Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food - Issue 184

Issue 184 February 2018

& Italian food magazine

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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. 2017

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Welcome The Casual Dining Show (21 and 22 February 2018, www.casualdiningshow.co.uk) returns to the Business Design Centre this month. Turn to page 22 to find out more.

This issue features plenty of insight from those in the know when it comes to pizza-making skills, including from the multiple PAPA awardwinning Pizza Chef of the Year, Marco Fuso.

PAPA provides a heads-up on its activities, and there’s also a look at what the trends shaping 2018 are likely to be.

CLARE BENFIELD EDITOR clare@jandmgroup.co.uk

Contents NEWS 4 5 6 8

Bellavita attracts new investments.

EPPS promises an actionpacked three days Strada and Jamie’s Italian announce closures.

Cin Cin brings a taste of Italy to Hove.

PAPA

14 PAPA Awards – snapshots of some 2017 awards winners.

18 Chairman’s Report PAPA 2018 20 PAPA AGM

PREVIEW

22 Casual Dining 2018

FEATURES

34 Pizza paces – pizza making skills.

40 Recipes for success - opinions and insight into running a successful food business.

48 Alternative and artisanal – specialist doughs and breads.

ARTICLES 28 Trend watch – the food trends we can expect to see in 2018.

31 Optimal EPoS – advice for busy operators.

54 Right to Work compliance – meeting the legal requirements.

60 Sustainable ready meal production - water optimsiation the key?

PROFILES 56 Pizza My World – Eurostar Commodities’ Davide D’Auria.

REGULARS 58 Wood-fi red oven guru column.

61 Index of PAPA registered suppliers.

February 2017

NEWS To register for a free trade ticket, visit www.casualdiningshow.co.uk and quote priority code CD5.

Operators gear up for Casual Dining 2018 Already a magnet for top buyers from across the casual dining sector, not least the Italian food sector, Casual Dining 2018 reports that it is also expecting to see a record number of UK pub and bar operators among its attendees this month, when doors open at the Business Design Centre in London on 21 and 22 February 2018.

Event organiser Diversified UK says the number of pub and bar buyers at Casual Dining has swelled year on year (it was up 10% in 2017 and a massive 25% in 2016) – reflecting the growing importance of food sales as a crucial revenue stream for many.

“Whether it’s in pubs, bars or restaurants – our growing appetite for a high quality, good value, food and drink offering has created huge opportunities for casual dining operators. And they’ll find plenty of inspiration, new ideas and world-class innovations at Casual Dining 2018,” says event manager Eva Ellis.

Casual Dining’s high-profile seminar line-up includes Keynote interviews with Chris Hill, CEO of New World Trading Company, and Paul Merrett, acclaimed chef director and owner at Jolly Fine Pub Group. Plus, an exclusive opening day panel session examining the opportunities, trends and challenges ahead for casual dining pub operators. Hosted by Kate Nicholls, chief executive of the ALMR, panellists will include Tim Foster, owner and head of being awesome at the Yummy Pub Co, Brian Keeley-Whiting, MD of Whiting & Hammond, and Alexander Salussolia, MD of Glendola Leisure Group.

Casual Dining returns to the Business Design Centre in London on 21 and 22 February 2018. The show’s full exhibitor list is available to view at www. casualdiningshow.co.uk/exhibitor-list, and features over 200 leading industry suppliers offering everything from new food and drink products, catering equipment and tech, workwear, tableware, payment solutions and business services.

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Bellavita attracts new investments

VPE (a company of Veronafiere S.p.A. and Fiere di Parma S.p.A.) has purchased 50% of the shares in Bellavita Expo, a British company organising trade shows for the promotion of Italian food and beverages in seven markets (UK, USA, Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland and Thailand).

Bellavita Expo was established five years ago and is rapidly growing as a dynamic platform aimed at Italian companies looking to open new export channels worldwide, its mission being to bring the excellence of Italy to local buyers, importers, distributors and restaurateurs. In addition, Bellavita offers a space for discussion and education on the latest trends in Italian cuisine and products thanks to an interesting programme of talks and workshops with starred chefs and experts.

