Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food - Issue 165

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pizzapasta and Italian food magazine

Issue 165 December 2014 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

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Jayson Berry 01291 636339 jayson@jandmgroup.co.uk

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01291 636333 membership@papa.org.uk

J & M Group, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow, NP16 5DB. Opinions expressed in Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food magazine are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of J&M Group, Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food magazine or The Pizza & Pasta Association. No responsibility is accepted for the opinions of contributors. Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food is published by J&M group Ltd. and supports The Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food Association. It is circulated to managers, executives, buyers, retailers and traders in the pizza and pasta business. © J&M Group Ltd. 2012

Welcome Congratulations to all this year’s PAPA award, Pizza Chef of the Year and Pizza Art competition winners, in this, the twenty-fifth year of the awards that was celebrated by so many of you at the recent gala dinner held in London. Our thanks also go to all the judges and sponsors (please turn to page 12 for a round-up of the winners and results). At this year’s event, PAPA director, Jim Winship, also provided an informative overview of the current pizza market (turn to page 44 for a full report).

In this issue, we cast our eye over some multi-tasking and energysaving catering equipment that should provide plenty of food for thought for any outlets planning changes to their kitchens come the New Year. Wine, the importance of being allergen-aware in light of new legislation and the benefits of an annual ‘deep clean’ also get a mention.

Thank you to all of you who took time out to contribute to the magazine this year. We look forward to reporting on your news, views and achievements in 2015.

CLARE BENFIELD EDITOR clare@jandmgroup.co.uk

Contents NEWS

ARTICLES

4 Food and drink companies enjoy crowdfunding success.

44 The popularity of pizza – PAPA director, Jim Winship’s, overview of the market.

5 PAPA awards honour this year’s winners and mark 25 years.

56 Action on allergies - Graham Corfield, Just Eat’s MD in the UK comments on how the company prepared for the new allergy regulations.

6 Aldo Zilli chooses Valentine following chef competition.

8 New initiative to tackle road safety.

PAPA 12 Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Awards 2014.

34 Pizza Chef of the Year 2014.

39 Pizza Art Competition 2014

FEATURES 28 Wine time – selection and serving tips.

40 Something special – ingredients ideas, seasonal suggestions and alternatives.

48 Catered for – kitchen kit to help give your outlet the edge.

58 Three steps to pizza heaven – equipment advice from Linda Lewis Kitchens.

60 Fighting grime – the importance of a thorough clean.

PROFILES 62 Pizza My World – Arches Cookery School’s Sarah Muir.

REGULARS 63 New PAPA members.

64 Index of PAPA registered suppliers.

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news

Londoners love their ‘lunchto-go’, and pay 24% more than the rest of Britain 2014 Espresso Italiano Champion crowned After months of anticipation, the 2014 Espresso Italiano Champion has been named.

Held for the first time in London at Pall Mall’s Royal Automobile Club, Filippo Mezzaro beat 14 other baristas to win the prestigious title. All 15 competing baristas came from 14 Italian espresso companies and partner organisations from around the world.

Each barista had 11 minutes to produce four espressos and four cappuccinos, judged by a panel of technical and sensory judges. The technical judges graded the baristas on the production of their coffees; whilst the sensory judges let the coffee speak for itself.

Each barista was awarded a certificate by the Vice President of INEI, Marco Paladini, and the Secretary General, Luigi Odello. For the best espresso, Cristian Tetro representing Costadoro, took the title and the best cappuccino went to Alessandro Corsi, Essse Caffè. The overall champion, creating the best espresso and cappuccino of the day with the perfect technique, was of course Filippo Mezzaro, representing Torrefazione Saturno.

Filippo Mezzaro, whose family life has over 40 years history in the café industry has always participated in courses run by the INEI and IIAC (International Institute of Coffee Tasters), and has always believed in continuing his education alongside his hard work as a barista.“For me, coffee is first of all a passion, but managed with the proper training, it is a much higher quality,” he said.

Foodservice industry figures from the NPD Group show that Londoners visit fast food outlets and other chains to buy a take-out lunch more frequently than people in the rest of Britain.

According to NPD Group’s findings, London comprises 13% of the population of Great Britain, and has a 17% share of Britain’s ‘lunchto-go’ traffic as well as 18% of Britain’s ‘lunch-togo’ spend, but Londoners pay 24% more than the rest of Britain when buying their lunch-togo.

When it comes to buying food at QSR restaurants – meaning Britain’s wide variety of fast food chains, independent takeaways as well as sandwich, bakery and coffee outlets, and leading supermarkets and other retailers – London is significantly outgrowing the rest of Britain. For all day parts, claim NPD – breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks throughout the day – London’s traffic is up 13.8% year ended August 2014 versus year ended August 2009 (this compares to the much lower growth of 2.3% for the rest of Britain over the same period).

London lunches purchased from the QSR channel recorded traffic growth over the same period of 17.1% vs just 4.4% for the rest of Britain.

The percentage of London lunch visits that are to go – meaning the food is taken out of the premises for consumption – is almost the same as the rest of Britain (65% versus 64%), but there’s a marked difference in cost with the average lunch-to-go purchase from a fast food outlet costing £3.53 in London, some 24% higher than the £2.84 average for the rest of Britain – even when people are purchasing the same number of items, report the researchers.

“There are distinct characteristics regarding the lunch occasion in London,” said Cyril Lavenant, NPD group director of Foodservice UK, who presented the findings at the lunch! show.“Lunch purchased through the fast food

channel in London has increased far faster than in the rest of Britain. And for the lunch-to-go segment within that, Londoners generate a much higher level of the traffic relative to the population size of the capital.”

And when Londoners buy lunch-to-go in London, where do they subsequently eat it?

NPD Group data shows that 52% of Londoners take this to their office to eat (versus 38% for the rest of Britain). And only 15% of Londoners would eat their lunch-to-go purchase outside – typically in a park or perhaps in the street – versus 20% for the rest of Britain.

The report found that London is a boomtown for independent food outlets selling lunch-to-go. Outside London, branded fast food outlets and leading sandwich, bakery and coffee chains are stealing traffic from the independents. For year ended August 2014, traffic share for independents outside London was down seven percentage points at 27% with branded outlets enjoying the remaining 73%, but in London, it’s the reverse with independent outlets enjoying an increase in lunch-to-go traffic of six percentage points for year ended August 2014, giving them a total of 21% traffic share.

“It’s fascinating to see how independents are taking ‘lunch-to-go’ traffic share from the branded outlets in London,” added Cyril Lavenant.“Throughout the rest of Britain it’s the reverse trend so London’s independents have clearly developed a successful offering. One possible reason the capital’s independents are doing well is that London is often the city where all kinds of new ventures are tested before they are rolled out to the national market.”

Londoners have different motivations too when it comes to lunch-to-go. A total of 24.4% in the capital cite ‘quality of food’ as a factor in choosing an outlet, against a lower level 21.7% for the rest of Britain.

Food and drink companies enjoy crowdfunding success 94% of companies funded through a leading crowdfunding platform – Angels Den - are successful and still trading, with food and drink start-ups a topperforming sector, report the company.

Angels Den, an equity crowdfunding platform, has revealed that 94% of the businesses that raised funds through its site are still trading, despite the leading research stating 56% of all angel

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investments will fail. Technology start-ups and those operating in the food and drink sector emerged as the top performing industries in terms of successful start-ups, with London and the South-East the most likely locations for them.

The team at www.AngelsDen.com wanted to showcase their accomplishments and experience in the

crowdfunding field after seven years of helping to match business people and start-ups with entrepreneurs and angel investors who could add value through their expertise and knowledge. Deals funded through the company have ranged from £15,000 up to £1.7m, with ‘involvement’, ‘adding value’ and ‘to make money’ the three main reasons angels invest in a particular start-up or company.

December 2014

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news

PAPA awards honour this year’s winners and mark 25 years Celebrating their 25th year, the Pizza, Pasta and Italian Food Association (PAPA) awards have recognised the best in the Italian food industry at a gala dinner held at the Lancaster London Hotel in Hyde Park, London on 13 November 2014.

The UK’s finest Independent Pizza Restaurant is Bella Napoli in Glasgow and the best Independent Italian Restaurant is Tamburino in Yeovil. The Pizza Restaurant Chain Award went to Pizza Hut following a huge investment in their business, and Prezzo scooped the Italian Restaurant Chain award for the breadth and quality of items on their menu. Some 450 of the industry’s leading lights were in attendance to recognise the wonderful achievements of their peers.

Guest host, Aldo Zilli, said: "Italian food from pasta to pizza and everything in between is about simple ingredients of the highest quality treated with love. Italian chefs are passionate about their food and the industry as a whole is about authenticity and great produce."

The day also saw the final of the Pizza Chef of the Year competition, and the climax of the Pizza Art competition, both of which took place on the afternoon of the awards. Prior to these events, PAPA director, Jim Winship presented an overview of the pizza and pasta and Italian food market in the UK to a gathered audience of guests and journalists from the industry at large.

Pizza is now the most popular food purchased in British restaurants – the second most popular item bought in supermarkets for dinner and fourth most popular dinner item purchased in fast food outlets – research for the Pizza Pasta and Italian Food Association

had concluded.

Britons today spend around £4.4 billion on pizza every year. One in six (16%) pizzas bought are delivered and one in three (27%) is chilled or frozen. And what is more, the popularity of pizza is still growing, overall volume of sales are up 5% this year.

“When we add up all the different sources of pizza, Takeaway, supermarket, pizzerias, Italian restaurants, foodservice outlets (caterers etc.) and other full service restaurants serving pizza, we begin to understand how vast Britain’s appetite for pizza is,” said Jim Winship.

“This once simple dish that had its origins as a peasant meal in the fields of the Mediterranean has been transformed by today’s pizza makers into something much more. It crosses all manner of socio-economic barriers – it really is for everyone!”

Over 90% of pizza restaurants are chains, revealed the PAPA research, but independents are also growing. Only 50% of delivery outlets are chains, but independents are in decline in this sector. However, the biggest story is that pizza prices are lower now than in 2008 when adjusted for inflation (the average delivery pizza in 2008 was £13.03 and today it’s £13.95 with inflation it should be £15.17, showing that pizza is helping to keep the cost of living down).

It’s not all good news, however. The research also suggested that the state of the high street, economic uncertainties and the increasing cost of ingredients could push Britain’s favourite food up in the years to come.

For a full round up of the awards winners, Pizza Chef and Pizza Art competition, turn to page 12.

2014

PAPA director, Jim Winship gave a key note presentation about the current market.

Eventual Pizza Chef of the Year winner – Toni Allen – presenting her pizza to the judges.

Darius Hayati creating his award-winning Bob Marley pizza art.

www.papa.org.uk

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news

Domino’s scoops ‘Best Fast Food’ brand at Youth 100 2014 Domino’s Pizza UK has been awarded ‘Best Fast Food’ brand award at the 2014 ‘Youth 100: The UK’s Top Brands According To 1824s’ for the second year running.

The awards, held at the 6,000 sq/ft MC Motors warehouse in the heart of East London, saw stiff competition from fast food giants including Nandos, KFC and Pizza Express (Domino’s secured the top spot for its commitment to engaging with youth market and growing focus on students).

The Youth 100 is a unique piece of research for the marketing community, launched at the biggest Youth Awards ceremony of the year - an exclusive event

featuring the awards, insights and brand and youth panel discussions. Winners are considered the benchmark of best practice

within this growing sector.

Nick Dutch, head of digital at Domino’s Pizza said: “We’re chuffed to be recognised by one of our core audiences and to win this fantastic award for the second year running. It seems that our approach of combining national advertising with local, street level marketing and student deals is really paying off. Online and digital marketing is also a huge focus for this group – from our award-winning mobile app through to targeted SMS messages and sharing fresh content with our social media community; we’re always looking for ways to push the boundaries and speak to our younger fans on their level.”

Vapiano reward their ‘Olympics’ winners The team at Vapiano in Great Portland Street won the Italian fresh casual dining group’s inaugural in-house, Olympic-style event.

Vapiano’s 200 staff across its three London restaurants took part in the month-long event aimed at driving standards and building on teamwork (the event was organised by restaurant manager Alex Poynter).

The month long event involved challenges for individual staff members and also for the entire staff of each restaurant, and the challenges included using the fresh ingredients in the recipes to produce great tasting pizza, pasta and salads to Vapiano standards as part of a team with marks awarded for taste and presentation. Vapiano staff members were also tested on their recipe knowledge as well as ensuring the exacting recipe standards are consistently delivered accurately and quickly.

Amongst the other challenges were pizza dough tossing and best latte art (drawing

with milk foam in coffee). Additionally a Vapiano fan, selected by Twitter, was asked to review each restaurant individually with points awarded to the restaurant which received the best review.

The competition was judged by Vapiano’s UK and US managing director, Phil Sermon, together with senior management.

“We have excellent staff members working in all three of our restaurants and they provide our guests with superb food and aim to give first-class service at all times,” said Phil Sermon.“Over the month-long Olympics-style event, the team at Great Portland Street, managed by Dagmara Glesmer-Salamon (pictured) were judged to have gone that extra mile and are deserved winners.”

Aldo Zilli chooses Valentine following chef competition Valentine Equipment were asked by Aldo Zilli to supply a twin fryer with just 12 hours’ notice for the new Cicchetti restaurant in Covent Garden after impressing him at New Concept's Pizza Chef of the Year competition in Glasgow in October.

Italian catering equipment specialists New Concept are main sponsors of the Scottish Italian Awards and had invited Aldo Zilli to judge the competition including the Pizza Chef of the Year. They approached Valentine to provide an EVO 2525 twin fryer for the chefs to use and the fryer's qualities stuck in Aldo Zilli's mind.

"We asked Valentine to provide a twin fryer for the Pizza Chef of the Year as we know chefs like working with them for their

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consistent performance, controllability and high quality. Valentine's business development manager Kenan Koyman was at the competition to support the use of EVO and ended up talking to Aldo about the Valentine fryer,” said New Concept's sales director, Richard Pearson.

"I got a call from Aldo Zilli after the competition asking if Valentine could supply an EVO 2525 twin fryer. This was on a Friday lunchtime with the stipulation that the fryer be on-site the following day for the restaurant's opening. I'm delighted we delivered on time and Cicchetti Covent Garden has a great twin fryer that will see many years of service," added Kenan Koyman.

A cooking lesson at Tozi for David Haye David Haye received a personalised cooking lesson from Tozi Restaurant & Bar’s head chef, Maurilio Molteni, picking up a couple of seasonal and nutritious Italian recipes as he ramps up his training.

Maurilio Molteni provided David Haye with a specialised cooking lesson to improve the boxer’s recipe repertoire and under chef’s guidance, he cooked up a delicious pasta dish with seasonal chanterelle mushrooms tossed in basil and olive oil and finished off with a shaving of prized black truffle from Piemonte (seasonal and fresh ingredients are core to the Italian cooking philosophy and central to the regularly-changing Tozi menu, say the restaurant).

Once Chef Maurilio’s lesson was complete and David Haye was armed with a new meal to add to his training diet, he was able to enjoy a dinner cooked by the Tozi chefs.

Head Chef Maurilio Molteni, was born in Varese, near the lake town of Como in North Western Italy and has headed the kitchen at Tozi since its opening in 2013, having previously been at Soho House Group where he spent five years operating two Italian restaurants run by the group.

Tozi is an 80-seat, vibrant Italian restaurant and bar located in London, Victoria, specialising in Venetian cicchetti (small plates) and classic Italian cocktails. Opening in May 2013, it the result of a collaboration between chef Daniele Pampagnin and head Chef Maurilio Molteni.

December 2014

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news Italian cheese teams up with British chefs Parmigiano Reggiano has teamed up with acclaimed Great British Chefs for some online Parmesan-themed activities, including unusual recipes created by top chefs, a collection dedicated entirely to Parmesan and a competition to win a master class with specialist in Italian cuisine, Theo Randall.

Four stunning new recipes were devised

Italian pasta master first to install Italtel Embrace WebRTC product The Italian pasta company, Group Rummo has selected leading telecommunications company Italtel to supply and install a new integrated business communications platform, based on the solution Collaboration At Work 2.0.

Founded in Benevento in 1846 and supplying its products to more than 45 countries, Rummo’s exports account for 30% of total sales. While proud of its long history and tradition, the firm says that it also looking to the future by increasing its ability to interact both internally and outside of the company.

Through Italtel’s Collaboration At Work 2.0 solution, communication and collaboration mobility is enabled for staff, ensuring a unified and ergonomic user experience. It also incorporates Voice over IP, allowing reliable and integrated communication between fixed and mobile devices, such as PCs, smartphones and tablets.

At the core of the solution, based on Italtel NetMatch SBC, is Italtel Embrace, a platform for WebRTC (Web Real Time Communications) with enhanced functionality. It is able to deliver unified communications services, audio and video conferencing, instant messaging and desktop sharing, with the only requirement being the most common web browser.

"The evolution of telecommunications systems has changed over time and now has an increasingly important role in ensuring customer satisfaction and achieving operational results,” said Cosimo Rummo, President and Group CEO of Rummo.“By selecting Italtel we have chosen a platform best suited to meet our needs of making communication more rapid, efficient and cost effective while considerably reducing staff travel as they will need to move from their working environment less. In addition, Italtel shares some of our own important values; it is a historic Italian brand and a leader in its sector at an international level."

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- Richard Davies’s (The Bybrook, Manor House) venison with butternut squash, Parmesan and truffle, Matt Gillan’s (The Pass, South Lodge Hotel) Parmesan ‘sponge’ with tomato jam, chicken skin and Parmesan ice cream, Henry Harris’s (Racine) smoked haddock with Parmesan glaze and James Mackenzie’s (Pipe and Glass) Parsnip, Parmesan and sage bread.

Keemlaw and Salvation Army launch catering equipment amnesty Keemlaw, a Kent-based rovider of catering equipment has joined forces with the Salvation Army to launch an amnesty for unwanted catering equipment.

The unwanted catering equipment will be used to produce ‘Home Kitchen Packs' supporting the charity in their role giving vital practical support to vulnerable families and individuals who are being re-housed or who have lost everything due to difficult circumstances. As part of the ‘Home Kitchen Packs' initiative Keemlaw will be offering a part exchange value on unwanted tableware, glasses, utensils, pots, pans or bakeware against new items.

The ‘Home Kitchen Pack' provides the basic kitchen equipment allowing those that often have nothing to assist them in starting their new life. The Salvation Army is one of the biggest providers of services to homeless people in the UK and Ireland and has a long history of working with people who are vulnerable and

marginalised across the world and offer very practical help, unconditional assistance and support regardless of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

Derrick Law, founder and director of Keemlaw said: "Many of us buy new equipment for the kitchen, but rarely is the reason because our existing equipment has worn out, its simply because we want something better or we have changed the colour scheme. Keemlaw is very excited to be supporting the Salvation Army, however our success of the ‘Home Kitchen Pack' depends on donations. It's a great initiative that puts good equipment to good use."

Catering trade items can be handed into Keemlaw Catering Equipment Showroom & Workshop, Superabbey Industrial Est., off Beddow Way, Aylesford, Kent, ME20 7BH, Monday - Friday 09:00am - 05:00pm (bring your items into store to exchange, to qualify - all items need to be of a good quality).

New initiative to tackle road safety There is a new business initiative to reduce the number of killed and seriously injured (KSI) casualties of motorcycle and scooter riders on London’s roads.

This road safety promotion provides businesses with free BikeSafe-London Rider Skills Days, either through corporate or individual bookings for your motorcycle or scooter riding employees, regardless of whether they ride for business, commuting or social purposes (your business can choose any, all or a combination of the following offers, which are all available free of charge during the working week).

The Corporate Day is for 10-12 riders, and can be held at your workplace (the business would need to provide a suitable classroom with presentation equipment, and – if the workplace is not located near a BikeSafeLondon venue - lunch for the course attendees and Police motorcyclists). Alternatively, a Corporate Day for 10-12 riders is also held at one of the three BikeSafe-London venues within the M25 at Bushey, Romford or Bromley. Individual

Bookings for employees at a BikeSafe-London venue, if the business does not wish to organise a Corporate Day, are also on offer.

Riders spend the whole day with advanced police motorcyclists, undertaking classroom sessions and practical observed rides, pairing two riders with one police officer, of around 60 – 70 miles on both urban and rural roads.

The BikeSafe-London Corporate offer can be promoted as a free employee benefit, to encourage safer motorcycling amongst your workforce, point out the organisers, and your company’s corporate social responsibility profile can be enhanced by reducing the chances of your motorcycle riding employees being involved in road collisions (in addition to the human suffering of the casualty and their families, an employee involved in a serious collision significantly impacts on the staffing requirements of the business).

These free BikeSafe-London Corporate offers are only offered through this business promotion, and are not detailed on the BikeSafe-London web site.

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news New lemon flavour for Mellow Gold ice cream Suncream Dairies’ popular Mellow Gold range of ice cream has been extended with the launch of a new lemon flavour, report the company.

Made to a traditional recipe with all natural colours and flavours, Mellow Gold Lemon ice cream is ideal for scooping or as a stand-alone dessert. Its fresh, authentic lemon flavour will also enhance hot desserts such as crepes and provide a delicate contrast to rich desserts like chocolate tarts, feel Suncream.

“Mellow Gold ice cream is a well-established product which has been a firm favourite with our customers for more than 40 years!” said Rebecca Manfredi, Suncream’s managing

director.“The new Lemon flavour further increases the range available and we’re confident that the combination of a luxury taste with great value prices will make it a winner both in the scooping cabinet and on dessert menus.”

