foods Ltd.

Pizza Plus Foodservice

Continental Quattro Stagioni Ltd.

Dawn Farm Foods

Vion Pizza

Donatantonio Ltd.

Meat

Pizza Sauces

Leathams PLC

Butter Dairygold Food Ingredients

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Ticco Ltd.

Leathams PLC

Vion Pizza

999 Pizza Toppings (UK) Ltd.

F J Need (Foods) Ltd.

Pizza Display Racks

Ticco Ltd.

Jestic

Carnevale Ltd.

FRUIT & VEGETABLES

Pizza Trading Company Ltd.

Cheese 999 Pizza Toppings (UK) Ltd.

Pizza Making Systems & Equipment Benier (UK) Ltd.

Bel UK Ltd. Carnevale Ltd.

Cater-Bake (UK)

Dairygold Food Ingredients

Cooktek (MCS Technical Products)

Donatantonio Ltd.

Jestic

Eurilait Ltd.

Maranaforni Di Marana F.

F J Need (Foods) Ltd.

Pizza Direct UK

Glanbia Cheese Ltd.

ServEquip Limited

Kingdom Cheese Co. Ltd.

Vion Pizza

Leathams PLC

Pizza Ovens

Meadow Cheese Co. Ltd.

Benier (UK) Ltd.

Saputo Cheese (UK) Ltd.

Cater-Bake (UK)

Sorrento Express Ltd.

Jestic

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Maranaforni Di Marana F.

Eggs

PD Catering Internatonal

Leathams PLC

Pizza Plus Foodservice

Mozzarella

ServEquip Limited

Carnevale Ltd.

FISH & SEAFOOD

Glanbia Cheese Ltd.

Chargrilled Vegetables Carnevale Ltd.

Pancetta Carnevale Ltd. Pepperoni

Dawn Farm Foods

Carnevale Ltd.

Pizza Plus Foodservice

Dawn Farm Foods

Stateside Foods Ltd.

SPECIALIST FOOD CONSULTANCY & MARKET RESEARCH

Salami

Vion Pizza

Olives

Carnevale Ltd.

Pizza Sauces

Donatantonio Ltd.

OILS & VINEGARS

Donatantonio Ltd.

Leathams PLC

Olive Oil

Pan’Artisan Ltd.

Technomic Inc

KITCHEN & SERVING EQUIPMENT

Donatantonio Ltd.

Pizza Plus Foodservice

Market Reasearch

Leathams PLC

Pizza Trading Company Ltd.

Technomic Inc

Bakery Ovens

PASTA, POLENTA, GNOCCHI & RICE

Cater-Bake (UK)

Gnocchi

Vion Pizza

Chargrills

The Fresh Pasta Company Ltd

READY PREPARED

Jestic Drinks Systems Carnevale Ltd. Food Safety & Hygiene Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd Fryers Jestic

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Prepared Pasta Meals

Specialist Food Consultancy

TOMATOES Canned Tomatoes DeCecco UK Ltd. Donatantonio Ltd.

Bakkavor Pizza

Martin Mathew & Co. Ltd.

Freiberger UK Ltd.

Passata

Giovanni Rana (UK) Ltd.

DeCecco UK Ltd.

Leathams PLC

Pasta King (UK) Ltd.

Donatantonio Ltd.

La Tua Pasta Ltd.

Pasta Reale

Pasta (Fresh) Giovanni Rana (UK) Ltd.

Prepared Pizza (Chilled)

Martin Mathew & Co. Ltd. SunBlush© Tomatoes

La Tua Pasta Ltd.

Bakkavor Pizza

Leathams PLC

Pasta Reale

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Pasta (Dry) Carnevale Ltd. DeCecco UK Ltd. Donatantonio Ltd.

Other Fish & Seafood

Griddles

Parmesan

Leathams PLC

Jestic

Eurilait Ltd.

FLOUR & BAKERY

Holding Ovens

Sour Cream

Concentrates

Jestic

The Fresh Pasta Company Ltd

The Pizza Factory (Northern Foods)

Donatantonio Ltd.

Kingdom Cheese Co. Ltd.

Allied Mills

ServEquip Limited

Ticco Ltd.

Vion Pizza

Leathams PLC

Saputo Cheese (UK) Ltd.

50

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Carnevale Ltd.

June 2012

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