“Bellavita educates buyers worldwide on Italian F&B, starting from the place of origin through to the ingredients and the philosophy behind each product,” said Aldo Mazzocco, CEO of Bellavita. “This joint venture with VPE represents the first truly international hub for the promotion of Made in Italy F&B and it is a concrete answer to the growing demands of Italian SMEs looking to open new business channels abroad.”

Bellavita London 2018 will take place at the Business Design Centre from 17 to 19 June, and will launch the new format of the

trade show, where Cibus and Vinitaly will expand the range of food products and wines by introducing a new selection of iconic Italian brands to the event.

“This operation is particularly directed at the clients of Cibus, Vinitaly and Sol&Agrifood,” commented Giovanni Mantovani, CEO of VPE and general director of Veronafiere. “In partnership with Bellavita Expo, we are aiming to attract the main players of the ho.re.ca. sector who are increasingly focused on Italian style. Our objective is to expand our international offer, always in partnership with government organisations, relevant institutions and associations in order to optimise investments, maximise resources and promotional initiatives in support of Italian enterprises.”

“I would like to thank everyone who made this operation possible, in particular our vice president Annalisa Sassi,” added Antonio Cellie, CEO of Fiere di Parma. “With her entrepreneurial sensitivity she brought Bellavita London to our attention. After meeting the young team behind the event, we realised there was potential for our businesses to work and develop together.

Having Veronafiere and Vinitaly on board perfectly fits in with our internationalisation process, always promoting the real Made in Italy and in conjunction with Federalimentare and ICE.”

Welcome Break opens first PizzaExpress Motorway service operator, Welcome Break, has opened its first PizzaExpress restaurant on the motorway network, located at Oxford Services on the M40 (junction 8A) and with a total of 40 new jobs being created.

The 88-seater restaurant offers table service to both hotel guests and motorway service visitors and is open for 11 hours per day, from 11am until 10pm 364 days a year.

“We are confident that our customers will welcome the addition of one of the UK’s most popular and much-loved restaurant brands to Welcome Break,” said Welcome Break CEO Rod McKie. “In recent years we have seen a growing trend with our customers, both business and leisure, wanting to spend more time at our service stations across the UK and be able to enjoy a dining experience comparable to that on the high street.

“I am delighted that PizzaExpress will allow us to offer that experience to our customers. Our joint aim is to open many more PizzaExpress restaurants across our UK motorway network.”

PizzaExpress chief executive officer JinLong Wang said: “This new opening

represents a key part of the company’s expansion, extending our brand footprint into new locations and formats. We are delighted to be working with Welcome Break and bringing our PizzaExpress to the Oxford Services.

“Excellence in everything we do is what we aspire to and Welcome Break is the ideal partner to ensure we continue to deliver exactly what our customers expect and love, whilst making our brand even more accessible.”

February 2018

NEWS

EPPS promises an action-packed three days Over the past two years, the European Pizza and Pasta Show (EPPS) has successfully set out to be the ultimate engagement channel for sellers and buyers in the European pizza and pasta industries, matching up the interests and needs of this dynamic market and creating unparalleled deep, lasting relationships so as to provide mutual value for all industry stakeholders.

In 2018, the event will be staged over three days – 13-15 November 2018 at Olympia National Hall, London - and will also feature four competitions, more than fifty seminars, an Exhibitors Networking Reception and the prestigious 2018 PAPA Awards Dinner.

“The European Pizza and Pasta Show has a real impact on businesses, from increased revenues to shortened sales cycles, to heightened brand sentiments and buzz on social media,” said Stanislava Blagoeva,

MD of IPR Events London Ltd, the show’s organiser.

“The 2017 show had a real buzz to it and we have had lots of compliments from both exhibitors and visitors. Indeed, such was its success that we are extending this year’s event to three days and many of the exhibitors have

already booked larger stands for 2018,” added PAPA’s Jim Winship.

“It is some years since our industry had an event as a showcase itself and this show gives us a real opportunity to raise its profile both in the UK and abroad.”