Suncream’s Mellow Gold ice cream range now comprises six favourite flavours – the new Lemon, Bubblegum, Vanilla, Strawberry, Chocolate and Raspberry Ripple. All are available in 4 litre tubs (www.suncreamdairies.com).

Insurance group sets up specialist hospitality insurance division Tasker Insurance Brokers – part of Tasker Insurance Group (TIG) – has announced that it now has a direct specialist division that focuses on insurance for the hospitality industry.

“We will deliver a new approach to handling insurance in the hospitality trades.

Smaller businesses have long been penalised by unfair policy and brokerage fees. Our aim is to bring a new era of price competitiveness and transparency to this sector with lower costs and guaranteed policy fulfilment from a range of insurers through comprehensive system investment and our experience in etrading,” said Alex McAusland, business development director at TIB.

www.papa.org.uk

“We are also aware that in addition to price, insurer stability is a key factor when purchasing an insurance policy. Many policyholders have recently been let down by their brokers placing their business in unrated offshore markets. This reckless activity continues today and could have a detrimental effect on the security and stability of many businesses if the insurer was unable to meet its financial obligations. The team at Tasker Insurance Brokers is committed to obtaining the best possible price from the most suitable market thus ensuring that the customer can concentrate on their core activity, running a successful business.”

A taste of Le Marche TastingMarche is an international new brand, run by an all-female team, that is aiming to bring "Le Marche" to tables all over the world, by combining innovation with passion for the land.

The business idea behind Tasting Marche is the promotion of culinary excellences of the Marche, one of the smallest and most charming Italian regions producing high quality products prepared exclusively by local farms.

Tasting Marche says that ut wants to distinguish itself by offering on its ecommerce platform (www.tastingmarche.com), not only single food specialties but real experiences of Italian lifestyle by educating foreign customers on the best way to maximize the experience of tasting and informing them about the history of the products, the origin of the ingredients and the peculiarities of the manufacturing processes.

The company says that it has selected 250 products to suit all tastes: truffles, cheeses, cold meats, honeys, chocolate and even coffee. In addition, it has a wide selection of organic durum wheat pasta, made with carefully selected and processed grain, egg pasta, rich in taste and history, as well as old traditional pasta prepared with ancient grains (for example, Senatore Cappelli Grain).

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news

Four to Eight opens in London Four to Eight is a new contemporary Italian restaurant recently launched in Covent Garden, London, and is the realisation of a lifelong aspiration from two brothers, Gino and Leo Zambito, who have previously owned a renowned sandwich bar on the same site called Franco and Gino, frequented by celebrated British actors such as Sir Michael Gambon and Felicity Kendall.

Four to Eight offers modern and rustic Italian food, using quality produce and simple ingredients. The concept has been devised by executive chef Andrew Lassetter (Cocoon,

Circus) who appointed Chris Denney as head chef. Chris has previously worked with very talented chefs such as John Campbell and Aaron Patterson.

Chris Denney heads a team of mostly Italian chefs from different parts of Italy, which gives the non-regional menu a variety of accents and flavours. The team works closely with suppliers to secure always the freshest ingredients.

Highlights of the current a la carte menu include Minestrone with Crispy Pig’s Head, Semolina Gnocchi, Black Truffle Taglioni , Venison Tartare, Beef Shin Ragu, Rum Baba plus

a selection of grilled meats sourced from The Rare Breed Meat Company (Coggeshall, Essex).

Spread over two floors, Four to Eight has a contemporary and elegant interior designed by architect Ed Shinton from Atelier West.

Huhtamaki’s custom printing helps communicate new allergen laws

Q90 event hailed a success Q90, the Middleby Group’s modular range of stylish and technologically advanced commercial catering equipment, was showcased at an exclusive event recently.

Distributors, kitchen designers and food service consultants were invited to Lincat, in Lincoln, where the 900mmdeep Q90 range is engineered and manufactured in dedicated production facilities. Here, they saw how products are developed, from R&D through to manufacture.

Attendees had the opportunity to try out the heavy-duty Q90 range for themselves, taking part in an entertaining challenge to see who could make an omelette the quickest, with Brian Honeyford, of Brakes, crowned the winner.

Richard Fordham, Q90’s international brand manager, said: “The purpose of the event was to put Q90 in the spotlight. The products combine high-quality UK engineering with sleek Italian style, offering powerful performance and flexibility, whilst being robust and easy to maintain. We gave visitors the chance to see this at first-hand with a specially designed Q90 suite of products.

Following the success and positive feedback from the day, we will be repeating the event in February.”

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The ‘Food Information for Consumers’ (FIC) Regulation 1169/2011 comes into force from 13th December 2014 and Huhtamaki report that their range of disposable food and drink packaging can not only be customised to enhance a brand’s corporate image but essential allergen information can be printed directly onto the packaging.

“To help caterers comply with the change in EU food labelling laws, Huhtamaki is able to support foodservice operators who need to fulfil their responsibility to provide allergen information to consumers, with use of a bespoke custom printing service that will help notify and inform consumers of the allergens contained within the products they intend to purchase,” explained John Young, Huhtamaki’s UK Foodservice Sales and marketing director.

The new regulations are being introduced in response to the rising number of people in the UK affected by food allergies and intolerances, and under the new regulations, food being sold nonpacked or pre-packed for direct sale must provide consumers with a comprehensive ingredients listing to make it easier for people to identify ingredients they need to avoid, before purchase.

Changes to food labelling legislation within foodservice will see it become law for operators to provide specific allergy information for 14 food allergens - glutencontaining cereals, crustaceans, molluscs, fish, peanuts, lupin, nuts, soya, eggs, milk, celery, mustard, sesame and sulphur dioxide (Trading Standards will be enforcing the new regulations from December 2014, and non-compliance could lead to prosecutions).

Cimbali supports customer service with new director and service engineers Cimbali, the world’ largest coffee equipment manufacturer, has appointed Keith Stanger to the post of service director.

With over 24 years’ experience managing field based service operations, having started his career as an engineer for Marconi and then Granada, before joining Dixons Mastercare, Keith Stanger’s more recent experience has been in the healthcare sector where he was responsible for the field service engineers, customer service desk and the machine workshop will stand him in good stead as he takes up his new position with Cimbali.

“My key objective is to work with the field and customer service teams to further improve our operating efficiencies and quality standards. This will enable the service operation to support the business with its continued growth and as a consequence strengthen our position in the market,” said

Keith Stanger on his appointment.

As a further commitment to customer service, Cimbali has recently employed an additional seven field services engineers and taken delivery of a fleet of Keith Stanger has 35 new vehicles.

The VW Caddies joined Cimbali. and Vauxhall Vivaros each carry over £20k of stock and are fully kitted out with iPads and telecoms equipment to allow two way data exchange with the service desk at Elstree. The additional engineers coupled with the latest technology mean a faster response time and improved communication flow with customers, say the firm.

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news VAT campaign now in consultation process The Jacques Borel-led campaign to reduce VAT in the hospitality sector from 20% to 5% has launched a consultation across the sector on the next steps in the campaign after the success of Tax Equality Day in September, having written to supporters asking for views and suggestions on how the campaign should proceed.

The campaign, which saw price cuts by more than 50 companies to highlight the benefits of lower VAT to customers, generated more than 360 individual press cuttings, with coverage of the day by many national newspapers, including the Financial Times and the Sun. In a letter to campaign supporters and others, Jacques Borel states:“This has helped get the inherent unfairness of the current VAT regime over to the general public. I believe that public and political support will continue to grow and will influence economic policy when the Chancellor is seeking radical policy initiatives to address youth unemployment and stimulate economic growth. Our aim is that all parties should adopt VAT realignment in their manifestos and perhaps compete with each other as to its extent.”

Jacques Borel also reports meetings with 65 individual members of the Houses of Parliament in the last year, with reactions from MPs “almost entirely positive and supportive” with two well-supported Early Day Motions tabled – Early Day Motion 102, tabled by Brian Binley MP, has 51 signatories (he expects to have met 100 peers and MPs by Christmas and notes that UKIP leadership has indicated its support for the campaign), adding:“It is true and not unexpected that the government reaction has been negative but this is consistent with

Jacques Borel’s VAT recuction campaign is gaining momentum.

my experience lobbying in other countries where changes of heart become evident at the last minute.”

The letter to supporters suggests that the next step in the campaign might be for businesses to adopt a ‘Business Pledge’ that allocates the value of reduced VAT: 60% returned to consumers by way of reduced prices; 20% allocated to investment in facilities and improvements in the building fabric - and thereby having a multiplier effect; 10% earmarked for payroll benefit; 5% invested in staff training and apprenticeships; 5% in retained profits and dividends. Jacques Borel concedes that withdrawing a reduction in VAT on alcohol from the campaign’s demands might be a ‘realistic concession’ at some stage although the demand might be retained for alcohol served with a meal.

In the letter, Jacques Borel adds: “Our most recent research (Growth and Jobs Report dated 30 April 2013) shows a net cost to the exchequer of £0.8bn and more than 670,000 jobs created for a VAT reduction from 20% to 5% for the hospitality sector only. We are currently updating this research and especially looking at the impact on the shadow economy. Lower VAT on labour-intensive services such as hospitality and tourism would provide a major stimulus to jobs and growth, reduce pressure on the benefits system and slash youth unemployment.”

SHORTS Prezzo agree to TPG takeover Prezzo has agreed to a £303.7m takeover by the private equity firm TPG. Having also received offers from TPG and Advent, some analysts predicted that an eventual offer would be nearer £316m. TPG say that its 126.5p a share offer values the business at 9.2 times Prezzo's adjusted earnings of £31m for the 12 months to the end of June. Before the announcement, shares closed at 125p, meaning that TPG was only offering a fraction more (Prezzo shares had been trading at 160p in March).

Mediterranean diet can tackle obesity A Mediterranean diet may be a better way of tackling obesity than calorie counting, claim doctors writing in the Postgraduate Medical Journal (PMJ), as it quickly reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Indeed, they go further, pointing out that it may be better than low-fat diets for securing sustained weight loss (official NHS advice being to monitor calorie intake to maintain a healthy weight).

Best ever TriestEspresso expo The seventh edition of the Trieste (Italy) trade fair, which drew 170 selected exhibitors from 20 countries, closed with very positive results. There were 10,782 trade visitors from 80 countries at the fair, and as such the uninterrupted growth of the event continues (an increase of +5.3% on the 2012 results). The two most represented groups among the visitors were roasters and importers/distributors of coffee, coffee machines, machinery and accessories for the production chain.

New grinders from CMC The Coffee Machine Company (CMC), the UK importer of high end Italian-made coffee grinders from leading manufacturer, Ceado, has announced the introduction of the new E6 range.

CMC has been importing Ceado coffee grinders for several years now and found them to be highly reliable, representing excellent value for money. They are widely recognised as the quietest machines in their class, an attribute which is very important for some establishments.

BrewDog launch in Italy Scotland’s largest independent brewery continues its mission to take the craft beer revolution global with the launch of BrewDog Bologna. Located on San Valentino 2F, 40122 Bologna, the new bar will provide a centre point for the craft beer scene in the city, offering some of the world’s most sought after beers from all over the world, say the company. Home to Europe’s oldest university, the city is famed for its lively music and art scene and is a hotbed for creative thinking in the country.

Tapas tour calls for hospitality industry to catch up with fresh pledge Spanish tapas bar and restaurant, La Tasca, took tapas on tour across the UK recently, announcing its fresh pledge, and urging others in the hospitality industry to catch up and invest in more fresh produce.

With an industry leading 85% of La Tasca’s menu being created from fresh produce, the Spanish aficionados dished out tapas to the masses to give the people of the UK a taste of authentic Spain.

Shining a light on others in the hospitality industry that need to catch up and increase the

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amount of fresh food on offer, La Tasca felt that by taking a stance, it was pledging that it will continue to develop its menu around the quality and freshness expected but not readily available on the high street. Its tapas van visited Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow, Liverpool, Birmingham, Bournemouth and Cardiff.

David Holroyd at Fresh Direct, commented:“In the food industry, there is an increasing importance being placed around using fresh, healthy and quality ingredients, which is something that is at the

heart of our business. La Tasca’s fresh pledge and tapas tour was a great idea to showcase its commitment to the cause.”

Simon Wilkinson, CEO at La Tasca, added:“Our partnership with Fresh Direct is a way of cementing our commitment to using the freshest ingredients, to reflect the true nature of Spanish cooking and ensure that we are always offering the best-of-thebest. Ultimately, we’re showing the rest of the industry that it is possible for the majority of your produce to be fresh.”

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The Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Awards 2014

This year’s event and prize draw supported the Bowel Cancer UK charity.

The evening of Thursday, 13 November 2014, saw the hosting of a celebratory twenty fifth Pizza Pasta and Italian Food awards at the London Lancaster Hotel in London, with music provided by the Soul Legends and dancing until the early hours. Some 400 people from across the pizza, pasta and Italian food industry were present at the gala dinner with the awards’ winners being revealed for the second year in a row by the well-known Italian TV chef and restaurateur, Aldo Zilli (celebrity chef, Gino D’Acampo, also put in an appearance to collect an award for his Pasta Bar concept).

PHOTOGRAPHS Pictures from the awards – the Pizza Chef of the Year heats and finals, as well as the awards dinner - can be found at the PAPA Facebook page at www.facebook.com/papagb

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Overall Supermarket Section Sponsor

Overall Independent Section Sponsor Official beer sponsor December 2014

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awards

Pictured from left to right: Edward Gough (Beacon Foods), Gavin Lilley (senior director of operations and GOST) and Aldo Zilli.

NEW PRODUCT OR INGREDIENT AWARD

Sponsored by:

Foodservice category WINNER: Beacon Foods (tomato marshmallow smoke ketchup) HIGHLY COMMENDED: Leathams (Roquito® tri-colour chilli peppers)

Pictured from left to right:Front row - Gareth Hopley (head of PR and communications, Pizza Hut), Carlo and Andrea Diforti (Taste of Sicily) and Aldo Zilli. Back row - Kathryn Austin (chief people and marketing officer, Pizza Hut), Adrian Walker (chief financial officer, Pizza Hut) and Victoria Clarke (head of marketing, Pizza Hut).

ITALIAN PIZZA RESTAURANT CHAIN AWARD

Sponsored by:

WINNERS: Pizza Hut

SHORTLISTED: Brakes (woodfired pizza bases) Snowbird Foods (mini beef burgers) Bradburys Cheese (Edam and cumin cheese mix) Pasta King (Quorn korma sauce for pasta)

Pictured from left to right: Carlo and Andrea Diforti, Gavin Lilley (senior director of operations) and Aldo Zilli.

Retail category WINNER: Taste of Sicily (nut-free vegetarian pesto pumado) HIGHLY COMMENDED: Italia Formaggi (Divo Parmagiano Reggiano P.D.O.) SHORTLISTED: Donatantonio (Lupetta n’duja paste) Taste of Sicily (nut-free vegetarian pesto basilica)

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Pictured from left to right: Toni Walker (national account manager, Galbani), Christian Poole (Prezzo) and Aldo Zilli.

ITALIAN RESTAURANT CHAIN AWARD

Sponsored by:

WINNER: Prezzo

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awards INDEPENDENT ITALIAN PIZZA RESTAURANT AWARD PLATINUM AWARD WINNER: Bella Napoli (Glasgow)

Sponsored by:

GOLD STANDARD: Riva (Glasgow)

Pictured from left to right: Peter Di Ciacca (Riva) and Aldo Zilli.

GOLD STANDARD: Tony Macaroni (Braehead)

Pictured from left to right: Alex Karnacz (national account manager – food service professional at General Mills UK Limited), Giovanni Pia (Bella Napoli) and Aldo Zilli.

Pictured from left to right: Chris Bryce (Tony Macaroni) and Aldo Zilli.

GOLD STANDARD: La Favorita (Edinburgh) Pictured from left to right: Tony Crolla (La Favorita), Aldo Zilli and Spencer Wilson (executive head chef, Vittoria Group).

GOLD STANDARD: La Piazza (Thornbury) Pictured from left to right: Giuseppe Ferraro (La Piazza) and Aldo Zilli.

GOLD STANDARD: Battlefield Restaurant (Glasgow) Pictured from left to right: Marco Giannasi (Battlefield Restaurant) and Aldo Zilli.

GOLD STANDARD: Il Forno (Liverpool) Pictured from left to right: Theo Tsiolas (Il Forno), Aldo Zilli and Thomas Kuba (Il Forno).

GOLD STANDARD: Bella Napoli (Glasgow) GOLD STANDARD: Pizzeria Venezia (Rushden) Pictured from left to right: Giovanni Pia (Bella Napoli) and Aldo Zilli.

Pictured: Rob Tucker and Cesare Marinaro with Aldo Zilli (centre).

GOLD STANDARD: The Stable (Bristol) – not present on the night

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awards INDEPENDENT PIZZA DELIVERY STORE AWARD

Sponsored by:

PLATINUM AWARD WINNER: Red Tomato Pizza (Doncaster) GOLD STANDARD: Yammo (Bath)

Pictured from left to right: Danielli Quagliette (Yammo) and Aldo Zilli.

GOLD STANDARD: Red Tomato Pizza (Doncaster) Pictured from left to right: Darius and Comron Hayati (Red Tomato Pizza) and Graham Corfield (MD of Just Eat) and Aldo Zilli.

GOLD STANDARD: La Favorita Delivered (Edinburgh)

Pictured from left to right: Comron Hayati (Red Tomato Pizza), Aldo Zilli and Darius Hayati (Red Tomato Pizza).

GOLD STANDARD: Village Pizza (London) Pictured: Aldo Zilli (centre), Katy Habiban (Village Pizza) and colleague.

Pictured from left to right: Jaspal Gill (manager of Leith La Favorita Delivered), Aldo Zilli and Kenny Scott (CEO of La Favorita Delivered).

GOLD STANDARD: Romeo’s Takeaway (Derry)

GOLD STANDARD: Florentino’s (Gainsborough) Pictured from left to right: Mansour Arjemandfar (Florentino’s) and Aldo Zilli.

Pictured from left to right: Majid Rostani (Romeo’s Takeaway), Aldo Zilli and Joanne Rostani (Romeo’s Takeaway).

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GOLD STANDARD: Pizzaface, Brighton – not present on the night

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awards INDEPENDENT ITALIAN RESTAURANT AWARD PLATINUM AWARD WINNER: Tamburino Restaurant (Yeovil)

Sponsored by:

GOLD STANDARD: Nonna’s Kitchen (London)

Pictured from left to right: Domenico Taravella (Tamburino Restaurant), Toni Walker (national account manager, Galbani), Salvatore Settacase (Tamburino Restaurant) and Aldo Zilli.

GOLD STANDARD: Amodo Mio (Falkirk) Carolina Pia

Pictured from left to right: Joe Ricotta (Nonna’s Kitchen) and Aldo Zilli.

GOLD STANDARD: Trattoria Domenico (Huddersfield)

Pictured from left to right: Carolina Pia (Amodo Mio) and Aldo Zilli.

GOLD STANDARD: The Italian Club Fish (Liverpool))

Pictured from left to right: Giuseppe Cina (Trattoria Domenico) and Aldo Zilli.

GOLD STANDARD: Divino Enoteca (Edinburgh) Tamburino (Yeovil) La Locanda (Gisburn) Little Italy (London) Pictured from left to right: Gabriella Crolla (The Italian Club Fish) and Aldo Zilli.

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Farrell’s (Nailsea) – not present on the night

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awards

Pictured from left to right: Aldo Zilli, Derick Martin (non-executive chairman, My Pasta Bar), Gino D’Acampo, Panos Toulouras (store manager, My Pasta Bar) and Clare Benfield (editor of Pizza Pasta & Italian Food magazine).

LUNCHTIME INNOVATION AWARD

Sponsored by:

SHORTLISTED: Divino Enoteca marketing campaign ASK Italian (‘Respect the Pasta’ campaign) Spar (‘There for You’ campaign) Goodfella’s (brand re-launch) Prezzo (Becoming 200 campaign)

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Slice Pizza (Manchester) SHORTLISTED: Pizza Rossa (Leadenhall Market, London) Elior UK (Pizza Foundry concept)

Pictured from left to right: John McGrath (business development manager and communications director, Dawn Farm Foods) , Ian Douglas (director, Domino’s) and Aldo Zilli.

WINNER: Domino’s

Sponsored by:

Pictured from left to right: Clare Benfield (editor, Pizza Pasta & Italian Food magazine), Clare McGoran (Iceland) and Aldo Zilli.

Sponsored by:

FROZEN PIZZA MULTIPLE RETAILER AWARD

Sponsored by:

WINNER: Iceland

SHORTLISTED: Papa John’s Firezza Pizza Hut

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PAPA MARKETING AWARD WINNER: Papa John’s – Official Pizza Partner of the Football League campaign

WINNER: My Pasta Bar (London)

PIZZA DELIVERY CHAIN AWARD

Pictured from left to right: Chris Brazier (Casual Dining), Andrew Gallagher (senior director of marketing, Papa John’s) and Aldo Zilli.

SHORTLISTED: All retailers were considered.

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awards MANUFACTURED PIZZA PRODUCT AWARD

Sponsored by:

Pictured from left to right: Per Larsen (DK Foods), Emily Brindley (Aldi) and Aldo Zilli.