For the first time in Europe an event will also be

host to the European Pizza Acrobatics Championship on the 13 November, while on 14 November the Annual European Pizza Championship will take place, featuring four categories (Vegan Pizza, Classic Italian, Neapolitan Pizza and Contemporary – a modern take on classic pizza recipes). The 15 November will see the annual PAPA finals for UK Pizza and Pasta Chefs of the Year Competitions take place.

The seminar programme, organised over three days at two specially designed theatres, will see industry and government leaders discussing legal issues such as labelling, packaging, franchising and licensing in the food and beverage industries, as well as more practical topics for start-ups and leading food and beverage brands.

To find out more about this year’s show, visit www.pizzapastashow.com

No ‘Christmas cracker’ for restaurant groups Britain’s managed pub and restaurant groups saw collective like-for-like sales marginally down by 0.1% over the six-week Christmas and New Year period, according to latest figures from the Coffer Peach Business Tracker.

“The public still went out to eat and drink, but essentially it was a repeat of last Christmas.

Better trading in the second half of the festive season, when people were mainly off work, failed to provide enough of a boost to beat 2016’s overall numbers,” said Peter Martin, vice president of CGA, the business insight consultancy that produces the Tracker, in partnership with Coffer Group and RSM. The results, which cover the six weeks up to January 7, show that managed pub groups did better than casual dining restaurants, delivering a small increase in trade with collective like-for-likes up 0.6% on last year.

Restaurant chains saw collective like-for-likes down 1.0%.

“It looks like people were more willing to go out to drink than eat this festive season, with drink-led pubs and bars having the best of trading. Across the managed pub market, drink sales were up 1.8%, while food was down 1.4%. Food-led operations, both pubs and restaurants, generally had a worse Christmas

than 2016,” added Peter Martin.

Although London and the rest of the country both overall turned out flat, London saw a bigger contrast in fortunes between restaurants and pubs, with casual dining down 2.6% inside the M25 and pubs up 1.5%.

“Looking across the six week period, the run-up to the holidays saw generally poor trading, with the snow in particular hitting sales. Trading picked up in the last three weeks either side of the core holidays. Every year the Christmas period seems to becoming more concentrated,” Peter Martin continued.

“Although the sector will be disappointed it didn’t beat 2016’s numbers, the results do reflect the flat trading we’ve seen in the market over the past year – and they also come on the back of increases for the past two Christmases.”

Total sales growth among the 37 companies in the Tracker cohort was 3.4%, compared to the festive period last year, reflecting the continuing if much more subdued effect of new openings, they observed.

“Despite very negative press particularly associated with restaurant sector trading, the eating and drinking out market is not in free fall. Trading over the important December trading period was flat with pubs trading

better than restaurants. There is no question that the trading environment is competitive but these numbers are not the car crash that has been widely portrayed. 2018 will be a challenging year and we expect to see bars and pubs trading more robustly than restaurants,” said Mark Sheehan, managing director of Coffer Corporate Leisure.

Paul Newman, head of leisure and hospitality at RSM, added: “Increased drinks spend across the managed pub market over the festive period was not enough to offset disappointing casual dining like for likes, rounding off a flat year for the sector and failing to give operators Christmas cheer.

Since the New Year a number of high profile brands have already announced site closure plans and with consumer confidence waning and uncertainty ahead of Brexit, we expect our restructuring teams to be kept busy in the months ahead.”

The Coffer Peach Tracker industry sales monitor for the UK pub and restaurant sector collects and analyses performance data from 37 operating groups, including Pizza Hut, Pizza Express, Casual Dining Group (Bella Italia), Azzurri Restaurants (Zizzi, ASK), Prezzo and Carluccio’s.

www.papa.org.uk 5

NEWS

Strada and Jamie’s Italian announce closures Papa John’s franchisee engineers more store openings Papa John’s has announced franchisee and former mechanical engineer, Siddhartha Chirumamilla (Sid), has opened two more stores.

Falkirk north-east of Glasgow and Billericay in Essex bring Sid’s total Papa John’s portfolio to 11, and he has plans to open more before the end of the year.

“I first experienced Papa John’s when I was a student delivery driver!

I went on to work in mechanical engineering but always wanted to run my own business. I bought my first franchised Papa John’s with the help of a HSBC loan five years ago and the business grew rapidly,” said Sid Chirumamilla.

“My role has changed dramatically over the years from being a pizza delivery driver to now overseeing my own operation. These days, most of my work is currently involved with handling the new openings, while my managers run each individual Papa John’s. I have an experienced business partner - Vamsi Atluri - who runs my multiple Scottish based outlets and the rest are in the South East of England.”

Phil Gaffer, QFP, Papa John’s franchise sales and business development manager added: “We are seeing a growing trend for our franchisees to run multiple operations.

There are advantages of economies of scale by running more than one outlet as it offers the chance for expansion using a formula that franchisees know works well. Once a franchisee becomes confident in managing one store, we can help them apply that knowledge to open multiple outlets if they wish.

We are also able to offer some great incentive deals to help ambitious franchisees expand in this way.”

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The aftermath of Christmas and the start of the new year saw Strada announce closures of its sites in Camden, Clapham, Blackheath, Harpenden, Newbury, Horsham, Henley, Cardiff, Cobham and their Birmingham Mailbox branch.

“Following a comprehensive review, it is with regret that we are closing a number of our Strada restaurants, as they are no longer viable as Stradas in this increasingly competitive market,” said the high street brand in a statement.

“Where possible, we are converting the sites to new formats or selling them to other operators, but in some cases, recent increases in rents and rates, coupled with government-decreed rises in wage costs,

make it very difficult to operate profitably a full service restaurant serving fresh food.”

It was a similar story for Jamie’s Italian, who, after a strategic review of their business, have announced that 12 of their 37 restaurants are to close (Bath, Bristol, Bluewater, Chelmsford, Greenwich, Harrogate, Kingston, Milton Keynes, Piccadilly Diner, Reading, St Albans and Threadneedle Street).

“This was not an easy decision but it’s a crucial step to ensure our strong and muchloved brand can continue to serve our loyal customers,” said Jon Knight, CEO of the Jamie Oliver Rastaurant Group in a statement.

Jamie’s Italian remaining 25 UK restaurants will continue to trade normally.

Vapiano arrives in Glasgow Vapiano has opened its doors in the heart of Glasgow, bringing its fresh Italian food and laid-back vibe to its new Buchanan Street venue.

Home to a fresh range of Italian food, residents and visitors to the city’s famous Style Mile can now try the unique dining concept in the fully refurbished iconic former George Hotel building, once a bolthole for Hollywood stars including Cary Grant and Joan Crawford.

Diners enter from Buchanan Street, and are led up the wide staircase, complete with restored Victorian stained-glass windows to the 293-seated capacity restaurant. The long oak tables each have their own herb garden where guests can pick their own fresh herbs to garnish the dishes, and the two-floor premises includes a laidback bar area where guests can relax and chill in the company of friends. There’s a nod to Turin too (Europe’s other style capital twinned with Glasgow), through a wall length art installation detailing the Italian city’s skyline.

Founded on a love of honest, good and supremely fresh food, Vapiano’s menu is made up of classic favourites as well as some new takes on the traditional, offering customers the freshest range of pizzas, pastas, antipasti and salads ordered directly from chefs at the open kitchen and

made in front of diners. Guests at Vapiano are also encouraged to choose eat their food to their own taste, with ingredients freely mixed and matched to order, and garnishes growing in the mini herb garden on each of the tables. At the end of each diner’s visit, payment is made via a unique smart-card system, which sees everything added to their card as they order.

The launch has created 55 jobs and follows the recent opening of Vapiano Edinburgh, the firm’s first outlet in Scotland.

“When we were looking at locations for restaurants, Glasgow looked ideal. Its vibrant social scene provides the perfect backdrop for Vapiano and we’re thrilled to have finally opened those doors,” said Phil Sermon, managing director at Vapiano.

February 2018

GREAT INGREDIENTS, GREAT FOOD. Innovation is a key ingredient in our business. By continually evolving and adapting to fast moving food trends we have become the preferred cooked & fermented Ready To Eat (RTE) meat ingredient supplier to the UK’s leading pizza, sandwich and ready-meal brands.