MANUFACTURED PASTA PRODUCT OF THE YEAR AWARD

Sponsored by:

Pictured from left to right: Clare Benfield (editor, Pizza Pasta & Italian Food magazine), Nick Goodwin (Tesco) and Aldo Zilli.

Everyday category WINNER: Aldi (takeaway stonebaked BBQ chicken pizza) HIGHLY COMMENDED: The Co-operative (thin and crispy feta, olive and chargrilled vegetable pizza) SHORTLISTED: Morrisons (thin meat feast) Morrisons (restaurant sweet chilli chicken) Asda (chosen by you stuffed crust meat feast) Toscana Sourdough Pizza Company (margherita with pesto pizza) Per Larsen (DK Foods), Helen Kerfoot, Adam Rockingham, Domenique Gill (the Co-op) and Aldo Zilli.

Retail category: Ambient WINNER: Tesco Finest (fusilli lunghi col buco) SHORTLISTED: Donatantonio (Lupetta tortiglioni) Tesco (high protein fusilli pasta) Aldi (specially selected tagliatelle)

Pictured from left to right: Clare Benfield (editor, Pizza Pasta & Italian Food magazine), Anna Petti and Francesca Falcone (Rondanini) and Aldo Zilli.

Indulgent category

Retail category: Chilled

WINNER: The Co-operative (Truly Irresistible coppa, gorgonzola and fig)

WINNER: Tesco (pasta pot Italian fresh spinach and ricotta tortelloni with Italian tomato and basil sauce)

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Asda (Chosen By You garlic double decker)

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Waitrose (pea and pancetta ravioli) Dell’Ugo (wild mushroom and truffle ravioli)

SHORTLISTED: Waitrose Menu Pizza Range (spicy Calabrian salami pizza) Tesco Finest (chorizo and manchego pizza) Iceland (ultra-thin wood fired pulled pork and sweet onions) Aldi (specially selected Italian mozzarella and pesto)

SHORTLISTED: Co-operative (Truly Irresistible slow cooked beef cannelloni) Morrisons (Bolognese tortelloni)

Pictured from left to right: Clare Benfield (editor, Pizza Pasta & Italian Food magazine), Luigi Carnevale and Ercole Cappai (Pasta and Pasta).

Pictured from left to right: Per Larsen (DK Foods), Dave Gannon (Curry Dave) and Aldo Zilli.

Innovative category WINNER: Curry Dave (Indian flatbread pizza range) HIGHLY COMMENDED: Waitrose (ultra-thin and crispy range – cherry tomato, asparagus and pesto) SHORTLISTED: Morrisons (take-away garlic chicken) Iceland (hot dog stuffed crust cheesy dog pizza) The Co-operative (thin and crispy habanero heat meat)

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Foodservice category WINNER: Pasta and Pasta (triangoli filled with goats cheese and pear) SHORTLISTED: Pasta and Pasta (Sardinian ravioli filled with potato, pecorino and truffles) Rondanini (Zizzole pasta)

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awards

Pictured from left to right: Timothy Ashburn (quality assurance and NPD Technologist, Avalon), Helen Kerfoot (The Co-operative) and Aldo Zilli.

PIZZA CONVENIENCE AND DISCOUNT STORE RETAILER AWARD

Sponsored by:

Pictured from left to right: Adam Kennedy and David Store (Waitrose), Paul Ugo (Ugo Foods), Emma Brindley (Aldi) and Aldo Zilli.

PASTA RETAILER AWARD Sponsored by: JOINT WINNERS: Aldi and Waitrose

WINNER: The Co-operative SHORTLISTED: All convenience retailers were considered.

Pictured from left to right: David Giles (commercial director, Glanbia), Callum Denniston (marketing manager for Stateside Foods and category captain), Thomas Holmes (category planning advisor pizza), James Dean (buying assistant pizza), Lucy Shotton (buying manager pizza), Sarah Denyer (product manager pizza), Lisa Prudhoe (category planning manager pizza) and Aldo Zilli.

Pictured from left to right: Ian Ritchie (Dawn Farm Foods), Ian Kent (Stateside Foods) and Aldo Zilli.

CHILLED PIZZA MULTIPLE RETAILER AWARD Sponsored by:

WINNER: ASDA SHORTLISTED: All retailers were considered.

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Sponsored by:

pizzapasta AND ITALIAN FOOD

CHEESE

THE PAPA INDUSTRY AWARD WINNER: Ian Ritchie

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CHEESE

The Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food Association Would like to thank all of the sponsors and judges of this year’s Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food Industry Awards for their support, as well as all the venues where the regional heats for this year’s Pizza Chef of the Year competition were held.

Our thanks also go to Jestic for the use of their oven in the final.

Charity prize draw A cash draw for £300, auction and a raffle which raised over £3000 for Bowel Cancer UK charity was held on the night, drawn by Aldo Zilli. Prizes included two Italian Hampers (kindly donated by Menabrea), an iPad Air (kindly donated by Stateside), £50 M & S vouchers (kindly donated by Dawn Farms), two £50 Just Eat vouchers (kindly donated

by Just Eat), a Port Meirion Salad Bowl, a Kosta Boda decorative glass dish, as well as a day in the kitchen with Aldo Zilli.

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awards

Pizza Chef of the Year

Pictured from left to right: Cedric Blanpied (Bel UK), Aldo Zilli and Toni Allen.

BEL UK BOURSIN® CHEESE CATEGORY Category winner: Toni Allen (The Wood Fired Pizza Company)

Pictured from left to right: Edward Gough (Beacon Foods), Aldo Zilli and Gennaro Nespoli.

Pictured from left to right: Alan Ribakovs (Whitworth Bros.), Aldo Zilli and Luigi Marchetti.

BEACON FOODS CANDY GARLIC CLOVE CATEGORY

WHITWORTHS BROS. VIVO ITALIAN STYLE PIZZA FLOUR CATEGORY

Category winner: Gennaro Nespoli (Fratelli Bufala Restaurant) Highly commended: Connor Jones (Portobello Restaurant)

TULIP SUPERTOPS CATEGORY Category winner: Ignazio Di Cataldo (SubXpress Pizza)

PIZZA ART COMPETITION 2014

Category winner: Luigi Marchetti (Yammo Italiano)

Sponsored by FRUMENTA ITALIAN '00' PIZZA FLOURS.

WINNER Darius Hayati (for his Bob Marley pizza)

Pictured from left to right: Cedric Blanpied (Bel UK), Toni Allen and Aldo Zilli.

Pizza Chef of theYear 2014 Winner: Toni Allen (The Wood Fired Pizza Company)

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PIZZA CHEF of the year 2014

Pictured from left to right: Darius Hayati (Red Tomato Pizza), Nicola Giandosa (Frumenta) and Aldo Zilli.

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Wine time alcohol

From the stories behind individual wines, to how best to serve them, there’s plenty of discussion to be had and ways of going about making sure that your own wine menu is a distinctive one to meet a variety of occasions.

Educational opportunities “Wine is one of the fundamental elements of Italian cuisine and CQS works very closely with a number of exceptional wine producers throughout Italy to bring a range of the finest wines to the UK,” says Nick Tatham MW, wine development manager for Continental Quattro Stagioni (www.continental-food.co.uk).

“Tasting events are critical in terms of educating and advising independent food operators and restaurant owners about new vintages and helping them to select the best choices for their establishment.

“Wonderful examples of such events are those held by Chianto Classico, including the one earlier this year where the world premier tasting of their new top tier ‘Gran Selezione’ category was held at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.”

A further event, report CQS, was staged in London last month in order to announce the UK debut for Chianti Classico ‘Gran Selezione’.

“This event featured a ‘walk round’ tasting of wines from 34 producers, a presentation of the new category by the Consorzio and a series of Masterclass tastings hosted by Emily O’Hare, (sommelier, wine writer and until recently wine buyer for the prestigious London restaurant

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‘River Café’),” recalls Nick Tatham.

“This was a very high profile event and also included the attendance of the president of the Chianti Classico Consortium, Sergio Zingarelli, owner of the prestigious Chianti Classico estate, Rocca Delle Macie.

“It had been more than five years since Chianti Classico has held an exclusive event in the UK and it was therefore an important opportunity for buyers to be able to review the category and asses the new wines.”

This event was also milestone for Chianti Classico, noted CQS, as there have been some historic changes over the past two years which buyers and operators may have not fully understood.

“In 2013 Chianti Classico saw a wine ‘revolution’,” reveals Nick Tatham. “The 600 strong membership assembly of the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico approved an important addition to production regulations for the region which permits a new classification for Chianti Classico positioned at the top of the DOCG quality pyramid: the ‘Gran Selezione’. It is the first time that Italian wine legislation has permitted introduction of a new category at the pinnacle of such a denomination.

“The ‘Gran Selezione’ accounts for approximately 10% of the Chianti Classico production.

Chianti Classico Gran Selezione is positioned at the summit of the DOCG’s quality pyramid, above Chianti Classico Riserva and Chianti Classico Annata Vineyard Selection. Gran Selezione wines may only be made from the producer’s own vineyards either from a single vineyard or a selection of the estate’s best grapes Minimum ageing requirement: 30 months ageing in total to include a minimum of three months in bottle.”

Thus, it is easy to understand how important it is from a producer perspective to hold these tasting events, and why operators and buyers should attend. However, to really make the most of such a tasting event some thought and preparation is undertaken in advance, says Nick Tatham.

“As it is not always possible to see all the exhibitors or taste all of the wines, it is usually a good idea to look at the online pretasting details first and to make a list of those people you really want to see most of all,” he advises.

“It is also a good idea to have an understanding of the sort of pricing each is offering to see if this will fit with your business.

Talk to the exhibitors to ask about

the wines and where they are available and if there are any timing problems with stock availability.

“Finally, get an idea of the current vintage in terms of quality and quantity - this will help in terms of making your buying decisions and give you information which you can pass on to your customers.”

Tales to tell The fact that there is a great deal of heritage and organoleptic properties to be taken into Winemaker, Federica Lauterio, is keen to put Sicilian wines on the map.

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consideration when it comes to wine, and its appreciation, means that behind each one there is invariably a story to get to know.

Such background details, in the day and age of increasingly well informed and well-travelled consumers, is a very important aspect of wine selection and food pairing, and its promotion.

The Sicilian winery, Barone Montalto, for instance, reports that it is getting ready for its Ammasso new vintage, having harvested the grapes that it anticipates will give rise to top

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quality white wines that are noted for their good acidity and freshness.

Making wine, of course, is an ancient and noble art and doing it in Sicily - the largest island in the Mediterranean and a cradle of history and culture - it is also a responsibility, feel this winery. In fact, Barone Montalto say that their mission is to let the world discover Sicily, a strong land, rich in authentic wines.

Barone Montalto is located in Santa Ninfa and runs 400 hectars of vineyards, 50 in ownership, and almost all are in the heart of the Belice Valley. Their fruttaia (fruit chamber) hosts the grapes, 80 tons of which - only the best selection and most suitable compose the final blend of Ammasso (a limited availability, iconic wine made from several different varieties - Nero d'Avola, Nerello Mascalese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon).

After collecting the white grape varieties such as Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier, once in the process of fermentation with a potential good acidity and freshness, they then collect red grapes. Despite a climate that could be defined as continental, the winery says that it expects structured and very

elegant wines, ready to satisfy the international markets, according to their young winemaker Federica Lauterio.

For Barone Montalto their Ammasso is not just a label, but the result of careful and demanding research, all aimed at giving excellent results in a particular season, thanks to a series of innovations they have worked upon across the years. It is also a wine that has enjoyed international success, the main volume (34.1%) currently being exported to the United Kingdom.

Grown and vinified in the zone of the Belice valley, the hills surrounding the area of Santa Ninfa, Ammasso is obtained from a careful selection of the grapes.

During the harvest each bunch is treated with care, hand-picked and laid down in a single layer in small boxes of not more than 5kg each. This approach allows the grapes to remain intact and not be crushed by the weight, say the winery. After harvesting, the grapes remain for four weeks in the fruttaia which is ventilated and with a constant temperature, prior to the subsequent parts of the wine-making process.

A little closer to home, there was a very good opportunity to sample an impressive variety of Italian wines recently at a special wine tasting event held in London in October. Some of the shining stars from Daniele Cernilli’s inaugural Essential Guide to Italian Wine 2015, launched recently to the UK market, were represented at this showcase event, their producers and

Italy’s ‘Dr Wine’ – Daniele Cernilli.

representatives in attendance, and on hand to answer any questions visiting operators and restaurateurs might have had.

Highlights included the chance to sample Lambrusco di Sorbara Premium Vecchia Modena 2013 from Cleto Chiarli,

Le Vignole 2012 from Colle Picchioni, Montiano 2011 and Tellus 2013 from Falesco, as well as Castel del Monte Rosso Riserva Vigna Pedale 2010 from Torrevento and Sicilia Bianco Cometa 2013 and Noto Nero D’Avola Santa Cecila 2009 from Planeta.

It was also possible to taste Sassicaia 2011 and Guidalberto 2012 from Tenuta San Guido, Montefalco Sagrantino Passito 2009 and Sagrantino 2009 from Colpetrone, together with Amarone della Valpollicella Classico 2007 from Bertani, as well as many, many more intriguing wines, all with their own stories to tell.

Successful re-launch Wine Innovations used this year’s lunch! event to re-launch its Intrepid Fox single-serve ‘wine in a glass’. Intrepid Fox is specially designed for the retail and events catering industry, where glass is usually prohibited, and where maximising revenue means achieving the fastest rate of sale possible (needless to say, it also offers a neat ‘to go’ wine option).

Intrepid Fox was the first ever alcoholic drink to be exhibited at lunch!, as organisers felt the product is first and foremost a ‘grab-and-go’ product, making it particularly relevant to ‘food-togo’ traders. Event organisers highlighted the unique design features of Intrepid Fox and their excitement about the product in explaining their decision to allow the ‘wine in a glass’ to be sampled at the show.

Intrepid Fox’s design makes the product quick and easy to serve, while minimising costly spillages and eliminating breakages, claim the firm. The product is therefore ideal for convenience retailers and events caterers, who typically trade at very high-traffic locations and glass-free areas. The PET glass, which closely resembles a traditional wine glass, comes sealed with a peel-able foil lid, and has a shelf life of up to a year.

The glasses are 100% recyclable, and are completely shatterproof, say Wine Innovations. In closely resembling a regular wine glass, Intrepid Fox’s design also offers a greater aesthetic appeal than traditional plastic cups.

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bottle Cinque. A compact unit, the Cinque is ideal for wine bars, hotels and restaurants wanting to offer a range of fine wines by the glass. Not only does it deliver a precise, controlled measure, it also keeps open bottles of wine in perfect condition for up to 30 days, with no possibility of wine spoilage, oxidisation or cross contamination, claim its suppliers.

The Cinque combines proprietary technology and Italian elegance, creating an eyeIntrepid Fox pre-packaged ‘wine in a glass’ initially appeared on the BBC hit TV series Dragons’ Den, and now enjoys considerable success in the convenience retail and events catering sectors. After being an ‘angel investor’ in the company, Ball Capital Investment has taken over Wine Innovations, and will be aiming to build on Intrepid Fox’s successes in the convenience retail and events catering sectors. “lunch! was the perfect showcase for our product,” said Renu Sunak, business development manager at Wine Innovations. “Intrepid Fox has already shown to be a unique solution to the problems commonly encountered when buying and selling wine at hightraffic events, and it has enjoyed great successes in the convenience retail sector.”

Serving solutions WineEmotion UK has launched a new fine wine dispenser, the five-

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catching display while maximising the profitability of fine wine by the glass.

“Increasingly discerning consumers want to enjoy fine wines, and are happy to pay the premium, but don’t necessarily want to buy a whole bottle,” says Dan Lovell, managing director of WineEmotion UK. “Likewise, operators don’t want to open a bottle of fine wine and only sell one glass from it. The Cinque provides the solution, in a stylish cabinet that will promote sales.”

The Cinque has a variety of design features and options to create a strong visual impact, while complementing an outlet’s décor. The glass front is equipped with a colour LED light system that can be adjusted, for example, to suit the time of day or the occasion. It can even be linked to external systems to co-ordinate lighting effects. The unit is manufactured in high-grade stainless steel with a range of colours available, including special finishes such as Corten weathered steel (the unit can also be manufactured to incorporate a variety of graphics or logos).

Keeping the wine in the best possible condition over an extended period is achieved by the Isol Plus dispense system A vast range of both coupes and flutes can be found in the ‘Art of Artis 2014’ catalogue, including their best-selling ‘Perception’ Coupe at £2.55 or conventional flutes ranging from as little as £1.43 to £6.67 for a vintage crystal flute?

Artis’s catalogue can be downloaded at www.artisuk.com/downloads.

which isolates each bottle and uses a safe, inert gas to prevent oxidisation. The Cinque is available in either an ambient or a refrigerated version, which features a sophisticated controller that maintains the preferred temperature, with a range from 7 to 18°C, explain WineEmotion UK. A key benefit of serving fine wine by the glass is its profitability (something that can go down the drain if staff are over generous with measures).

Therefore, the Cinque dispenses a choice of three different measures, each precisely controlled, at the touch of a button eliminating the risk of wine wastage.

Each WineEmotion UK system offers a variety of technologies to protect and enhance management of the fine wine service, including self-service chip cards and software to monitor and manage the system. Optional extras include biometric fingerprint identification and currently under development is the WineEmotion App, to further enhance the consumer’s wine tasting experience (www.wineemotionuk.com).

When it comes to the serving of Champagne and prosecco this Christmas, the controversy over what type of glass to use is likely to rage on. Is it better to serve your prosecco in flutes or in coupes?

The Coupe is the first style of glassware made specifically for serving champagne, say glass supplier Artis. As such, it has a nostalgic and romantic image, reminiscent of 20’s and 30’s movie stars. The champagne coupe is designated for a more taste-oriented purpose. Those who drink champagne from a wide bowl like this are more interested in the full body and flavour of the wine and not just the bubbles (the wide bowl of the coupe allowing the champagne to open up more and give a more present and full taste).

On the other hand, some experts say that champagne must be served in a flute or ‘tulip’shaped glass. A flute is held by the stem so that your hands don’t warm the wine. This shape is also said to enhance the aroma of the champagne and encourage the

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Spirits During the colder months, spirits and liqueurs become a more popular choice, and not least during the festive season, with many brands of alcohol offering colourful cocktail potential.

If you think Luxardo is all about Sambuca, for example, it certainly is all about authentic full-strength taste (38% abv), but there is so much more in the Luxardo range of classic liqueurs for party mixing, point out the sector supplier, Cellar Trends.

Its bright and vibrant range of Sambuca liqueur flavours make them ideal as colourful party serves, simply neat and chilled.

Luxardo Sambuca Dei Cesari (original clear Sambuca) and sambuca liqueurs will be featuring in several kinds of promotions with selected partner wholesalers and cash and carry outlets. For classic cocktails, there’s Luxardo Maraschino and Limoncello, or a rich and toasty Amaretto for sipping.

"Luxardo has become the brand of choice for authentic sambuca and Italian classics that are essentials in so many cocktails. It’s what bartenders are choosing, and this year, our new initiatives such as the Luxardo Cocktail Campione competition for bartenders highlights the many different Luxardo products; not just a focus on one,” says Craig Chapman, marketing manager for Luxardo at Cellar Trends Ltd.“We have been

www.papa.org.uk

lucky enough to taste some very adventurous new creations that work in a surprisingly well balanced way.”

Off-trade, incentives will promote trial from the full range of eight sambuca flavours, and some wholesalers and cash and carry deals will encourage trade customers to buy a case combining any six flavours and gain a seventh bottle free, say Cellar Trends. This will offer independent outlets especially the opportunity to stock flavours which are not commonly seen in supermarkets, and benefit from the brand's campaign to promote the different styles (Original Luxardo Sambuca Dei Cesari, Passione Nera Black, Mint, Cola, Pear, Raspberry, Spiced Apple, Chilli & Spices, for instance).

On-trade, chilled, neat sambuca liqueur flavours are easy to serve for large social groups. Serve them in a rainbow of colours on trays, or lined up at the bar, suggest Cellar Trends. Luxardo’s tingling Mint and fragrant Pear or Raspberry in particular show off how well sambuca can carry a distinctive flavour. From the range of Luxardo classic liqueurs, Luxardo Limoncello adds a zesty freshness to refresh the palate from rich seasonal foods.

Mix a bubbly Limoncello spritz by pouring 15ml in a flute glass and then topping up with chilled prosecco. For a silky, fragrant indulgence, serve Luxardo Amaretto in the Italian way on ice and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Devon’s answer to another Italian classic – grappa – is called Dappa, and comes from South Ham’s based Devon Distillery.

Aiming to add a touch of sophistication and intrigue to any on trade establishment (www.devondistillery.com), it can accompany coffee, as well as be used in cocktails.

Inspired by grappa from Northern Italy, this luxury grapemarc-spirit is made in the UK’s only micro-distillery of its kind, distilled by hand in Devon with guidance and inspiration from an awardwinning Italian distiller.

Founded by Cosmo Caddy in December 2012, the first vintage of Dappa was completed in October 2013, using the finest grape skins

from English vineyards such as Sharpham, Bolney, Three Choirs, Biddenden and others. The 2013 blend was produced primarily with Pinot Noir and Rondo grape skins and is complimented with small quantities of Dornfelder and Regent.

“It’s exciting to be the first producer of a grappa style drink in the UK,” says Cosmo Caddy about his new creation.“The response has been fantastic, with extremely positive comments about both its look and originality. My vision here is to see it served in all the top bars and restaurants in the country as well as being used by leading mixologists as a base cocktail ingredient, for which it is particularly well suited.”