Visit www.dawnfarms.ie to discover the ingredients that set us apart.

NEWS

Domino’s roll out new ‘pizza checker’ Domino’s will be using an AI camera system called a Pizza Checker, and designed by Dragontail Systems.

These cameras will be installed in over 2,000 Domino’s locations across seven different countries and will first be used by their restaurants located in Australia, as these establishments have already agreed to a 12-month global exclusivity agreement with Dragontail.

Chief executive of Domino’s, Don Meij, believes that the Pizza Checker will raise company standards, strengthen quality control and improve overall customer satisfaction as the

camera will be able to flag up any details that are missed by employees. This will help reduce the amount of customers complaining or even refusing to pay for their pizza, feel the brand, due to the fact it doesn’t look anything like the picture that tempted them to buy it in the first place!

“The quality and consistency of our handmade pizzas will drastically improve, and all of them will be cooked and cut to perfection,” added Don Meij.

The Pizza Checker has multiple functions. It can distinguish different types of pizza and can also check

Mitchell & Cooper launches Nemox Wippy 2000 New to Mitchell & Cooper for 2018, and joining their extensive range of Nemox Gelato machines, is the Nemox Wippy 2000, the perfect addition for boutique ice cream parlours, restaurants, cafés and more, feel the company.

The Wippy 2000 is a whipping machine capable of producing delicious whipped cream that maintains its texture and temperature, say Mitchell & Cooper. The rotary pump powered mixer features dual setting controls, allowing the operator to pump either cream or air to achieve the desired consistency and texture, and making it perfect for finishing off desserts, adding a decadent finish to hot drinks, and also as a great

for topping ice cream and gelato, suggest the company.

The flexibility of the Nemox Wippy 2000 means it’s perfect for a variety of outlets, and the small footprint of the machine also ensures it’s suitable for small kitchens as well as medium sized catering operations, they advise.

The liquid cream base is indirectly cooled to 4°C in the machine and held at perfect conditions for use.

The refrigeration system also keeps the cream at the ideal temperature all the way through the dispensing nozzle to ensure the dispensed cream retains its structure.

Both light and heavy creams can be used to achieve the desired end product, with both varieties holding a stable texture when whipped, report Mitchell & Cooper (www. mitchellcooper.co.uk).

With a clear lid and significant overrun in the tank, the operator also has a clear view of the product during whipping, and the cycle can be ended at any time once the desired consistency has been reached.

if the pizza is at the correct temperature. The camera will be installed just above the cutting board - the perfect location for the AI to properly inspect each product, and these results are sent directly to the store manager.

Photos of the pizza can be sent to the customer before it has left the store. Customers can receive notifications about the process of their pizza. They will also be informed if their pizza failed the quality control test and their order has to be remade.

This new system makes the pizza chain appear more trustworthy and honest, and it also lets

customers know if their order will be late, point out Domino’s.

This is the first contract major corporate contract Dragontail Systems has accepted, the Israeli-based technology group having expressed their desire to revolutionise the way fast food/ quick service restaurants function and feeling that the answer is to utilise new AI technologies.

“Dragontail is the driving force, but they’ve had assistance,” said Don Meij. “By partnering up with Google AI software, companies like Dragontail and Domino’s are able to develop products that are cost-effective.”

Cin Cin brings a taste of Italy to Hove Cin Cin, a thriving Italian restaurant in the heart of Brighton’s North Laines, is set to become even more successful following the opening of a second restaurant in Hove – thanks to a funding deal from NatWest Bank, and the support of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme governed by the British Business Bank.

Having started in the back of a vintage Fiat van, Cin Cin’s handmade pasta and authentic antipasti has proved to be very popular with local residents, bringing their distinctive Italian cooking to Brighton. David Toscano started the business whilst working as a solicitor, and took his passion to the next level by opening Cin Cin’s first Restaurant in Vine Street, Brighton two years ago.

The new restaurant will continue the business’s passion for serving up delicious antipasti, handmade pasta, aperitifs and Italian wines in a welcoming open bar and kitchen setting.