Artisan and boutique, Dappa is

characterised by clean, crisp and grassy flavours, with hints of berries and earthy tones in a young flavour that still presents complexity. It is best served after-dinner with rich, freshly brewed coffee or with bitter sweet dark chocolate, advises Cosmo Caddy, who has quality alcohol production in his genes. His grandfather created Sharpham Vineyard and the first vines were planted the year Cosmo was born.

Now, just over 30 years later, red grape skins from these same vines are being transformed using a specially hand-crafted Italian copper pot still.

Dappa also makes exceptional cocktails and has been shortlisted for the 2014 Food & Drink Devon Best Packaging and Best Product Award.

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alcohol

The waste debate

Aperol Spritz • • • • •

Ice 3 parts of Cinzano Prosecco 2 parts of Aperol 1 splash of soda A slice of orange

1. Get a large wine glass.

2. Add ice in the glass, then pour in the Prosecco , the Aperol and add a splash of soda.

3. Top with a slice of orange (this serving avoids the Aperol settling at the bottom).

Also known as Spritz Veneziano, since 2011 Aperol Spritz has been listed in the IBA (International Bartending Association) Official Drinks’ list (the IBA Official Drinks section includes the list of cocktails which are selected by the Association as most notable and frequently-made cocktails by professional bartenders around the world). Aperol (11% ABV) is a product of Gruppo Campari and distributed in the UK by Catalyst Brands. flow of the bubbles. There are pros and cons to each, and it is the operator who must be the final arbiter of what suits their establishment and your clientele.

Popular campaign Following recent promotional activity in the UK, the Italian aperitif brand, Aperol, reports that it has seen its sales at Waitrose soar by some 800% in one year, according to the annual Waitrose Food & Drink Report 2014.

Aperol, whose flagship serve is the Aperol Spritz – a refreshing drink combining Aperol, Prosecco and soda water - has been focused on bringing a taste of the famous Italian lifestyle to consumers across the UK, with 2014 seeing a 360 degree marketing campaign which included experiential activities, public relations, sampling, sponsorship and advertising.

The 2014 calendar began in January with Aperol Spritz announcing a 3.5 year partnership with Manchester United as Official Global Spirits Partner, alongside worldwide brands like Nike, Chevrolet and AON. The

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sponsorship deal sees Aperol benefit from year-round brand exposure, consumer engagement and stadium advertising.

Playing up to its reputation as being a sociable drink best enjoyed with friends, the summer months revealed a brand new drinking experience, the Aperol Spritz Social - a bespoke outdoor installation combining a bar, mezzanine terrace, decking and DJ booth. The activation, which was unveiled on the lawns of Spinningfields in Manchester in July, invited consumers to enjoy the sunny drink whilst taking in the Wimbledon matches on the big screen during the day, and dancing the night away to Manchester's finest upcoming bands and DJs come night.

Aperol Spritz isn't just for summer though, also adding sparkle to any Christmas or New Year's party. With its unique taste that is deliciously Italian but with total international appeal, Aperol Spritz is fast becoming a cult favourite outside of Italy, thanks to its exciting approach to marketing and following of loyal fans and trend setters.

Believe it or not, through its alcohol consumption, Britain is responsible for one of drinks industry's biggest headaches – how to deal with the waste products of both production and consumption of wine and other forms of alcohol.

These are the findings of one of the UK's leading waste management companies, which says that alongside the familiar sight of bottle banks and tin recycling, brewers and distillers are having to cope with the evergrowing mountain of by-products from their business.

While bottles and tins are easily and readily recycled, some brewers have traditionally just poured away their waste products, the BusinessWaste.co.uk company says.

"The consumer would be shocked if they knew of the waste behind their favourite tipple," says BusinessWaste.co.uk spokesperson Mark Hall.

“But the truth is that they're only just coming to grips with a centuries-old problem."

According to official statistics from businesswaste.co.uk, every year Britons get through - 1.5bn bottles of wine, - 108m bottles of vodka, - 70m bottles of Scotch, - and 30m bottles of gin Around 70% of British people say they drink alcohol on a weekly basis, with larger numbers of younger people bucking the national trend which had previously shown a decline in adult drinkers.

"Aside from the obvious health risks, we can report that up to 50% of alcohol containers aren't recycled and end up in general waste bins," says Mark Hall. "As an environmental health check for the nation, that's not particularly good. That means millions of tons of glass and aluminium not being recycled every year, and that's a terrible waste."

But it's in the brewing and distilling trade that waste is just as pressing.

Here, figures show that the Scottish whisky industry alone produces 500,000 tons of solid waste every year, and a staggering 1.6bn litres of waste liquids. While the solid waste (called "draff") is usually spread on agricultural land, the liquid ("pot ale") is sometimes just poured down the drain. There's hope that chaff and pot ale can be turned into other products, and a process has just been revealed that turns the two into useful chemicals such as acetone, and fuels like butanol and ethanol.

"That's the kind of 'out of the box' thinking that could save the distilling industry thousands every year," adds BusinessWaste.co.uk ‘s Mark Hall. "Not only in cutting their waste bills, but selling their by-products as a premium product."

BusinessWaste.co.uk says that other sectors of the drinks industry should take a look at their by-products to see if there is a viable alternative to waste.

"With raw commodities becoming more expensive every day, it means that the gap between waste and value is narrowing," says Mark Hall says.

"New processes could save the booze industry from a financial hangover, but they've got to invest first."

BusinessWaste.co.uk is a respected expert in recycling and waste disposal for businesses of all kinds. They manage waste and recycling collections for companies in and around major towns at the best possible prices and are committed to reducing wasteful landfill, working to help companies increase their recycling targets.

BusinessWaste.co.uk also campaigns for tighter laws to discourage littering, wasteful behaviour, and to encourage greater recycling and describe themselves as “the waste company that hates waste”.

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Pizza Chef Final 2014

F E H C PIZZA E H T F O YEAR D N A R G 4 1 0 2 FINAL The nation's finest pizza chefs cooked up a feast for the judges at the grand final of the Pizza Chef of the Year 2014 competition. Held at the Lancaster London Hotel ahead of the PAPA Industry Awards Dinner on 13 November 2014, the competition was split into four categories with the winner in each, as well as the overall winner, announced at the evening's awards ceremony. This year, it was the Wood Fired Pizza Company’s Toni Allen – who has competed in the event before - who secured the overall title of Pizza Chef of the Year as well as a winner’s cheque of £500.

Regional and category finalists Competitors were invited to the final following a series of regional heats where winners were chosen in four categories featuring selected ingredients provided by the competition sponsors (Bel UK, Tulip, Beacon Foods and Whitworth Bros).

The winners of each regional category then went on to compete in the London finals where they prepared their pizzas for a panel of judges who then chose a winner in each category, as well as an overall winner.

The pizzas were judged on taste, presentation, commercial viability and innovative use of the sponsor’s product.

Judging In judging the competition, those involved were looking for pizzas which score well in terms of: • Innovation – something different from existing products in the market • Commercial viability – the product can be made and sold in a retail or catering environment • Presentation – that it looks appetising • Eats well – ideally has that moreish factor • Innovative use of the sponsors’ products It was a requirement of the competition that each of the recipes must use one of the sponsor’s ingredients and thus show the competitor’s ability to be creative within defined limits.

Thank you The judges Aldo Zilli, celebrity chef.

Alan Ribakovs (Whitworth Bros, who supplied the Vivo flour).

Maurice Abboudi (Red Hot Restaurants Ltd).

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Cedric Blanpied (Bel UK, who supplied the Boursin Cuisine Cheese).

Alison Birch (Beacon Foods who supplied the Candy Garlic Cloves).

Camilla Deane (independent judge).

John Stiff (Tulip, who supplied Super Tops meat toppings).

Veronique Bertrand-Ribot (Bel UK).

PAPA would like to thank all those involved in the pizza judging, particularly Michael Eyre and Jestic for the loan of the pizza oven for the final and for hosting the judging, as well as Portobello Restaurant (Tamworth), Farrell’s Restaurant (Keynsham), Bella Napoli (Glasgow), Equipline (Uxbridge) and Stateside Foods for also hosting the heats of this year’s Pizza Chef competition.

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BEL UK BOURSIN® CHEESE PIZZA CHEF OF THE YEAR CATEGORY WINNER

Toni Allen (The Wood Fired Pizza Company, West Byfleet) Chorizo and Mushroom Pizza: tomato base with Boursin cheese melted in, roast spicy Spanish chorizo, wild mushrooms and wood roasted sweet peppers finished with green pesto.

Retail price £8.50

Rob Tucker & Cesare Marinaro (Pizzeria Venezia, Rushden) Cheese n Chutney Pizza Ingredients - Boursin Cuisine cheese, Parma ham slices cut in strips, cherry tomatoes cut in half, fruit chutney 5-6 dessert spoons, fresh rocket 6-7 leaves and a few drops of balsamic vinegar.

Method - Chutney (you can buy this from most department stores or is nice to make and enjoy for other snacks). To make chutney - bring to boil apples, pears, onion, tomato, malt vinegar, white wine vinegar, brown sugar with some mixed spice then simmer for a couple of hours or until thick. Spread the pizza base with Boursin cuisine cheese, add the cherry tomatoes and 5 or 6 dessert spoons of fruit chutney, evenly spread then cook. Once cooked add the Parma ham, neatly rolled into ribbons, around the pizza. Scatter the rocket and drizzle with balsamic Restaurant £8.95, Take away £8.45

www.papa.org.uk

Dominique Gill (Stateside Foods, Westhoughton) Ham & Cheese Pizza Ingredients - Béchamel sauce, water, double cream, cheddar cheese, skimmed milk, wheat flour, butter, salt, white pepper, onion powder, nutmeg. Toppings crumbled Boursin cheese, mozzarella, coppa and rocket.

Method - mix the yeast and sugar together with the water, add the flour, salt, garlic granules, herbs and Boursin to mixing bowl. Add water mixture and olive oil mix for 2 min’s slow, 3 min’s fast. Prove for two hours. Roll out dough 12” then top with sauce, mozzarella, crumbled Boursin and coppa. Cook in a deck oven at 3500C for 3 minutes when cooked garnish with rocket.

Restaurant £11.50

Darren Smith (Battlefields Restaurant, Glasgow) Vegetarian Heaven Pizza A crispy base made with walnuts and chestnuts, topped with a combination of fine fruits, vegetables and aromatic leaves. Boursin garlic and herb cheese is added to create a rich and complex foreground of flavour. This will enhance the texture and simplicity of the recipe.

Restaurant or take away £8.90

Roberto Galici (Nonna's Kitchen, Glasgow) Caribbean Pizza Cook pizza base for 40/50 seconds, spread Boursin cheese, grilled chicken, and place sliced mango caramelised in honey with salt and brown sugar on top, and bake the pizza. When pizza is ready, top with fresh mint and grated cucumbers.

Restaurant and takeaway £8.95

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WHITWORTHS BROS VIVO ITALIAN STYLE PIZZA FLOUR CHEF OF THE YEAR CATEGORY WINNER

Marco Fuso (Franco Manca Restaurant, London) Margherita pizza Tomato base, buffalo mozzarella DOP (Campana) basil and olive oil, extra virgin oil. 12” Margherita pizza. Texture half way between the Neapolitan style which is soft, and Italian Northern style which is crispy.

Retail price £9.00/£10.00

Luigi Marchetti (Yammo!, Bath) Pizza base, pizza sauce, mozzarella.

Tomasz Kuba (Il Forno, Liverpool)

Rob Tucker & Cesare Marinaro (Pizzeria Venezia, Rushden) Ingredients - Vivo flour pizza dough tomato celery apple, basil, garlic, white wine, sugar, salt and pepper, bay leaf, olive oil, tomato paste, tin of tomatoes.

Method – for the sauce, cook all of the ingredients in a heavy pan, add the white wine, a of tin of tomatoes and simmer for half an hour.

Spread the pizza dough with the tomato sauce and sprinkle with a little mozzarella cheese and cook. Once cooked add some thinly sliced buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil leaves and a few quartered cherry tomatoes.

Restaurant £7.95 Take away £7.45 36

pizzapasta AND ITALIAN FOOD

Paolo Crolla (Paolo's Italian, Scotland) San Marzana Margherita Cook the pizza base with San Marzana tomato and fior di latte cheese.

When ready garnish with fresh basil and drizzle with olive oil.

Restaurant £7.95 December 2014

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TULIP SUPERTOPS PIZZA CHEF OF THE YEAR Farhettin Ordu (Milano Restaurant, Leominster) Pizza Piemontese Ingredients tomato, mozzarella, American sausage, gherkins, olives, boiled egg & spring onion.

Price: £7.80

Toni Allen (The Wood Fired Pizza Company, West Byfleet) Middle Eastern Surprise Pizza Authentic tahini sauce, Super Tops chicken and shwarma, red onion and cucumber salsa, lemon juice and finished with our homemade zhoug.

Retail £8.75

CATEGORY WINNER

Ignazio Di Cataloo (SubXpress Pizza, Cheshunt) Chef’s Special Pizza Roll out pizza base to ½ meter, top with American sausage, Parma ham, buffalo mozzarella, friorielli, salami, ham, mushroom, olives and rocket.

Restaurant retail price £18.00

Giuseppe Ferraro (La Piazza, Thornbury) Tulip Meat Feast Pizza White Pizza Base, mozzarella, double cream, shredded duck, chicken, Parma ham and wild mushrooms.

Restaurant £9.00

www.papa.org.uk

Ryan McNab (Coopers Kitchen, Cumbria) Chicken Tikka Pizza Ingredients - plain chicken, tikka paste, sour cream, red onion, fresh red chilli, mango chutney, raeta, fresh coriander, poppadom pieces, pizza sauce, mozzarella, dried oregano, cracked black pepper, hand spun pizza base.

Method - mix tikka paste with sour cream and marinade the chicken pieces. Add a thin layer of pizza sauce to the pizza base. Sprinkle with a pinch of dried oregano and cracked black pepper. Add thinly sliced red onion then the chopped (de seeded) red chilli, add the marinated pieces of SuperTops Chicken. Sprinkle with a handful of grated mozzarella. Cook in pizza oven till base is crispy and cheese starts to brown. Take out and add a swirl of mango chutney, Add crunched up poppadum pieces, Splash with dollops of raita. Finish with a generous sprinkle of fresh chopped coriander. Cut and serve.

Suggested Selling Price £10.00, Pizzeria/Takeout

William Hernandez (Amaretto Ristorante, Bridge of Weir) Chicken and Sausage Pesto Pizza Blend basil, spinach, salt and pepper to make a homemade pesto and keep the oil for the last to add slowly to make a glossy paste of the pesto. Top the pizza base with chicken, sausage, sundried tomatoes olives and bake. Garnish with basil leaves and parmesan shavings.

Restaurant and delivery £9.95 37

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BEACON FOODS CANDY GARLIC CLOVE PIZZA CHEF OF THE YEAR

CATEGORY WINNER

Gennaro Nespoli (Fratelli Bufala Restaurant, London) Pizza My Boss Ingredients - 1 pizza dough ball mozzarella (fior di latte), cherry tomato, aubergines, parmigiano grated, pancetta (Italian bacon) oregano, basil, candy garlic cloves.

Connor Jones (Portobello Restaurant, Tamworth) Sicilian pizza Ingredients - dough, tomatoes, basil, oregano, garlic, mozzarella and seasoning. Toppings - Candy garlic cloves, anchovies, roquito, chillies, caper berries and parsley.

Method – For the tomato base, place all the ingredients into a small blender and blitz until the required consistency is reached, season to taste. Top the stretched pizza base with the tomato sauce and sprinkle the shredded mozzarella. Topping - mix the topping in a bowl with olive oil and fresh lemon juice. Decorate the top of the pizza with garlic cloves, parsley, caper berries and anchovies and bake until golden.

Restaurant price £10.95

Martino Cusumano (The Italian Club – Mare Mediterraneo, Liverpool) Pizza “Mare Mediterraneo” Ingredients - tomato sauce, mozzarella, fresh swordfish loin, king prawns, parsley, candy garlic cloves, breadcrumb gratin and fresh mint oil.

Method - saute the swordfish and the king prawns with candy garlic cloves, extra virgin olive oil, parsley and white wine and put aside. Make the breadcrumb gratin by combining the breadcrumbs, grated parmesan, candy garlic cloves, olive oil, chopped parsley, salt and pepper.

Add all the ingredients excluding the breadcrumb gratin and mint oil.

After cooking, garnish with garlic cloves, breadcrumb gratin and mint oil.

Restaurant £12.50 38

pizzapasta AND ITALIAN FOOD

Ashley Smetham (Planters Restaurant, Tamworth) Beetroot & goats cheese pizza Ingredients - pizza dough, tomato and herb sauce, 2 beetroots, goat cheese baby onions and Candy Garlic Cloves.

Method - roll out pizza dough and spoon the tomato and herb sauce on top, crumble half the goats cheese evenly on the pizza. Place beetroot, candy garlic cloves and baby onions on pizza, sprinkle with remaining goats’ cheese.

Selling price £11.00 Majid Rostami (Romeo’s, Derry) Caesar Pizza Ingredients - garlic butter (butter, candy garlic cloves, parsley), rocket salad, chicken, bacon, fresh grated parmesan and Caesar salad dressing.

Method - roll out dough, using homemade garlic butter as base, bake in oven, while being baked heap up pre-cooked bacon and chicken on grill.

Remove garlic bread from oven when cooked, add rocket bacon chicken, grate fresh parmesan and drizzle with Caesar salad Takeaway £6.50 Philip McIntyre (Amaretto Ristorante, Bridge of Weir) Focaccia sandwich pizza Ingredients - steak, onion and mushroom Focaccia. This is a rosemary focaccia sandwich stuffed with fillet steak strips, sautéed onions and chestnut mushrooms. Rocket leaves dressed in a balsamic, served with seasoned hand cut chips.

Method - in a little EVO cook the onions, mushrooms and fillet steak that has been marinated in candy garlic cloves. Once the filling is cooking, stretch the pizza dough to make an oval shape. Spread the garlic butter on the dough and place the filling on top and garnish with fresh rocket, cherry tomato and parmesan shavings. Finish the plate with balsamic reductions and basil pesto pattern. Cook, season the hand-cut chips and serve.

Restaurant price £9.95 December 2014

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Sponsored by FRUMENTA ITALIAN '00' PIZZA FLOURS.

Pizzaioli up and down the country were challenged to create a visual work of art in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the PAPA awards. The winner of this award received a trophy and a cheque for £500. A public vote to register the number of ‘likes’ identified five finalists, with the head judge, Aldo Zilli, on the day of the Pizza Chef final choosing an overall winner.

Alison Lawton, Stateside Foods (“Pizza O’Clock”)

Alex Keggen, Stateside Foods (“Dig for Victory”)

Paul Duncan, Mamma’s Pizza (“The Persistence of Pizza”)

R WINNE

Darius Hayati, Red Tomato Pizza (“Bob Marley”)

www.papa.org.uk

Roberto Galici, Nonna’s (“Angelina Jolie”)

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italian food

erlenbacher have launched Frutti di Bosco as an alternative to Christmas pudding this season.

special Something

It’s the time of year when outlets and their customers are on the look-out for something extra-special and more indulgent to help celebrate the festive period.

Taking cheese seriously Cheese is one of those ingredients that is taken very seriously by Italians, advise sector supplier, Continental Quattro Stagioni (CQS), and with the range and quality of Italian cheeses available it certainly makes it one of the most versatile ingredients.

“Looking at the cheese category in particular, producers are continually adding flavours and innovations to their ranges to attract new customers. Many have been hit in the past by changes in consumer eating habits due to food intolerances and therefore innovation has driven their agendas,” says CQS’s vicechairman, Sandro Bevilacqua.

“We have for instance just

introduced a new vegan cheese Mozzarisella Vegan Cheese.

Produced in Italy this is a vegan cheese made from whole rice and which is a lighter and tasty alternative to mozzarella. All this means there is a huge opportunity for retailers and caterers to use this to their advantage, creating new recipes or excitement in store.”

CQS add that they are also seeing a trend at the moment for cheeses with a robust flavour using ingredients such as Chipotle, Jalapeño and Habanero peppers and garlic, cumin and various smoked varieties. Some cheese makers have also developed their own aging rooms, providing a temperature and

Mediterranean mussels Serves four as a main course Ingredients 4 lb mussels 1 large onion, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 tin of chopped tomatoes (450g) 2 glasses of white wine 1 tablespoon paprika oregano black pepper 2 bay leaves 1 tablespoon olive oil crusty bread

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Method 1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the onions and fry under a low heat for about 10 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

2. Add the other ingredients except the mussels and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for about 10 minutes.

3. Add the mussels to the pan and cover and simmer for about 5 minutes until the shells open. Serve in large bowls with fresh crusty bread.

humidity controlled environment.

For example, Parmigiano Reggiano wheels are now available that have been matured for at least 36 months for a unique texture and savoury aftertaste, observe CQS. This move has changed the market, as previously the art of aging could only be practiced by producers with natural caves.

“Other trends that operators should be aware of are the increasing popularity of Mediterranean cheeses like Feta and Halloumi and dairy items such as Labne, a yoghurt-cheese hybrid, as well as restaurants and fast food outlets looking for strong flavoured cheeses to add to burgers,” adds Sandro Bevilacqua.“Sharp Cheddar, Pepper Jack and Smoked Gouda have been joined by Chèvre and Brie on many burger menus.”

Taking the desire for something that little bit different to a whole new level are chefs who have begun experimenting with unusual ingredients to create new desserts, report CQS. While chocolate cheesecake and chocolate and ricotta pudding are widely found on menus and shop shelves, there is scope and interest, feel the company, to inspire consumers with a dessert menu by offering a complementary mix of sweet and savoury.

Take for example Parmesan ice cream – a unique and exquisite taste sensation, this is a good way of offering a point of difference to the cheeseboard, feel CQS. “There is definitely focus at the moment on the new and exciting operators who make sure their

dishes contain more unusual options that will in turn achieve a competitive edge in securing those all-important sales,” continues Sandro Bevilacqua.

“In addition, ingredient technologies are now available that produce lower fat and sodium options without impacting on taste or indulgence.

These products are not only relevant to retailers and restaurant, but are increasingly being sought out by those in the foodservice sector supplying everything from fine-dining establishments to fast food chains and schools.”

Versatile Another ‘star’ ingredient in Italian cooking, feel CQS, is balsamic vinegar that can be used in a number of different ways, but make sure that you don’t compromise on the quality is their advice.

CQS’s Balsamic Vinegar di Modena - Di Cosimo has a ‘Silver Quality’ selection of young Balsamic Vinegars with a fresh aroma and balanced flavour, making it suited to dressing salads, drizzling over grilled vegetables and slithers of Parmaggiano Reggiano (balsamic vinegar di Modena being renowned for its curative and health promoting properties).

Di Cosimo Crema di Balsamico - Balsamic Vinegar Reduction Glaze - a rich flavoursome syrupy glaze made from Balsamic Vinegar produced in Modena. This glaze can be added to a variety of savoury and sweet dishes as well as salads, grilled meats or meaty fish such as tuna or swordfish, December 2014

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suggest CQS. Chefs can include the glaze on pasta dishes, grilled vegetables and risotto for a richer flavour. Ice-cream and strawberries can also be enhanced by a drizzle of the balsamic reduction (more information about Continental Quattro Stagioni’s range of food products and alcoholic beverages can be found at www.continentalfood.co.uk).

Sea food demand Growing demand from diners and households looking for something a little bit different for the festive menu looks set to deliver a buoyant Christmas for Scotland’s shellfish farmers, report the Scottish Shellfish Marketing Group (SSMG, www.scottishshellfish.co.uk), who are predicting that sales of both fresh mussels and supermarket ready meal mussel dishes will surge in the run-up to Christmas (the volume sold is expected to increase by around a third above normal levels). Oyster sales are also expected to rise by a similar amount too.

The predictions are based on trends set in recent years, and according to SSMG managing director, Stephen Cameron, it seems that consumers are increasingly on the look-out for exciting alternatives to traditional Christmas fare – with mussels fitting the bill perfectly.

“The great thing about Scottish

RECIPE IDEA Mullet with Parma Ham and Fish Soup Splash out this winter with succulent Mullet with Parma Ham and Fish Soup created by Gianni Tarroni. Wash and scale the mullets, leaving the head.

Bone the fillets and season.

Close up each mullet with a sage leaf inside, wrap in Parma ham and sprinkle olive oil and white wine. Bake for seven minutes.

For the soup, fry chopped celery, carrot, onion and chopped Parma ham. Brown slightly and pour over white wine and vinegar. Add the filtered fish broth and tomato paste. Reduce until the soup reaches a good consistency, then add salt, pepper, lemon juice and a drop of Tobasco sauce. Serve the mullets with the soup, garnished with toasted bread and sage.

Parma Ham is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product and is 100% natural.

The drying process that Parma

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mussels is that they are tasty and indulgent, yet are a healthy to eat food too,” he says.“There is a vast array of mussel recipes to choose from, which makes them incredibly versatile in the kitchen “Our Scottish rope-grown mussels are also a sustainable choice for the consumer and are independently certified by the Friend of the Sea and Marine Stewardship Council eco-label schemes for the environmentallyfriendly manner in which they are cultivated.”

SSMG is a co-operative of mussel and oyster farmers based on the Scottish west coast and Shetland, supplying fresh and value-added shellfish to multiple and independent retailers and restaurants.

Japanese scallops are now on the menu at M&J Seafood (www.mjseafood.com), offering an affordable alternative to the European and US varieties, feel the supplier.

Naturally found in the sheltered, shallow bays of the sub-Arctic coastal areas of the eastern Pacific, Japanese scallops are mostly cultivated on suspended ropes and

nets, unlike dredged scallops, ensuring they don’t pick up any grit from the seabed. While they are slightly different in appearance to the better-known scallop varieties, they share all the flavour and texture, minus the high price tag, point out M&J Seafood.

The roe-less Japanese delicacies are tender and sweet, the perfect foil for robust ingredients such as bacon, black pudding or chorizo, suggest the company. Low in fat and a good source of protein, M&J’s fresh Japanese scallops are also excellent value for money helping caterers to keep tasty scallop dishes on the menu at an affordable price point.

Award-winning special pasta Picking up awards for high quality produce is becoming somewhat of a habit for Pasta & Pasta, and their most recent additions to a crowded mantelpiece was at this year’s Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association awards.

Following up from last year’s gluten-free ravioli filled with lobster, prawn and crab were triangoli filled with goat's cheese and pear. The judges commented

iutto di Parma, CREDIT: Consorzio del Prosc e and Food Styling: Photography: Steve Lee (recip Dialogue Agency)

Ham goes through creates a ham that is very low in fat content, with many mineral salts, vitamins, antioxidants and easily digestible proteins. This means that Parma Ham is truly a food for everyone.

It is produced in the hills surrounding the Italian town of Parma, and the unique taste of Parma Ham is dependent on the traditional production process passed down from Roman times, carefully controlled by the Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma.

Only hams that have passed stringent curing regulations approved by the EU can be awarded the stamp of the Ducal crown – a five pointed coronet logo with Parma in the centre which is branded onto the ham’s skin. The Ducal Crown is now a certification trademark.

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italian food PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA SPECIALIST PROGRAMME 2014 Throughout November and December 2014, selected delicatessens and restaurants from around the UK have been given the opportunity to become the UK Parma Ham Specialist 2014 following the successful launch of the initiative in 2013 (established by the Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma, this programme aims to acknowledge and reward the stores and individuals able to communicate the true values of Prosciutto di Parma in the UK).

The programme has been developed further to reach new delicatessens and restaurants from London, Oxford and Cardiff to York, Leeds, Harrogate and Edinburgh, the Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma having selected these stores due to their clear knowledge, passion and enthusiasm for the product as well as their ability to communicate the true values of Parma ham.

There are several ways to identify a

that “this exquisite pasta parcel is a joyous gift in every bite. Every element is right: balance of ingredients, triangoli size, pasta texture and flavour – a real winner.”

Such comments and accolades are not easily achieved, however, report the firm. Passion, dedication, skill, experience, attention to detail, tenacity and a fine palate are just some of the attributes required to achieve such high standards and place Pasta & Pasta as market

Prosciutto di Parma Specialist: working in a specialised store or restaurant where Parma Ham is regularly purchased, having great knowledge of Parma Ham and its origin and recognising its true qualities.

Involvement in the Specialist Programme entitles delis and restaurants to a range of branded materials to promote their ‘specialist’ accreditation, invitations to specialist events and the opportunity to be awarded with the iconic slicing machine worth around £3,000 (‘The Crown Anniversary Slicer’, which are limited edition and can only be obtained through a Prosciutto di Parma producer).

Materials include aprons, hats, window sticker, recipe books, information leaflets and an accreditation plaque. Parma Ham Specialists will also have their store’s biography featured on a dedicated section of the Consorzio’s website available for worldwide users to view.

“It’s fantastic to be a part of the Prosciutto

leaders in producers of fine fresh pasta.

These characteristics can also be found in Ercole Cappai, Pasta & Pasta’s guiding light, and even after 35 years experience, this Sardinian says that he is as determined, focused and driven as he has ever been.

“You have to have the desire to keep going but most of all you have to be mad enough!” says Ercole Cappai.“The challenges today are as ground-breaking as at any time I can remember.

Southern Italian Family Cooking Offering insight into traditional dishes from Italy’s south, and showing that authentic, special food, can also be simple, healthy and affordable in the UK market is a new book showcasing food from Italy’s ‘cucina povera’.

Healthy food on a sensible budget is important to many of us today, but in Southern Italy, la cucina povera, has been a philosophy for generations.

Southern Italian Family Cooking by Carmela Sophia Sereno is not just about food, but about the whole ethos of Italian family life, showing you how to be creative with what’s available to you and giving you a healthy way to live and enjoy food.

Delicious, filling recipes in the book, include antipasti (traditional starter, cured meats with bread and vegetables in oil), slow cooked meals such as ragu (a delicious tomato based sauce with meat), stuffed peppers amd using stale bread and herbs to fill peppers prior to baking, mussels in tomato and white wine sauce, pork cotolette, pork escalopes covered

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in egg and seasoned breadcrumbs, flash fried, and a range of fabulous desserts for when we want a sweet treat (smooth panna cotta with berries and tasty tiramisu).

Carmela Sophia Sereno is a mother of four and is of Italian origin. Her family is from Southern Italy and the recipes in this book are influenced by the teachings of her mother and grandmother, but always with her own flavoursome individuality running through them. A former estate agent and health practitioner, Carmela says that she plucked up the courage to make her passion for food her career and launched her own cookery school.

Her business, Carmela’s Kitchen, has grown from strength to strength over the last few years and, what started out as a radio slot and teaching from her family kitchen, has blossomed into a growing business offering large scale demonstrations and events, radio shows, individual private tuition, consultancy, children’s cookery classes and a guest cookery teacher at various locations (www.carmelakitchen.co.uk).

di Parma Specialist programme – Prosciutto di Parma is a delicious, natural and high quality product that deserves to be celebrated! We highly recommend the Specialist Programme to anyone who’s as passionate about Prosciutto di Parma as we are!” said Riccardo Lavarini of Spaghetti House.

2014 Parma Ham Specialists will also be invited to specialist events, supported with product to hold tasting events in their own stores and receive local press support from the Dialogue Agency, helping to promote initiatives that aim to increase awareness, trial, usage and purchase of Prosciutto di Parma in the UK. The 2014 Specialist programme also hopes to attract and engage with new and existing delicatessens and offer them the chance to be rewarded for their passion and dedication towards Prosciutto di Parma (www.prosciuttodiparma.com).

At Pasta & Pasta we produce the finest filled gluten-free pasta available, but we have work to do to convince the diner that it can be healthy as well as tasty and flavoursome.”

Pasta & Pasta also have also recently added to their menu of products vegan pasta and gnocchi, chickpea pasta and chestnut pasta whilst also refining whole wheat flour and developing combinations of gluten free flours for products ranging from filled pasta to lasagne. As with all of their products, superior quality ingredients are used and each item is made-to-order with some produce being delivered only hours after production.

The company say that they regularly welcome their customers to their central London production site to work in collaboration in order develop and supply exclusively produced food. In using fresh pasta, restaurants and businesses benefit from reliable quality and consistency in flavours. Fresh pasta also means no parboiling or waiting 10-15 minutes for dried pasta to cook, and you can also taste the difference. Pasta & Pasta being part of the Carnevale group also means access to a UK wide distribution network with no minimum order and free delivery, point out the company.

They also offer a variety fresh sauces, as well as filled arancini, crespelle, quiches, parmigiana alla melanzane, lasagne alla Bolognese, cannelloni and cannoli and are becoming growing sectors.

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The popularity

of pizza In marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association, its director, Jim Winship, delivered an overview of the current market to a gathering of people from across the industry who attended the Pizza Chef of the Year competition and PAPA Awards on 13 November 2014 at the Lancaster London Hotel in Hyde Park, London.

The most popular “It’s difficult to compile data on the whole pizza market,” said Jim Winship, “as nobody seems to monitor it, and so our information comes from a variety of different sources, but making it of interest to manufacturers, delivery operators and restaurants.”

The good news is, and particularly in light of the recession, that pizza is now the most popular food purchased in restaurants, the second most popular item bought in supermarkets for dinner, and the fourth most popular dinner item purchased in fast food outlets, revealed Jim Winship. According to PAPA’s 2014 estimates, excluding Italian trattorias, the market’s value stood at £3,285 million with volume sales having increased by 5%.

“It’s hard to put a value on the total market, and I would think there is another £1.2 billion in full service restaurants not picked up in current data,” added Jim Winship. “In other words, restaurants that don’t focus on pizza or pasta, but have it on the menu. Thus the total market value is probably closer to £4.5 billion in reality.”

The industry is a fragmented one. In particular, the chilled pizza 44

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market (manufactured product found in supermarkets) had a value of £474 million in 2014 (up 5.9%) and volume sales stood at 224.5 million pizzas (up just 1.5%, and reflecting ingredient prices having gone up and other costs now being higher), according to PAPA/Kantar 2014 data.

The deli pizza market is work £96 million, up 13.6%, representing some 37.5 million pizzas and up 12%, showing some significant growth, and so more supermarkets were likely to get involved in this, felt Jim Winship, in light of the current growth, and future growth potential.

The frozen pizza market – often viewed as the ‘bargain basement’ side of the market, said Jim Winship - has a market value of £416 million (up 1.7%), equating to volume sale of 283 million pizzas). However, it is doing a lot better than the chilled sector in terms of volume sales.

The pizza restaurant market (excluding Italian trattorias) has a market value of £1271 million (up 3.5% on the previous year), with transactions up 0.5% (it being impossible to measure the actual number of pizzas sold). Over 90% of outlets are now chains, PAPA had found, with the number of

new outlets up by 2.5% (two thirds of those in fact being chain-owned).

Full service pizza restaurants remained one of the most popular in the high street, reported Jim Winship, compared to other restaurants, and while chains continued to dominate, independents were also growing with six out 10 casual restaurants having a pizza or pasta focus (and why it is hard to draw the line between what’s a ‘pizza restaurant’ and a ‘pasta restaurant’).

“There is arguably an opportunity for more independents,” said Jim Winship, “with the right location, place and the right offering. This is essential, as there is strong competition from the chains.”

PAPA valued the pizza delivery/takeaway market at £1125 million (up 8%) in 2014.

Transactions were up 2% in this part of the sector, and over 50% of outlets in this sector were chains (independents were declining). The number of outlets had gone up by 51%, and all were chain sites.

“Indepedents are being swallowed up by the chains,” added Jim Winship, “ and competition is also tough. There

are problems for independents in keeping pace with new technology, and particularly the number of orders now done on the internet or mobile phone.

50% of Domino’s orders, for example, are via online, and it’s difficult for the independents to keep up. They need technical and marketing know-how.”

The pizza delivery/ takeaway market now accounts for a sixth of the market and has proved to be one of the most resilient sectors during the recession, PAPA had found.

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“This sector has shown growth since 2008, and has every sign it’s going to continue,” said Jim Winship. “There is a strong correlation between growth and the consumer demand for more convenience. Independents need to get to grips with new technology to survive. New technology is the future. It’s already happening in the retail sector.”

The struggle of the independents and IT might of the chains, is likely to continue (it is estimated that over half of pizza

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delivery sales are now made online, and orders from mobile devices are increasing rapidly).

“I did some research to look back and see where we’ve gone since 2008 and the recessionary period in terms of prices, using the Bank of England’s inflation calculator,” said Jim Winship.

According to PAPA’s research, the average price of a chilled pizza in the UK market was now £2.10 (£1.93 in 2008), whereas taking into account inflation you would expect it to be £2.24 and showing the effect of margin pressures with pizza makers now under pressure to be able to make money from this business (they had not been keeping up with costs on the high street, so the industry had fallen behind in that respect).

The current average price of

frozen pizzas had not altered much - £1.42 in 2008, and £1.46 in 2014, which is what you expect it to be taking inflation into account – showing that this segment had managed to keep pace with inflation. This was probably because it was already at a competitive price back in 2008 before the recession, so there was no room to cut costs any further. However, this did not account for the ingredient cost rises in that period.

In the restaurant environment, PAPA had found the average transaction value to be £29.00 in 2008, and now it was a little higher at £29.65. With inflation, you would expect it to be nearer £33.65, however, suggested Jim Winship, once again indicating the effect of pressure on margins (in addition to inflation, staff and ingredients costs had gone up).

This had made life tougher for future trading, unless you could get spend up again, observed Jim Winship.

The same, but less severe, type of margin pressure could be seen in relation to the average transaction values in the delivery sector (£13.03 in 2008, and £13.95 in 2014, whereas you would expect it to be around £15.17), and so it was still ‘behind’ in real terms.

The quick service pizza/Italian market saw good growth in spend sourced to increased spend and traffic in 2014, reported Jim Winship, who had received some market information from the NPD Group/Crest. They measured things slightly differently, but agreed that spend was going up, having also observed changes going on in the market place.

“There is more emphasis on the meal occasion of children’s parties at QSR’s,” said Jim Winship. “So there is a need to focus on family occasions in your Market share (source, PAPA 2014)

marketing rather than solely adults.

“There is also an emphasis on eating off the premises, and the Saturday and Sunday peak for trade. Growth is also coming from where there is no deal or offers, discounts etc. Consumers are very mindful of cost but key for them is quality. We get confused very often between price and value for money, which is about the perception of what something is worth.

“There is a tendency in recessionary periods to cut prices, but the evidence I have seen over the years in pizza, sandwiches and others, is that when in recession yes, there are people spending less, wanting cheap prices, but also new customers in the market place – FSR customers dropping down to QSR, for example, providing a boost.

“So there is a danger of all the discounting dragging ourselves down, as opposed to the consumers doing this by demanding lower prices. So operators need to be brave and go against this discounting trend, and some who have are doing very well, and there is danger that we make things worse than they actually are.”

There were also interesting trends in growth in the younger age groups, also the 35-49 age groups, and lunch and dinner occasions in the quick service arena.

In the full service restaurant area, there had been good growth, again on Saturday and Sunday meal occasions, and not via deals and promotions (a deal might be offered, that drew in customers who then did not necessarily order it).

Quick service and full service pizza restaurants had shown healthy growth against other sectors (the biggest growing sector was chicken at 4.2%, followed by pizza at 3.5%). Out of home, pizza is growing in consumption, whereas pasta is declining slightly.

Retail sector (chilled/frozen) = 27% Pizza restaurants = 39% Pizza delivery/takeaway = 34%

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Future issues Jim Winship concluded his presentation by flagging up the issues that he now felt the industry as a whole need to think about, and top of his list was the state of the high street. Having participated in a Retail Week Conference, he revealed that some 40% of high street leases come up for renewal next year, and that there are a lot of businesses just ‘hanging on’ as they are tied into leases that they can’t get out of as they are written down to individuals, but it is thought that many will not renew in 2015.

“There is a risk of empty high street premises, which is not good,” said Jim Winship.“Footfall in the high streets in general across the UK has dropped by 26% since 2008, and high streets 46

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now survive more on their evening trade than day, and food businesses that do well in the day tend to be the ones serving snacktype food such as sandwiches, pizza slices and alike.

“The lunch ‘hour’ is now less than 25 minutes. People are not going out to restaurants and the pub at lunch as they once did, so if the high street becomes a bleak, empty place, it will affect the restaurants there.

“So the message to get across to high street managers and property owners – who if their properties are not occupied get no income, but still have rates to pay – to try and keep the high streets alive. It’s not helped by the short-term view of councils – increased parking charges, for example. If they lose out on

business rate income, in the long term they will only be worse off, and councils need to realise this.

So we need to take stock, re-shape and ask how do we want our high streets to look. This is critical and an important debate to have that as yet has not been thought through.”

The next important aspect to consider was economic uncertainties. Until Europe had sorted itself out – and there were few signs of this at the moment, felt Jim Winship – we could very easily dip back into recession again, and if we do, then the last thing operators should do, is cut prices, he advised, equating it to “short-term suicide”.

“Try and keep your business alive by doing other things and attracting people in other ways.

Don’t discount. We have seen how much damage this has done over the years in the delivery business,” said Jim Winship.

“In the early nineties, I can remember Pizzaland basically killing themselves with discounts and pizza delivery businesses got locked in ever since to discounts.

It’s a slippery slope to long-term harm. If we hit hard times, try and take a broader view than just cutting prices. Meal deals are a better option because they try to get people to buy new things, but understand the mechanics of it, and what drives turnover.”

Next up for future consideration was ingredients costs, felt Jim Winship, pointing out that commodities always seemed to experience highs and lows in terms of price, but ultimately, with an increasing world population and limited resources, prices would creep up, he said.

“In addition, we also need to be aware of healthy eating options, although pizza is never going to be seen as a healthy eating option as such, although PAPA has done some work regarding salt targets. Pizza is an indulgent product, however there is a market for health products, and we need to be aware of that in our sector, “ suggested Jim Winship.

Finally, Jim Winship concluded, it was key to maintain consumer interest and confidence in products via innovation in an ever more competitive food business. He mentioned a past Pizza Chef of the Year winner commenting that having won in the awards, they had been able to boost their turnover by £2000 a week as a direct result by leveraging and promoting their win accordingly. This was one way, but there were many other ways too, suggested Jim Winship, of finding ways of continuing to secure consumer interest and loyalty.

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Catered for The choice of catering equipment for the varying demands of busy Italian food outlets is getting ever more impressive, with multiple uses and energy-saving capabilities being just some of the advantages to be had. Here, we take a look at just some of the novel solutions on offer to those seeking to give their businesses the edge when it comes to their catering kit.

Innovation “We’re in the midst of an incredibly exciting time for equipment innovation. The variety of new products and technologies being developed for the foodservice industry is mind blowing,” says Simon Frost, chair of CESA. “Sustainability and energy efficiency are prime drivers, but they’re not the only catalysts for the new products. There are cooking appliances that are faster as well as being more efficient, and that offer internet connectivity.

“Look out for warewashers that use less energy, less water and fewer chemicals, yet also deliver better than ever cleaning results, with easier to use controls and simpler maintenance. Also, refrigeration that offers novel ways to store ingredients right in the heart of the kitchen and coffee machines that deliver great beverages at the touch of a button, as well as a host of kitchen gadgets and gizmos, any one of which could revolutionise the way you work.”

CESA (Catering Equipment Suppliers Association) also currently offer the CFSP (Certified Food Service Professional) programme. This diploma-level personal development scheme gives a holistic understanding of the workings of the commercial

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kitchen and is fast becoming recognised around the world, report the organisation (www.cesa.org.uk, who have become an authoritative voice of the catering equipment industry, representing over 170 companies who supply, service and maintain all types of commercial catering equipment - from utensils to full kitchen schemes).

Efficiency drivers Using multifunctional equipment can save resources by reducing the number of different pieces of equipment required. Lincat’s Opus 700 multi-functional pasta boilers provide a good example.

Both models, the 400 mm wide (OE7701) and 600mm wide (OE7702), can be used as a pasta boiler, steamer or bain marie, point out the firm, offering

unique versatility and space saving performance. A range of high quality baskets can be specified to meet individual pasta boiling requirements.

Alternatively, perforated or standard gastronorm containers can be ordered to enable the units to be used as a steamer or bain marie, suggest Lincat (www.lincat.co.uk).

“We work hard to ensure that our existing products operate as efficiently as possible and we regularly invest in the development of new, energy efficient technologies to help operators cut costs and make their kitchens as environmentally friendly as they can,” reports Lincat’s Paul Hickman.

The company’s energyefficient, IH21, IH3, & IH42 portable induction hobs, for instance, can help operators to reduce operating costs and maintain a more comfortable kitchen temperature, while delivering a highly responsive and controllable cooking method with a range of convenient features, claim the company. They are also equipped with a 13amp plug, so you can simply move them to where they are needed, plug them in and switch on.

“A Lincat induction hob typically offers 90% efficiency as compared with a solid electric hotplate at 55% and a gas hob at

Lincat recently held an open day to showcase the Middleby range of catering equipment.

50%. Because heat is generated in the pan, instead of the hob surface, very little energy is wasted into the kitchen’s atmosphere, which makes the cooking process more efficient and reduces demand on air conditioning systems. At the same time it delivers rapid heatup and almost twice the cooking power of a similarly rated gas hob,” adds Paul Hickman.

“Ideal for warming sauces, or rapidly boiling a large pan of pasta, our induction hobs will help businesses to reduce energy consumption, cut costs and increase safety in the kitchen.

“Energy efficiency is also a top priority when we’re reviewing existing product ranges. So we extended our range of heavy duty Opus 700 gas chargrills to include two, larger models. At the same time we took the opportunity to review their energy efficiency. By using innovative infra-red ceramic

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plaque burners, which produce intense heat output from relatively low kW input, the new models deliver energy savings of 55%.”

Being able to accurately measure out portions of sauce is just one of the many food serving tasks to be tackled. It not only ensures each dish comes out looking exactly like the last, but enables venues to reduce wastage, accurately calculate nutritional values and ensure

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there is enough sauce to last till the end of service.

Foodservice Equipment Marketing (FEM, www.fem.co.uk) – who supply a wide range of catering equipment for many different applications - report that they have recently introduced the Vollrath Sauce Boss Portion Control Dispenser.

This device accurately measures out portions of sauces or dressings and distributes it where required, for easily replicable and consistent dishes.

Constantly over-portioning can create staggering extra costs to a business. Increasing portion size by just half an ounce of a product priced at £6.00 per 16 ounces adds about 19 pence to the serving cost, calculate FEM (and if that happens 100 times per day that’s £133.00 per week, or almost some £7,000 per year).

The Sauce Boss Dispenser can be set to dispense sauce in quantities from 1/2 an ounce to 1/32 ounce. Kitchen staff simply have to pull the cam pin at the base of the handle and rotate the cam to the desired setting. The dispenser can hold up to 48 ounces of sauces or dressings and has a clear lid to help reduce the risk of food contamination (FEM supplies the Vollrath Sauce Boss Portion Control Dispenser with a full year warranty at a list price of £155.00 + VAT).

The needs of catering business change over time, and often most catering equipment can only do what it’s designed to do – cook, store or whatever.

However, Winterhalter believes that it has created a range of adaptable warewashers that can change with the business’s needs - if a chef wants the glasswasher to become a dishwasher, then it can, claim the company.

Such clever machines are the latest versions of Winterhalter’s UC Series of undercounter warewashers. Available in four sizes, from small to extra-large, the machines can be converted from glasswashers to dishwashers, or vice-versa. They can also be converted back again – so if a business’s needs change seasonally, the UC warewasher is able to match them.

“Turning a glasswasher into a dishwasher requires an engineer to visit the site, but the process is

inexpensive, simple and quick,” says Winterhalter’s Paul Crowley.

“It’s not magic, it’s just very, very clever.”

However, the machines’ adaptability doesn’t stop there.

Each UC dishwasher can also be set up, by the operator, to clean off different types of food. For example, Italian restaurants often have both heavily sauced dishes, such as pasta, and drier foods such as pizza, and the ideal washing parameters for each are totally different, point out Winterhalter. Thus, if a UC is loaded with mainly saucecovered dishes, the operator can adjust it for best results, just by touching the icon on the control panel touchscreen, say the company.

“The whole point of this ‘adaptability’ is to give the best possible results, whatever type of food is on the menu,” explains Paul Crowley. “It applies equally to the UC glasswashers. A heavy pint glass with a crust of stout on it, say, will need a really powerful wash whereas a delicate wine glass needs a much softer wash.

By simply touching the screen’s icon, however, the operator can make the change.”

Rack sizes for the UC Series range from 400x400mm to 500x540mm, depending on the model. On short programmes (for lightly soiled items) the glasswasher can handle up to 77 racks per hour, the dishwashers up to 65, and the capacities on standard washing programmes are 48 and 40 respectively, report Winterhalter (their UC Series is available from Winterhalter dealers across the UK and Ireland, www.winterhalter.co.uk).

Precision report that their new prep stations offer great looks, an ultra-practical design and a very

clever control system that minimises energy use, claim the company. Designed for the preparation of foods like tapas, salads, sandwiches, desserts and pizza, the prep stations’ banks of wells use a curtain of air system to hold and protect ingredients all day long.

Featuring an attractive, minimalist design and smooth lines, and constructed of stainless steel throughout, the new prep stations are suitable for the kitchen and for front of house and theatre-style cooking.

Available in three and four cabinet versions, with banks of seven and ten 1/3 GN pans respectively, the prep stations can also be fitted with doors or drawers. The new units have an advanced, highly effective cold air distribution system, maintaining a storage temperature of 4°C in both the ingredients pans and the cabinets below, ensuring HACCP compliance.

“The curtain of air and cold air distribution systems deliver a nocompromise ability to hold temperature,” explains Nick Williams, Precision’s MD. “Food safety is increasingly the primary focus, especially in chains and groups. Our new prep stations set the highest possible standards.”

The self-contained rear mounted refrigeration system is managed by the latest version of Precision's iCool energy saving controller which not only adjusts the unit’s operation depending on conditions, but also learns how the cabinet is being used – the number of door openings during specific periods and so on – and uses that information intelligently, to forecast likely conditions so as to run as efficiently as possible.

Practical design features include the concealed, retractable pan cover, instead of the conventional hinged or removable lid (more convenient for staff and also allows the prep counters to be positioned under a pass).

The prep stations are 1085mm high and 920mm deep. The three cabinet PPC 307, is 1430mm wide, while the four door PPC 410, measures 1900mm. List prices start from £5,170 (www.precisionrefrigeration.co.uk).

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equipment little sign of abating, and new businesses launches making use of all shapes and sizes of premises, Williams has launched a new Thermowell that it says is ideal for smaller kitchens where maximising the available space can be essential.

required, to protect them, maintain temperature and reduce energy consumption.

Environment-friendly polyurethane insulation provides excellent thermal efficiency combined with low Global Warming Potential and zero Ozone Depletion Potential (it allows the TW4 to operate in ambient temperatures of up to 32°C).

Precision’s three door prep station model.

“Efficiency is of the upmost importance within any catering environment. With flavours and recipes being the number one concern for a chef, some aspects of their kitchen often aren’t as much of a priority. However, implementing equipment that will take care of these things for you is the secret to success where efficiency – and subsequently productivity – is concerned,” says Guy Cooper, managing director at Mitchell & Cooper (www.bonzer.co.uk).

“Food storage should be taken very seriously in any foodservice environment, and when carefully considered, can vastly improve organisation within a busy kitchen. By simply pressing down the lid of the container, our Vacuum Valve system of the Pac’n’Vac system expels air with a 100% airtight seal, keeping food fresher for at least five times longer than other methods.

“No electronic assistance means a vacuum can be created with simplicity and quickness, leaving time to undertake more pressing tasks elsewhere in the kitchen. Of course, implementing any new equipment comes with a need for storage, which can prove difficult for traditional trattoria kitchens; as the Pac’n’Vac complies with Gastronorm standard measurements, operators can choose containers that minimise the space required to house them.”

Whilst some items of catering equipment increase efficiency by emitting automation, some of the latest technological advancements use it as their USP. At the forefront of contemporary of Italian catering, some chefs are

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beginning to combine traditional tastes with more cutting edge preparation methods, enabling further scope for experimentation and quicker delivery, note Mitchell & Cooper.

“A multitude of automatic features, four specific storage programs and the ease with which it can be cleaned make the Nemox Gelato 6K CREA a most efficient way of creating the ultimate in indulgent Italian desserts,” adds Guy Cooper.

“Suitable for use with fresh ingredients and ready-to-use mixes, the Gelato 6K utilises a variable speed system, allowing more creative types to experiment with texture and flavour, and achieve a consistency in line with their own unique specifications for desserts truly bespoke to their brand – no matter the levels of ice cream making experience in the kitchen.

“Part of a range comprising six machines, the freestanding and countertop Nemox Gelato models are sure to enhance any kitchen’s dessert offering. This illustrates how, regardless of kitchen size, chefs using the latest catering technology can explore the world of artisan creations that contemporary diners crave.”

Smaller solutions With the growth of the market in freshly prepared food showing

The Thermowell is a refrigerated countertop unit designed to keep ingredients chilled and easily accessible for chefs, and making it ideal for the preparation of salads, pizza, sandwiches, tapas dishes and jacket potatoes, suggest Williams, who offer offer a comprehensive range of commercial refrigeration including gastronorm cabinets and counters, specialist bakery equipment, coldrooms, merchandisers and blast chillers (www.williamsrefrigeration.co.uk).

“The TW4 will find a place in all kinds of businesses,” says Martin Laws, marketing manager of Williams. “It’s a very compact unit designed to help smaller cafés and restaurants expand their menus, with more choices of food.”

Its flexibility is reflected in the fact that the TW4 has a temperature range of 4°C to 10°C, so is suitable for a wide selection of ingredients. Usually the TW4 is sited on countertops, say Williams. However, as an alternative it can be wallmounted or even supplied with legs and used as a freestanding unit.

The TW4 has a width of 638mm and can hold two 1/3 or four 1/6 Gastronorm containers.

The wells are angled so that chefs have easy access and sight of the ingredients. As with all Thermowell models, point out Williams, it is constructed of foodsafe stainless steel and incorporates a digital thermometer and adjustable thermostat. The hinged lid can be shut when ingredients are not

The Vesuvio 85 and 105 - the latest Sirman electric pizza ovens available from FEM - mimic the cooking conditions of traditional wood- or gas-fired pizza ovens, enabling authentic tasting pizzas to be quickly and easily produced, and making them suitable for the smaller catering establishment.

Robust stainless steel construction makes the pizza ovens durable and hardwearing, with a stone baking deck for that traditional pizza texture. Interior lighting and the Vesuvio’s glass door allows the user to monitor the cooking process. The ovens are controlled by easy-to-use electronic controls.

The top of the range Vesuvio 105 can cook six, 14 inch pizzas, and has two thermostats – one for the stone baking deck and one for the chamber - giving the user total control over the cooking process, ensuring crisp bases and juicy toppings, say FEM. Digital temperature displays allow monitoring during cooking without opening the oven door (the 9kW oven measures 1395mm (w) x 920mm (d) x 395mm (h)).

The smaller, 5.3kW Vesuvio 85, measures just 1190mm (w) x 905mm (d) x 395mm (h) and can cook four, 14 inch pizzas, making it ideal for smaller venues, feel FEM. The oven chamber temperature can be monitored by thermometer and adjusted with a general thermostat. The ovens are also stackable, to save space, and come with an optional ventilation hood, point out the firm.

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equipment Gamble Foodservice Solutions, this year, launched the ultra-compact Ovention Matchbox which has a small kitchen footprint and can cook, broil, roast and finish food, includes Ovention’s Revolutionary Precision Impingement™, enabling caterers to control time, temperature and independent blower speeds for every food item, say the company.

Scott Taylor, business development manager for Gamble, which supplies everything from heavy duty ranges to convection ovens, said: “Many kitchens are looking to increase productivity using a variety of cooking methods, but struggle to equate space available with the footprint of ovens on the market. Outlets also need ovens that can be used by even the lowest skilled worker and saves money in an era when fuel costs continue to spiral.

“The Ovention Matchbox oven is a revolutionary invention brought from the USA to the UK during Hotelympia 2014, bringing excitement to even the smallest of kitchens with its modest footprint. But don't let size fool you. The Matchbox oven has the skills required to offer an all-inclusive menu better, faster and easier than conventional methods.

“Unskilled and skilled caterers alike can effortlessly programme up to 1,000 recipes, with up to three cook stages and two cook events in each. In fact, there's not a lot that this oven can't master, without any compromise on quality and flavours.”

The Matchbox 1718, for example, can cook a fresh dough, 16” pizza in just four minutes, and par baked pizza even quicker, just two-and-a-half minutes and it’s done for high quality results and speed with no backing up, say Gamble.

“The Ovention Matchbox crucially also means pizza and pasta outlets can do away with their microwaves as a means of serving food fast, the oven designed to keep food nice and moist and its integrity intact. It also includes a catalytic converter, USB port and front panel cooling system to improve the operator

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experience, and is comfortable and quiet to work near,” adds Scott Taylor.

Offering superior temperature control with FlexTemp™, the Matchbox also means caterers can increase or lower temperature by 27 degrees centigrade or more from one item to the next, claim Gamble, and crucially, it can squeeze into the tightest spot and does not require a hood. Intuitive onetouch display is also a key selling point, meaning two cooking surfaces can be automatically loaded at the tap of a touchpad, while the Matchbox also incorporates an auto unload feature to prevent overcooking.

The Matchbox, which won America’s National Restaurant Association Kitchen Innovations Award 2013, gives fast casual operators the flexibility to offer a more versatile menu offer with the same piece of equipment, feels Scott Taylor.

“For example, raw chicken wings take just four-and-a-half minutes to cook, Paninis just oneand-a-half minutes, offering a huge advantage over conveyor ovens that are stuck on one temperature and time, making them very inflexible,” explains Scott Taylor.

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

“The Ovention Matchbox slashes energy consumption and HVAC costs, primarily through its closed cooking system, which means the doors are only opened when food is entering or exiting the oven, and the fact that no hood is required, the system performing 10 times better than the required UL grease emissions standard. These features are bolstered by the Ovention Matchbox’s unique ‘end cap’ system, minimising hot air escape from the cavity. Ultimately, the Matchbox is not just environmentally-friendly, it should save caterers around £3 a day on energy costs, about £1 cheaper than using a rapid cook microwave unit.”

To see the Matchbox in action, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEH 73vU6Cao (www.gamblefoodservicesolution s.co.uk).

“A good pizza oven is well worth the investment for any restaurant or takeaway, because if your pizzas are perfectly cooked, they’ll taste fantastic and encourage repeat purchase. They can also be used for a variety of breads such as ciabatta and naan, as well as foods such as lasagne, jacket potatoes, pies, pasties and pastries,” says Paul Hickman, development chef at Lincat.

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

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

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

“There’s also our Giga Fast Oven, which can cook fresh dough pizza in as little as 90 seconds. It is a great way to provide fantastic hot food for customers in a hurry. With the potential to produce up to 30 pizzas an hour, the Giga® Fast Oven will pay for itself in no time, and provide a fantastic long-term return on your investment. It combines the performance of a dedicated wood-fired pizza oven with the versatility of a

convection oven in a single, compact package. And since it operates from a standard 13amp plug, it can be used anywhere.”

And if pizza isn’t the only thing on the menu, the Giga® Fast Oven can also be quickly converted into a standard convection oven for the cooking of lasagne, croissants, cakes, pies, pastries, potatoes and oven chips, as well as for the toasting of all types of bread products, say Lincat, who add that a twin-deck pizza oven is a great idea (you can just have one part working in quieter periods in order to save energy).

Faster pasta Frima report that their patented VarioBoost heating system boils water three times as fast as conventional equipment which means the smallest VarioCooking Center, model 112, can cook fifty portions of pasta in less than 30 minutes – as opposed nearly 90 minutes in similar sized pans claim the firm (their largest model, the VCC 311, can cook 300 portions in under 30 minutes).

The Frima VarioBoost heating system also makes the VarioCooking Center Multificiency up to 96% efficient at heat transfer – making it more economical than standard gas and electric appliances and more efficient than an induction hob, claim the company, and because it does everything automatically, the VarioCooking Center allows chefs to get on with other tasks, safe in the knowledge that the pasta will be perfectly cooked every time.

At the push of a button, the VarioCooking Center automatically fills up with water and VarioBoost brings it to the boil in just a few minutes. The unit then lowers the pasta into the boiling water and, as soon as it is cooked, automatically raises it out again. Once cooked, all the chef has to do is drain and rinse out the pans (which takes less than two minutes), and start cooking the sauce.

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www.papa.org.uk

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equipment In addition, the VarioCooking Center is a multi-function piece of cooking equipment - a hi-tech tilting pan that can be used as a bratt pan, a kettle pan, a deep fat fryer and a pressure cooker. Its VarioBoost system is so fast and accurate, claim Frima, that it also cuts energy consumption by as much as 40% compared to conventional equipment (to find out about Frima’s free Cooking Live demonstration, visit www.frima-uk.co.uk).

Offering pasta made in-house provides a point of difference on menus and commands a premium price and to enable venues to quickly and easily produce a range of fresh pasta from scratch, FEM has launched the Sirman SIRpasta machine.

This features a planetary spiral mixer which makes light work of combining the pasta dough ingredients, say FEM. The mixer bowl has a capacity of 20 litres, capable of holding 4kg of dough and the top feeder tube allows egg to be added gradually, during mixing, to ensure the ingredients are thoroughly combined and the dough is the desired consistency.

Push button operation and easily removable components also mean the SIRpasta machine is simple to use and to clean (it measures just 450mm (w) x 406mm (d) x 66mm (h), which makes it ideal for countertop use).

The machine also comes with a pasta cutter and a choice of 75mm bronze die. Each die is capable of producing perfectly formed pasta shapes, such as spaghetti, linguini, tagliatelle or penne. A 0.75 HP motor enables the machine to produce up to 16kg of pasta per hour.

The SIRpasta machine is supplied by FEM with a full one year parts and labour warranty, at a list price of £4090.00 (+VAT).

Other accessories are available from FEM to increase the versatility of the SIRpasta machine, such as an automatic sheeter, a tagliatelle maker and a ravioli maker.

To ensure that caterers are unlocking the full potential of their commercial microwave, Samsung Professional Appliances has also launched an online commercial microwave oven cookbook (www.commercialmicrowavecookbook.co.uk), illustrating just how easy and fast it is to cook starters, main courses and desserts in a commercial microwave.

Keep calm and carry on cooking The recent spate of bad weather and flooding has highlighted the issues foodservice operations face when the kitchen is no longer as functional as it was designed to be. Is there a way to still serve a limited menu of hot food, to keep customers happy and stop them seeking alternative venues?

Samsung Professional Appliances feels that its heavy duty CM1929 commercial microwave ovens are a great solution. They are fast, reliable, can cook or reheat lots of different products, are easy to operate and most importantly, compact, claim the company.

They can be plugged into a standard 13 amp supply. So when disaster strikes in the kitchen they can be quickly unplugged, moved out of harm’s way and re-sited at any convenient location, such as back bar or countertop, ready for action.

With a power rating of 1850W and measuring only 464mm (w) x 386mm (h) x 577mm (d), the CM1929 has an internal capacity of 26 litres (this is 35% more than comparable microwaves from other manufacturers, so as well as an increased cooking capacity, it can also accommodate over-sized dinner plates, unusual-shaped serving dishes and 2/3 gastronorm pans, claim Samsung). To further increase cooking capacity it is possible to stack two CM1929 units where space allows.

The CM1929 has a dual-magnetron top-feeding microwave source ensuring an even cooking pattern with no hot spots. A soft touch control pad enables seven power levels and a digital display shows status and mode of operation. A facility to pre-program settings for popular menu items makes operation unambiguous for any member of staff.

The CM1929 also has a large pull open door handle and glass front for monitoring the item being cooked. Supplied ready for use, with a full three year warranty, it is also available in a manual version if preferred (www.samsung.com/uk/professional/microwave).

Premium beverage demand As customers become increasingly discerning, operators are finding that they are having to both expand their coffee menu and focus on quality, at a time when

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skilled staff are in short supply.

Coffee machines specialist, Caffeine Ltd, for example, has launched the Schaerer Coffee Art range of bean-to-cup espresso machines, designed to deliver the

best quality coffee at the touch of a button. According to Caffeine Ltd , the Swiss-manufactured Coffee Art machines make a coffee as close to a barista-brewed espresso as a push-button machine can get. In fact, the company claims that its Supersteam wand actually foams milk better than a barista, thanks to its consistency and ability to be finely tuned to different drinks’ requirements.

Alongside its capacity to bring out the best flavours, a key feature of the Coffee Art design is the variety of drinks it can make. The flagship Coffee Art Plus Supersteam model has a touchscreen control panel which can be programmed to make, if necessary, dozens of different drink variations – even cold drinks, if used in combination with auxiliary equipment from the Coffee Art range.

The Coffee Art Plus Supersteam is a three-phase unit manufactured in stainless steel featuring a stylishly ridged body, which is available in either bright Costa Rica Silver or Kenya Black.

The compact design, measuring 420mm (w) x 538mm (d) x 668mm (h), also means a complete coffee service system is available even in coffee shops, restaurants, bars and hotels with very limited space.

The unit is fast, too, having three boilers, one each for the coffee brewer, steam wand and hot water, all of which can operate simultaneously (the Coffee Art Plus Supersteam can dispense up to 350 beverages per hour).

The Supersteam wand automatically foams the milk, exactly as required – the operator can adjust this, depending on the type of drink being made – and the wand is made of PEEK (polyetheretherketone), which doesn’t get hot and, since milk won’t dry on its surface, it’s quick and easy to clean.

A huge range of optional extras means each machine can be tailored to the site’s requirements. There is also a wide selection of auxiliary equipment, so that machines can be linked to other equipment in a variety of different configurations to make, for example, cold drinks in addition to hot ones. The unit features an automatic cleaning

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Showcase Moffat’s (www.ermoffat.co.uk) patisserie range of heated, chilled and ambient food merchandisers is ideal for restaurants who want to show off their product. The new multi-tiered units are constructed from durable, easy to clean stainless steel with fully adjustable shelves. The toughened glass screen allows food to be attractively displayed while helping maintain optimum temperature. The cabinets are illuminated by LEDs to maximise the presentation of products within.

Rear sliding doors make access simple while avoiding the problems hinged doors can cause for staff moving through the work area. The heated and chilled versions include user-friendly digital displays allowing for complete control of the functions of the cabinet. Fans gently circulate the airflow to maintain even temperatures throughout. Quartz elements provide accurate and responsive temperature control in heated units.

There is also the option to have an open front, for self-service, or a fully enclosed unit for assisted service. The units are on wheels, allowing for flexibility in positioning and easy cleaning of the surrounding area. All versions are 1370mm high and 800mm deep and there is a choice of two lengths, 900 and 1200mm.

programme, which is fully HACCP compliant (the operator follows the instructions and animated images on the touchscreen to set the machine into action).

“Schaerer’s advanced engineering delivers a brilliant combination of quality espresso and ease of operation,” says Justin Stockwell, managing director of Caffeine Ltd. “What really sets the Supersteam model apart is its ability to deliver not just great coffee but also great milk foam, automatically. The sheer variety of drinks Coffee Art can deliver makes it the ideal coffee service solution.”

Schaerer Coffee Art machines start from £8,500, excluding VAT (the price includes delivery, installation, a 10 litre water filter and 12 months parts and labour warranty) and Caffeine Ltd distributes brands including Schaerer and Gaggia (www.caffeineonline.co.uk).

With the demand for ice increasing across the catering and hospitality industries, and trends like self-dispensing “bottomless drinks” sweeping the fast food and

www.papa.org.uk

undercounter unit, measuring just 539mm(w) X 664mm(d) X 720mm(h), with a counter top dispenser.

Ice is produced in the undercounter portion of the machine and is then fed upwards through a maintenance free “ice chimney” into a 5kg capacity hopper housed in the tower head.

50g of ice can be dispensed in three seconds. There are two dispensing modes - produce as much ice as required or a set amount with the timer-based option. Factoring in the time required for replacing cups this enables ice to be dispensed nonstop, meaning it should never run out, no matter the demand.

Nugget ice is the driest and hardest form of flake ice. Like other forms of flake ice it is produced at just below 0°C and then compressed to remove residual water, reducing it to as little as 8% of its original volume.

The resulting cylindrical nuggets have a slow melt rate, making them ideal for drinks or for display purposes. Standard features include a microbial UV control lamp to sterilise incoming water

and the integrated mineral and algae filtration system.

“The ability to generate ice on demand from such a compact machine is very exciting,” says Simon Aspin, commercial director of Hubbard Ice Systems.“We believe it will have a big impact across the hospitality market.”

More information on the full range of Scotsman ice machines can be found at www.scotsmanice.co.uk.

family dining sectors, operators are looking for reliable and economical sources of large amounts of ice. However, as pressure on space continues, they also need ice machines that are as compact as possible.

To help meet this demand, Hubbard Systems has launched the Scotsman Ice Tower 56, which is capable of producing 485kg of high-quality nugget ice in a 24 hour period, report the company.

What’s more, the machine is an

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legislation

Action on

allergies

On the 13 December 2014, new allergen labelling regulations affecting restaurants, takeaways, cafĂŠs, caterers and other food businesses came into force. Here, Graham Corfield (pictured), the UK managing director of Just Eat, gives some insight into how their food business partners prepared for the changes.

Allergen aware The change has taken place because some people can suffer from severe reactions to foods they are allergic to and, as there are no cures for food allergies, the only way for a person with an allergy to avoid having a

reaction is to not eat the food in question.

While businesses have known about the new regulations for some time, there has been some concern about what the allergen labelling rules will mean in practice and how

to comply with them.

Under these new rules, food businesses need to provide consumers with specific information about allergens on the menu. The information needs to be specific.

The 14 allergens 1. Celery, including stalks, leaves, seeds and celeriac.

6. Lupin, the seeds and flour can be found in some types of bread, pastries and pasta.

11. Peanuts, often found in biscuits, cakes, curries, desserts and sauces.

2. Cereals containing gluten, the specific cereal (e.g. wheat, barley, rye) needs to be declared.

7. Milk, includes dairy products and foods glazed with milk, powdered soups and sauces.

12. Sesame seeds, found in bread, hummus, sesame oil and tahini (sesame paste).

3. Crustaceans, includes prawns, crabs and lobster, and shrimp paste.

8. Molluscs, includes mussels, snails, squid and other shellfish. Found in oyster sauce or used as an ingredient in fish stews.

13. Soya, found in bean curd, soya flour, tofu, and miso paste.

4. Eggs, including foods glazed with egg.

9. Mustard, includes liquid mustard, powder, and seeds.

14. Sulphur dioxide, often used as a preservative, and found in wine and beer.

5. Fish, sometimes found in salad dressings, stock cubes and Worcestershire sauce.

10. Nuts, often found in breads, biscuits and sauces.

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legislation It is no longer possible to say a food “might contain” an allergen.

For example, a chicken korma needs to list both milk and nuts (almonds).

In addition, business owners now have a legal responsibility to let customers know if anything on the menu contains any one of the 14 allergens listed in the regulation (see table).

How our restaurants partners prepared Starting with our takeaway partners, Just Eat took a number of steps in response to the new regulations. Our restaurant partners got up to speed on the new allergen labelling rules and the guidance that has been provided by the Food Standards Agency, and other bodies, on how to comply with them.

We also helped in this process by providing restaurants with information and advice on the new rules.

For example, we ran a number of articles in our partner magazine, and sent out guidance leaflets produced by the Food Standards Agency. We also ensured that staff working with our restaurant partners day to day were fully trained on the new rules to ensure they are able to provide them with guidance and support.

Importantly, however, a restaurant’s response to the new regulation depends on whether they are dine-in

only or predominantly offering takeaway. The main difference here is likely to be around how these different types of restaurant choose to provide this information to consumers. For example, dine-in restaurants may find it easier to do so in writing on menus or chalkboards, while takeaways may find it easier to provide it verbally (the Food Standards Agency has published further background details on the changes which can be found at www.food.gov.uk/science/ allergy-intolerance/label/).

In addition to providing educational literature to restaurant owners, we provide our web site

visitors with more prominent information about allergens.

This includes a detailed FAQ with guidance for allergen sufferers about what to do when ordering online. We will also be making some changes to our merchandise to provide consumers with an additional reminder about allergens.

Preparation Every business is different so restaurant owners need to ensure they, and all their staff, fully understand the new rules, as well as the particular steps they need to take to comply with them.

Staff training and effective communication are key to ensuring compliance with the new rules.

Businesses will need to train staff on the

new rules, but also on their menus and ingredients, including on any part-prepared ingredients like sauces used to prepare dishes. This will enable front of house staff to be able to answer customers’ questions about allergens themselves, or know who to ask to get this information.

Thankfully, there are a number of different ways to provide the allergen information, which should allow restaurant owners to use

the method that works best for them.

Businesses looking to find out more should go to bodies like the Food Standards Agency, which has published helpful and easy to understand information on the new rules and how to comply with them. Trading Standards and other stakeholders like the British Retail Consortium, have also produced useful information.

Impact on the food industry Clearly this is a big change which will require everyone involved in the food industry, including ingredients suppliers, restaurants, and even consumers, to do things differently.

There will undoubtedly be some challenges, particularly in the early days, so everyone involved in the industry will need to support one another as the rules bed in.

Ultimately these new rules will be seen as positive for our industry. Consumers are becoming more discerning about their food, and are increasingly seeking out more information on key aspects like quality, customer service, and even hygiene ratings before choosing what to eat.

As a result, being able to provide consumers with more information about allergens will help them make more informed choices and feel more confident about the food they are ordering, which can only be a good thing.

Above all, effective communication between staff, customers, suppliers, and others involved in the food and restaurant sector will be key. And by taking time to understand the new labelling rules, and working together, everyone in the industry should be ready to provide customers with more detailed allergen information.

“Starting with our takeaway partners, Just Eat took a number of steps in response to the new regulations.”

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equipment

Three steps to pizza heaven

The Silea mixer from Cuppone has been designed to speedily mix ingredients to create pizza bases with no skills required.

The most common misconception when it comes to making quality, authentic Italian pizza is that such a feat requires an Italian backdrop and a skilled pizza chef, along with oodles of time - one luxury that restaurants at busy service times just don’t have – argue equipment supplier, Linda Lewis Kitchens. The good news, however, say the company, is that any restaurant keen to prove its mettle in the world of pizza excellence, and add a very lucrative element to their menu, can succeed by following three simple steps on the stairway to pizza heaven.

The dough The key to truly exceptional pizza? The ingredients - and none could be more important than the dough that a restaurant chooses for its pizza base. The choice between using fresh dough to make pizza on site, or buying in frozen pre-pressed dough balls from a supplier is a dilemma encountered by many restaurants, and many are unsure which is the best option to guarantee excellent pizza quality, with both time and cost savings.

Thus, creating pizza from scratch using fresh dough can bring many benefits to restaurants. Not only does it ensure a consistently quality mix for all pizza bases, but it can seriously undercut the higher cost of ready-to-roll frozen dough and improve the quality of the pizza at the same time.

All it takes is an investment in a quality dough mixer, feel Linda Lewis Kitchens, and then restaurants can speedily mix the ingredients to create the perfect base in just 18 minutes with no skills necessary, claim the firm.

Mixers such as the one from Cuppone, for example, have been finely tuned to mix at exactly the right speed to allow the gluten time to develop without overheating the dough (the dough divider shaft is also

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removable for easy cleaning and ingredients can be added through the grate whilst mixing).

The Cuppone Pizza Press creates perfectly uniform pizza bases and is available in five sizes ranging from 300mm plates to 500mm plates (it can also make chapattis and other flatbreads).

No room at the inn? No worries, say Linda Lewis, for their dough mixers take up little room and all Cuppone oven stands come complete with a storage facility for the dough mixer. They are also a low-cost investment.

The base After mixing dough on-site, the next step to authentic Italian pizza is creating the perfect pizza base, consistently and quickly, and using a quality pizza press will not only ensure that the pizza base is exactly the thickness required, but the cooking time and oven temperatures can actually be reduced as the air in the pizza is completely sealed and evenly distributed by the press, argue Linda Lewis. Not only does this save energy costs, the oven temperature is reduced by around 30°C, claim the company.

Quality pizza press models are also extremely energy efficient and easy to use, and take up very little room and in a busy restaurant, pizza can get delivered to the table far quicker. In real terms, calculate Linda Lewis, it costs approximately £82 per week to purchase and run the smallest pizza press, versus paying a skilled chef to open the pizza

bases by hand by anything from £390 per week The heart of things The real heart of pizza making, and the key to ensuring your restaurant gets the most authentic flavour and texture from its fresh pizza dough, is pizza baking. And this allimportant step to pizza excellence requires one thing above all else, feel Linda Lewis the right pizza oven.

The choice of pizza oven varieties, of course, can be overwhelming for many kitchen managers, who simply want an oven that can cope with a high output of meals at busy times, produces exceptional results consistently, and cooks pizza as quickly as possible. The traditional preference for restaurants eager to provide authentic Italian pizza to their customers has been to invest in a wood-burning oven. However, these ovens can be very costly and difficult to install for many restaurants, and need to considered carefully.

“When choosing a pizza oven, restaurants must make a choice that will meet their commercial cooking needs, including output required, authenticity of flavour, kitchen space and budget, of course,” December 2014

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equipment

says Linda Lewis. “Choosing an electric pizza oven with a stone base is a great way for restaurants to achieve the quality Italian taste, without the huge financial outlay and the disruption caused by the installation of a wood-burning stove.”

The Giotto oven, for example, from Cuppone has been finely tuned to produce pizza with the same look as if it had been cooked in a wood-burning oven (slightly browner on one side), whilst maintaining an authentic taste and texture with no need for highly skilled (and expensive) staff. Giotto can cook 14 perfect pizzas in around three minutes. They are easy to cook and constant supervision is not required, point out Linda Lewis Kitchens.

“It’s important to invest in a brand that carries a solid reputation for quality and reliability, and to make sure a warranty for breakdown is included in the purchase - it’s well worth the price,” adds Linda Lewis. “What’s more, when you invest in the right pizza oven, you can also use it to cook other favourites including jacket potatoes, fish and meat dishes.

Indeed, for some establishments, the pizza oven has become their only oven.”

www.papa.org.uk

New to the game?

An electric oven with a stone base such as one from Cuppone’s extensive range, will help deliver the authentic Italian flavour to woo your customers, and can be bought for as little as £690, say the firm (a single deck pizza oven is capable of cooking up to 48 x 8” pizzas or approximately 12 x 16” pizzas in an hour, with each pizza taking around three to six minutes to cook).

Many restaurants are often limited on space and it can get rather cramped during busy service periods, observe Linda Lewis. However, with some smaller pizza ovens able to operate using a 13-amp plug, all you need is a countertop and away you go. For those outlets that cater for large volumes, choose a model that comes in various deck sizes and which can be stacked to cope with growing demand or even check out those models that fit snugly into a corner; thereby making the best use of available space, suggest Linda Lewis.

And if you’ve got it, flaunt it.

For those restaurants where the kitchen is visible to customers, why not invest in a showstopping oven that boasts high aesthetic appeal and provides a theatre style spectacle of pizza cooking?

One restaurant that has already experienced the taste of success by adding pizza to the menu is Peatzza based in East Kilbride Scotland. After investing in the three steps - dough mixer, pizza press and Giotto oven all from Cuppone - it has never looked back, claim Linda Lewis.

Indeed, Peatzza has now become a demo site that provides potential outlets with the opportunity to try before they buy, and experience all the benefits of the Cuppone pizza equipment range. Owner and head chef, Nino Barcello, reports that he firmly recommends the equipment to caterers who are keen for a quick turnaround of products without compromising on quality, and claims the equipment pieces are the best he has ever worked with.

With fresh ingredients, a pizza press to take the work out of pizza making, and the right

The Evolution Corner model of oven has been is designed to meet the needs of restaurants, gastro pubs and takeaways where pizza is firmly on the menu, say Linda Lewis and is also ideal for front of house.

pizza oven, your restaurant will be well on the path to perfect pizza, and with competition from other eateries rife, it’s vital to stay on top of your game and

tempt your customers with the best pizza in town. Invest in these three steps, advise Linda Lewis Kitchens, and you will find yourself in pizza heaven.

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

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

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cleaning

Fighting grime With the right help and organisation, keeping your kitchen clean should be a ‘pizza cake’, says Luke Rutterford, technical manager at Rentokil Specialist Hygiene.

Right time It’s that time of year again when commercial kitchens will greatly benefit from a thorough deep clean following the summer season, and ahead of the busy periodo natalizio. The Christmas and New Year celebrations are a time when your staff, pizza oven and kitchen area will come under increased pressure due to the increase in footfall.

Restaurants across the UK must adhere to the strictest levels of hygiene to ensure the safety of both customers and staff. Fines and a negative effect on profitability and reputation can be avoided by having at least one kitchen deep clean a year.

Deep cleaning ventilation systems will also greatly decrease fire risk and reducing carbon on cooking equipment like ovens and burners will make them more efficient and longer lasting, whilst significantly decreasing energy consumption. Additionally, this will provide enhanced hygiene standards, helping to avoid bacterial contamination and lessen the risk of pest infestations.

The regularity of cleaning One of the most powerful tools in the fight against grime is routine cleaning. It is essential that daily and weekly cleaning is performed to maintain a general level of hygiene, but to help make this as

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effective as possible, a thorough all-encompassing deep clean once a year will help you achieve an elevated level of cleanliness.

Cleaning should also be scheduled and tracked - ensuring that it takes place regularly and on time can help to maintain high standards. Remember – get it clean and keep it clean!

Deep cleaning With all that said, daily cleaning alone will not eliminate all buildups of dirt, grime and bacteria and most restaurants will benefit from having an expert supplier to completely deep clean their kitchen facilities.

Waste food, fats and grease production in commercial kitchens are an inevitable part of cooking, but kitchen managers need to make sure they follow practical measures to prevent these from building up.

Cooking generates airborne grease, carbon and steam, which can travel around the kitchen allowing residues to settle and accumulate in hard-to-reach areas such as ventilation ducts. If specialist cleaning is not carried out, these deposits can build up, reducing airflow, creating foul odours and even blocking grills and vents altogether. This can render them ineffective and also lead to temperature control issues within the kitchen. The adhesive December 2014

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residues that have been deposited can trap dust and debris and lead to significant microbial activity, including fungal and bacterial development. This will not only breach the Food Safety Act 1990, but will also be hazardous to staff working in the kitchen.

The importance of air duct cleaning The huge number of duct-related fires has caused insurance companies to sit up and take notice of this problem, and the hospitality industry is warning of the dangers that can come from not paying attention to grease and oil build-up in kitchen ductwork. Insurance companies are now refusing to cover restaurants unless they meet standard ductwork cleaning procedures.

Since 2006, under the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order, all business statutory duty holders are required to carry out fire risk assessments to identify potential hazards that might exist within the building that they are responsible for, and then take action to reduce them.

Environmental health officers and fire inspectors will look for a maintenance routine that includes the regular inspection of all supply and extract ventilation systems.

Grease traps, which are a fundamental part of any commercial kitchen, are a good example of an area which will need a professional clean-out; ensuring harmful fats, oils and

www.papa.org.uk

greases are captured and prevented from entering the drainage system is essential. Waste from grease traps is classified as controlled waste and, as such, an environmental health officer is required to see evidence that regular cleaning of grease traps has been performed, and that the waste has been removed by a registered waste carrier.

The added benefits of specialist deep cleans can significantly outweigh the costs involved and not only demonstrates due diligence of the management but, by removing residual carbon and oily residues, significantly reduces the risk of fire.

Following a deep clean it is highly advisable to have the entire kitchen treated with a disinfectant fog, this can be carried out using a high level disinfectant that can kill 99.9999% of bacteria and is effective against virus spores and fungi. These are safe to use, nontainting to food surfaces and sanitise all of the surfaces.

Additionally, it can be used to kill pathogenic bacteria within the ventilation system and in all those hard to reach places. It also has a reactive barrier technology to extend its longevity. This not only helps to keep food preparation safe but also has an impact on malodour within the kitchen.

Top tips for maintaining ducts For a thorough deep clean, a professional service is always recommended, but there are steps you can take to keep your ducts in good working order.

1. Ensure daily cleaning regimes are adhered to in order to limit the accumulation of dust and grime.

2. Make sure filters are changed regularly – blocked kitchen vents can cause fires.

3. Arrange yearly inspections in line with current fire prevention regulations and, if necessary, arrange for a deep cleaning service by ventilation cleaning professionals.

4. Thoroughly clean out grills around the drains and plug holes.

5. Regularly have the waste traps emptied.

6. Keep the doors closed to avoid pest ingression and get a fly screen door.

7. Rinse out the bins daily.

8. Pay attention to the areas underneath the dishwasher.

As with any external contractor, part of their role is to be fully up to speed on the latest legislation changes in their area of expertise and specialist hygiene is no different. So if you’re in any doubt as to how to tackle your grime, make sure you call in the experts.

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pizza my world

Pizza My World For 30 years Sarah Muir has toured with some of the most famous names in music. Elton John, Bob Dylan, Radiohead, Robbie Williams and the Spice Girls made up just some of her high-profile clientele as she travelled the globe providing a five-star fast-paced catering service for world music tours. Music still features prominently in Sarah’s business today; alongside music licensing company PPL, Sarah works hard to raise awareness of the value that recorded music can bring businesses in the hospitality and restaurant sector. n 2009, Sarah set up her own cookery school business, the Arches, on her brother’s working farm in the heart of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park. The school provides a range of full-day cooking classes with various themes such as, Junior Chef, for 12-16 year olds with culinary aspiration, Mr & Mrs for couples, and an Amazing Entertaining class for dinner party hosts wanting to put on a spectacular feast for their guests. Sarah also gives professional business talks to start-up restaurateurs who want to craft a unique top quality experience in their own businesses and offers expert advice on food preparation, cooking and service.

I

7.00am Music still plays a huge part in my daily routine. As soon as I jump in the car to travel 40 miles from my home to the Arches Cookery School, the radio is switched on giving me my first blast of energy for the day. My music taste is quite eclectic so I flick between channels until I find something that motivates me. Listening to music on my journey into work gives me focus and allows me to think about tasks for the day ahead; sometimes a song might even trigger a thought or task that I’d forgotten about and can be a great prompt later in the day when I’m humming that tune, I remember to do the task!

8.00am I swing by the nearby farmers’ market to pick up local produce for the day’s cookery class. My mother grows all of the vegetables and herbs we use in the cookery school on our farmland, but there is a special ingredient I need for my Roasted Vegetable Panzanella recipe that will feature in today’s bespoke Made in Italy course.

10.30am I have prepared my kitchen and ingredients 62

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ready to welcome students that arrive early, but as well as exceptional content and produce on my courses, it’s incredibly important to set the right atmosphere. I choose a funky Northern Soul album on my iPod and play it just a touch above speaking level; this way when my first students arrive they are put at ease by the fun playful music, but are also forced to speak up a little which creates a nice welcoming hubbub and chatter before the class begins. Music is a great leveler for strangers; it’s something that everyone has in common even if there’s a difference of opinion. Music is also a reliable talking point, so I use it at the start of my classes to make it easy for everyone to get to know each other and feel comfortable in the Arches space.

11.00am Italian is without a doubt one of the UK’s favourite imported cuisines; no British high street is complete without a 'Ristorante Italiano'. There is so much more to Italian than pizza and pasta, each region has its own very unique gastronomic heritage and these fabulous recipes are both delicious and suitable for any occasion.

My Made in Italy course starts with morning tea and coffee, followed by a demonstration of all the dishes, then hands on cooking from everyone. Students will learn to make a selection of authentic recipes including duck ragu pappardella ribbons, Sicilian arancini with arrabiata sauce, aubergine parmigianino and rosemary focaccia, ceps orzo, and crab gnocchi.

Noon Throughout the day I also teach preparation and timing skills, share kitchen know-how, handy hints and proven shortcuts, give tips about seasoning and balancing flavours, and demonstrate knife sharpening and knife skills.

2.00pm At the end of the class we all sit down to a lunch of the gorgeous dishes created throughout the day. Again music goes on, only this time it’s chilled out wind-down music which makes for great background accompaniment. Students get to take home their own dishes to showcase their new found skills to friends and loved ones.

3.00pm Time to prepare for my evening session.

Businesses are always looking for new ways to incentivise staff and encourage confidence within a team. In addition to recreational cooking classes I lead corporate sessions. I get a lot of new restaurateurs who are just starting out in the hospitality industry. Curious about my background cooking for celebrities, start-ups come to me for recommendations and guidance on how to make a big impact in their own businesses. So I give talks in the evening at small private events at homes or businesses and share my experience.

6.00pm I arrive at the private venue (a boutique Italian restaurant tucked away behind the high street), and immediately notice that the silence is deafening. I know what to make the focus of my talk straightaway – the importance of music in a hospitality business.

Addressing my small audience of restaurant owners and managers, I start by explaining that music can play a huge part in helping a business stand out from the rest from the curation of a new space, to reinventing an established one. These days people expect to hear great music wherever they go and what your customers hear is just as important as what they see. But creating new experiences for customers can be a real art form and can be especially challenging in saturated and competitive markets. Varying your music choice can be a great way to give December 2014

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pizza my world customers a different immersive experience each time they visit. Music is not just beneficial for customer experience, it can also play a huge role in employee satisfaction.

Setting staff members the challenge of creating a playlist for the restaurant floor or kitchen during pre-opening and closing hours can be a great way to give a sense of autonomy back to individuals and shows that you are literally listening to your staff! Music can also be used to a business advantage. A neat trick is to vary tempos throughout the day which can be a very effective way to keep staff energy levels up and improve efficiency.

Ultimately, improved productivity from staff could increase a restaurant’s profitability, keeping customers happy and increasing footfall. I end my talk by giving some practical business advice, still wearing my music hat. People and customers pay for the food and services you provide, including good music. Therefore, a PPL licence should be on your list of annual outgoings, as your contribution allows music to fill your business and a pleasurable atmosphere attracts people.

world. It’s so important to keep on trend, know what the current crazes are, and what the latest cookery programmes and books are. I always want to be at the forefront of my

industry and appeal to new customers as much as possible. Working on my own late at night, I turn to my favourite album for company - a bit of country blues.

For information about playing music in your business visit www.ppluk.com The Arches Cookery School.

10.00pm When I get home at the end of the day, I kick off my shoes and flick through the daily papers to see what’s happening in the food

new member

Riva Foods has been established for over 25 years and are based in Hull, East Yorkshire and are a BRC grade A accredited. They manufacture a variety of products including garlic or flavoured bread slices and baguettes (frozen and chilled), speciality flavoured breads topped with garlic and flavoured spreads, hand-crafted breads with garlic and flavoured spreads, garlic and flavoured spreads and mixes (frozen and chilled), flavoured butter portions individually quick frozen and dips, sauces and spreads in portion controlled pots They supply to foodservice, manufacturing and retail sectors in various sizes and case quantities, and their staff are united in the commitment to take ownership of the service we provide to all of our customers.

The company are committed to tailoring our products to our customer’s individual needs and manufacture private label brands as well as our own Lands branded products and pride themselves on their customer service levels, striving to meet their customer expectations, if not exceed them (for further information, 01482 837285 to speak to the Riva Foods team, who will be happy to assist).

www.papa.org.uk

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

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

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

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 Tel: 01895 201246 Fax: 01895 201101 www.generalmills.co.uk Glanbia Cheese Ltd 4 Royal Mews, Gadbrook Park, Rudheath, Northwich, Cheshire CW9 7UD Contact: John O’Brien Tel: 01606 810900 Fax: 01606 48680 johnobrien@glanbiacheese.co.uk

REGISTERED SUPPLIERS 999 Pizza Toppings (UK) Ltd. Unit 6, Teakcroft, Fairview Industrial Park, Marsh Way, Rainham, Essex RM13 8UH Contact: Homayoun Aminnia Tel: 01708 558885 Fax: 01708 555022 sales@999pizzatoppings.com Allied Mills Ltd. Sunblest Flour Mill, Port of Tilbury, Tilbury, Essex RM18 7JR Contact: Chris Brown Tel: 01375 363100 Fax: 01375 363199 chris.brown@allied-mills.co.uk www.allied-mills-semolina.co.uk Bakkavor Pizza Forward Drive, Christchurch Avenue, Harrow, Middlesex, HA3 8NT Contact: Soum Ghosal Tel: 0208 4242666 Fax: 0208 4200606 soum.ghosal@bakkavor.co.uk www.bakkavor.co.uk

Bel UK Ltd Suite 1, 2nd Floor, 160 London Road, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1BT Contact: Cedric Blanpied Tel: 0333 900 2020 Fax: 01732 467596 cblanpied@groupe-bel.com www.bel-uk.co.uk Benier UK 56 Alston Drive, Bradwell, Abbey, Milton Keynes MK13 9HB Contact: David Marsh Tel: 01908 312333 Fax: 01908 311481 www.benier.co.uk sales@benier.co.uk C.Carnevale Ltd Carnevale House, Blundell St, London N7 9BN Contact: Mr C Carnevale Tel: 0207 607 8777 Fax: 0207 607 8774 Cater-Bake UK South Boundary Road, Knowsley Industrial Park, Merseyside, Liverpool L33 7RR Contact: Mark Hutchings Tel: 0151 548 5818 Fax: 0151 548 5835 www.cater-bake.co.uk sales@cater-bake.co.uk

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Cooktek c/o MCS Technical Products Ltd MCS Technical Products, Building 2, Westmead Industrial Estate, Westmead Drive, Swindon, Wiltshire SN5 7YT Contact: Steve Snow Tel: 01793 538308 Fax: 01793 522324 sales@mcstechproducts.co.uk www.mcstechproducts.co.uk

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

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

Donatantonio Ltd. Lupa House, York Way, Borehamwood, Herts WD6 1PX Contact: Simon Bell Tel: 0208 2362222 Fax: 0208 2362288 www.donatantonio.com sbell@donatantonio.com

Eurilait Ltd Leighton Lane Industrial Estate, Leighton Lane, Evercreech BA4 6LQ Contact: Paul Bates Tel: 01749 838100 Fax: 01749 831247 paulbates@eurilait co.uk www.eurilait.co.uk

Granarolo UK Ltd. 23 Church Street, Rushden, Northamptonshire NN10 9YU Contact: Anthony Bosco Tel: 0843 1781450 anthony.bosco@granarolo.co.uk www.granarolo.co.uk ICB Group Virginia House, 35-51 Station Road, Egham, Surrey TW20 9LB Contact: Craig Kitchen Tel: 01784 608100 Fax: 0203 411 3936 craig.kitchen@icbgroupuk.com www.icbgroupuk.com

Integer 167 Heywood Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 1LB Contact: Geoff Whittle Tel: 0161 7987307 Fax: 0161 7733151 geoff@integeruk.com www.integeruk.com JDM Food Group Ltd. Monument Road, Bicker, Boston, Lincolnshire PE20 3DJ Contact: Darren Bevan Tel: 01775 822389 darren.bevan@jdmfoodgroup.co.uk www.jdmfoodgroup.co.uk

Kiren Foods Unit 3 Small Bridge Industrial Park, Riverside Drive, Rochdale, Lancashire OL16 2SH Contact: Mr Nazir Mackmood Tel:01706 526732 Fax: 01706 869749 nazir@kirenfoods.com La Tua Pasta Ltd. 52 Gorst Road, London NW10 6LD Contact: Francesco Boggian Tel: 0208 961 8022 Fax: 0208 965 6006 info@latuapasta.com www.latuapasta.com Lands’ End Corporate & Teamwear Lands’ End Way, Oakham, Rutland LE15 6US Contact: Neel Raura Tel: 01572 758062 neel.raura@landsend.co.uk www.landsend-teamwear.co.uk Leathams PLC 227-255, Ilderton Road, London, SE15 1NS Contact: Mr James Faulkner Tel 0207 6354026 / Fax 0207 6354017 ingredients.sales@leathams.co.uk www.leathams.com Maranaforni Di Marana F. Via Turbina 98, Verona, 37139 Italy Contact: Eleni Olivieri Tel: 0039 0456704503 Fax: 0039 0457156118 elena.commerciale@maranaforni.it

Martin Mathew & Co 50 St Andrew Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire SG14 1JA Contact: Mr M.J. Donnelly Tel: 01992 641641 Fax: 01992 641333 matthewdonnelly@martinmathew.co.uk www.martinmathew.co.uk

Meadow Cheese Co. Limited Hazel Park, Dymock Road, Ledbury, Herefordshire HR8 2JQ Contact: Robert Kennedy Tel: 01531 631300 / Fax: 01531 631300 robert.kennedy@meadowcheese.co.uk www.meadowcheese.co.uk

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

Med Food Wholesale Ltd. 9 Bethune Road, Park Royal, London NW10 6NJ Contact: Jean Marc Nehme Tel: 0208 965 6528 / Fax: 0208 961 1359 j-marc@medfoodwholesale.com www.medfoodwholesale.com

Just-Eat.co.uk Ltd. Imperial Place (IP4), Maxwell Road, Borehamwood WD6 1JN Contact: Lucy Milne Tel: 0208 7362001 Email: Lucy.Milne@just-eat.co.uk www.just-eat.co.uk

Minster Fine Foods Ltd. Park View House, 16 South Street, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9LT Contact: Ellyot Doyle Tel: 01778 394333 / Fax: 01778 394111 ellyot@minsterfinefoods.co.uk www.minsterfinefoods.co.uk

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index registered suppliers Montana Bakery Limited Blackthorne Road, Poyle Industrial Estate, Colnbrook, Berkshire SL3 0AP Contact: Jonathan Mellows Tel: 01753 760 800 / Fax: 01753 760 801 jonathan@montana.bakeries.co.uk Pasta King (UK) Ltd Plantation House, Milber Trading Estate, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 4SG Contact: Lesley Treeby Tel: 0800 458 7898 / Fax: 01626 334481 www.pastaking.co.uk lt@pastaking.co.uk Pathos Continental Foods Ltd. Connect House, 21A Willow Lane, Mitcham, Surrey CR4 4NA Contact: Kiriakos Miniotis Tel: 0208 274 3369 enquiries@pathosolives.co.uk www.pathosolives.co.uk Pizza Plus Foodservice Light Industrial Estate, Liverpool Road, Walmer Bridge, Preston PR4 5HY Tel: 01772 610415 Fax: 01772 617610 Contact: Chris Smith chris@pizzaplusfs.co.uk Portal Foods Ltd. Unit 14 Somerville Court, Banbury Business Park, Adderbury, Banbury, Oxfordshire OX17 3SN Contact: John Mullen Tel: 0844 9674797 jmullen@portalfoods.co.uk

Riva Foods 32 Copenhagen Road, Hull HU7 0XQ Contact: Marie Gawley Tel: 01482 837285 Fax: 01482 824323 marie.gawley@rivafoods.co.uk www.rivafoods.co.uk Sorrento Express Ltd. Unit 10 Southall Business Park, 142 Johnson Street, Southall, Middlesex UB2 5FD Contact: Alfonso Amitrano Tel: 0208 843 4990 sales@sorrentoexpress.com www.sorrentoexpress.com Southern Salads Limited Units 1 & 2 Cannon Bridge, Cannon Lane Tonbridge, Kent TN1 9RP Contact: Mr Ray Boakes Tel: 01732 362444 Fax: 01732 361919 ray@southernsalads.co.uk www.southernsalads.com

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

Taste of Sicily Ltd. Unit 2 Lismirrane Industrial Estate, Elstree Road, Elstree, Hertfordshire WD6 3EE Contact: Carlo Diforti Tel: 0208 953 5453 Fax: 0208 953 1453 info@tasteofsicily.co.uk www.tasteofsicily.co.uk Technomic Inc Knowledge Center, 300 S Riverside Plaza Suite 1200, Chicago, Illinois, IL60606 USA Contact: Patrick Noone pnoone@technomic.com Tel: (01) 205 991 1234 Fax: (01) 205 980 3770 www.technomic.com The Cardinal Group The Station, Great Chesterford, Saffron Walden, Essex CB10 1NY Contact: Kerinda Ibbotson Tel: 0845 680 1796 group.sales@thecardinalgroup.co.uk www.thecardinalgroup.co.uk

The Fresh Olive Company 74 Long Drive, Greenford, Middlesex UB6 8LZ Contact: Ali Kirk Tel: 0208 838 9629 / Fax: 0208 813 2986 ali@fresholive.com www.fresholive.com TICCO Foods Ltd. Unit B2Y, Skyway 14, Calder Way, Colnbrook, Slough SL3 0BQ Contact: Emma Hallam Tel: 07779 167474 Fax: 01753 689813 emmahallam@ticco.co.uk

Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Limited Cottingham Way, Thrapston, Kettering, Northamptonshire NN14 3EP Contact: Sophie Whitaker Tel: 01832 737210 / Fax: 01832 734433 sales@whitcoltd.com Whitworth Bros Limited Victoria Mills, Wellingborough Northants NN8 2DT Contact: Alan Ribakovs Tel: 01933 441000 Fax: 01933 222523 enquiries@whitworthbros.ltd.uk Willis Group Stuart House, Caxton Road, Fulwood, Preston PR2 9RW Contact: Gary Skipworth Tel: 01772 664021 skipworthgj@willis.com www.willis.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

DOUGH & PIZZA EQUIPMENT Dough Preparation Equipment Cater-Bake (UK) Pizza Accessories Pizza Plus Foodservice Pizza Making Systems & Equipment Benier (UK) Ltd. Cater-Bake (UK) Chefsrange Cooktek (MCS Technical Products) Jestic Maranaforni Di Marana F. Pizza Direct UK Pizza Ovens Benier (UK) Ltd. Cater-Bake (UK) Chefsrange Jestic Maranaforni Di Marana F. PD Catering Internatonal Pizza Plus Foodservice

FISH & SEAFOOD Other Fish & Seafood Leathams PLC

FLOUR & BAKERY

FRUIT & VEGETABLES Chargrilled Vegetables Carnevale Ltd. Martin Mathew & Co. Ltd. Pathos Continental Foods Ltd. Taste of Sicily Ltd. The Fresh Olive Company Italian Fruit & Vegetables (in cans) Pathos Continental Foods Ltd.

Pancetta Carnevale Ltd. Minster Fine Foods Ltd.

Salad Southern Salads

Salami Carnevale Ltd. Minster Fine Foods Ltd.

INSURANCE ICB Group Willis Group

KITCHEN & SERVING EQUIPMENT

PASTA, POLENTA, GNOCCHI & RICE

Displays Chefsrange

Gnocchi La Tua Pasta Ltd.

Food Safety & Hygiene Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd

Pasta (Dry) Carnevale Ltd. Donatantonio Ltd. Leathams PLC La Tua Pasta Ltd. Minster Fine Foods Ltd.

Griddles Chefsrange Jestic

Flour Allied Mills Carnevale Ltd. Sorrento Express Ltd. Whitworth Bros. Limited

Holding Ovens Jestic Preparation Counters Chefsrange

Lands’ End Corporate & Teamwear

Premixes (Bread & Cakes)| Allied Mills

Serving Pasta King (UK) Ltd.

COMPUTING SOLUTIONS

FOOD WHOLESALERS

Computer Delivery Management Systems Integer Computers

Stagioni Ltd.

Bacon Dawn Farm Foods Leathams PLC Minster Fine Foods Ltd.

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Integer Computers

TICCO Foods Ltd.

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

MEAT

Beef Leathams PLC Chicken & Other Poultry Leathams PLC

Rice Pathos Continental Foods Ltd.

PIZZA DOUGH, BASES & CRUSTS Dough Balls Kiren Foods Montana Bakery Pizza Plus Foodservice Pizza Bases & Crusts Kiren Foods Montana Bakery Pizza Plus Foodservice Stateside Foods Ltd.

PIZZA TOPPINGS Fish Carnevale Ltd. Martin Mathew & Co. Ltd. Fruit & Vegetables Carnevale Ltd. JDM Food Group Ltd. Meat 999 Pizza Toppings (UK) Ltd. Carnevale Ltd. Dawn Farm Foods Minster Fine Foods Ltd. Pizza Plus Foodservice Stateside Foods Ltd. Pizza Sauces Donatantonio Ltd. Pizza Plus Foodservice Portal Foods Ltd. Stateside Foods Ltd.

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

SOUPS, SAUCES, STOCKS & DRESSINGS Chutneys, Relishes & Sauces JDM Food Group Ltd.

Garlic Spreads & Mixes Riva Foods Stateside Foods Ltd. Pasta Sauces Leathams PLC Martin Mathew & Co. Ltd. Pasta King (UK) Ltd. The Fresh Pasta Company Ltd Pesto Taste of Sicily Ltd. Pizza Sauces Leathams PLC Portal Foods Ltd.

SPECIALIST FOOD CONSULTANCY & MARKET RESEARCH Retail The Cardinal Group Specialist Food Consultancy Technomic Inc Market Reasearch Technomic Inc Training Publications The Cardinal Group

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

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

Refrigeration Chefsrange General Mills UK Ltd. Servicing & Spares Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd.

Computers/Software

Balsamic Vinegar Pathos Continental Foods Ltd.

Chargrills Chefsrange

Durum Semolina Allied Mills Carnevale Ltd.

Leathams PLC

OILS & VINEGARS

Drinks Systems Carnevale Ltd.

Bakery Ovens Cater-Bake (UK) Chefsrange

Concentrates Allied Mills

Continental Quattro

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

Olive Oil Donatantonio Ltd. Leathams PLC Martin Mathew & Co. Ltd. Med Food Wholesale Ltd. Pathos Continental Foods Ltd.

Improvers Allied Mills

CLOTHING AND WORKWEAR

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

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

Fryers Chefsrange Jestic

Icings Allied Mills

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

Ian Kent, Stateside

Richard Harrow , Freiberger

Alan Ribakovs, Whitworths

Cedric Blanpied, Bel UK

Geoff Parsons, Basilico

Ian Ritchie, Dawn Farm Foods

Richard Burgham, Pizza Hut

Maurice Abboudi, Consultant

Andrew Gallagher, Papa John

Matt Simpkin, Just Eat

John O’Brien, Glanbia Cheese

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

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