The NatWest loan has supported the purchase and refurbishment of the new restaurant, creating over 10 jobs in the local area.

“Having grown the business from

the back of a vintage van, it is exciting to see Cin Cin go from strength to strength and become increasingly popular with local residents and visitors,” said David Toscano. “Thanks to NatWest’s support, we are able to take our passion for Italian cuisine to Hove, with the opening of our second restaurant. We look forward to serving our top quality food and drink to local residents for many years to come.”

Andrew Glyn-Jones, NatWest relationship manager, said: “Cin Cin has been a real local success story, and we were delighted to support them as they continue to grow. I am sure the Hove restaurant will prove just as popular as the restaurant in Brighton. I look forward to eating at the new restaurant, and I wish David and his team every success for the future.”

Cin Cin’s second restaurant on Western Road

February 2018

COMPLETE CATERING EQUIPMENT ESTABLISHED 1990 - LONDON

020 8424 9483 www.pizzaequipment.ltd.uk sales@pizzaequipment.ltd.uk Showroom at 7 St Kilda’s Road, Harrow, London, HA1 1QD

NEWS

WatchGuard serves up a slice of security for Homeslice Pizza When selecting a network and Wi-Fi security solution for its new flagship London restaurant that recently opened its doors in the City’s Bloomberg Arcade, Homeslice Pizza chose an integrated solution from WatchGuard Technologies.

Homeslice, known for its signature wood-fired 20” pizzas, is replacing existing IT security systems with WatchGuard technology in its Shoreditch, Covent Garden and Fitzrovia restaurants as well as in two new outlets (the systems are being designed and installed by specialist WatchGuard partner Eat IT Drink IT).

The WatchGuard solutions cover all aspects of IT security across the Homeslice Group including providing secure Wi-Fi for guests and allowing staff to take orders and process credit card payments at the table, using three separate and secure virtual networks.

The WatchGuard AP320 Wi-Fi access points provide complete coverage throughout the restaurants and are managed and controlled by the WatchGuard T30

Homeslice Pizza is protecting its IT security with help from WatchGuard.

Firebox, which also protects the fixed network and sensitive data stored on Homeslice IT systems, report the firm. The ‘all you can eat’ T30 delivers anti-spam, gateway antivirus, Intrusion prevention, web-content filtering, application control, HTTPS web site inspection and WatchGuard’s cloud-based

High quality European olive oil promotion Unaprol, the largest association of Italian olive oil producers, co-funded by the EU and the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, is aiming to raise awareness on the unique qualities of olives and olive oil among as wide an audience as possible.

The project’s mission is to affirm the unique, recognisable identity of the quality of European products through sound reasoning presenting data and facts that can be verified by consumers and operators in the sector.

The products are being promoted in Italy, Germany and in the UK to all stakeholders. In Italy, the campaign has been focusing on stimulating consumption and modernising the image of products mainly rooted in traditional models. In Germany and the UK, the campaign has been focusing on increasing visibility 10

for olives and olive oils, promoting the products through their nutritional benefits, their flavour and the theme of the healthy Mediterranean diet to encourage their use over other traditional fats.

The two main producers taking part in the project are OL.MA. and Redoro, both organisations having been promoted at the Welcome Italia 2017 Fair held at the Royal Horticultural Hall, and in over 40 very well known restaurants in London for five weeks towards the end of last year.

reputation-enabled defence, in a single appliance.

“While people come to Homeslice for our pizzas and relaxed, friendly environment, it’s surprising how upset they can get if they can’t get on a Wi-Fi network and as a business we can’t afford the risk of a security breach,” said Alan Wogan, founder and director at Homeslice Pizza. “That’s why we are putting our trust in the WatchGuard technology and the Eat IT Drink IT team. It means we have one less thing to worry about and can focus on delivering the ultimate pizza dining experience.”

“For most restaurant guests, reliable and secure Wi-Fi has to be on top of the menu, while restaurant owners need to ensure they are fully PCI compliant at all times and able to protect both guest and company data,” added Cliff Gurdin, owner and director at Eat IT Drink IT. “And with costs going up and margins being squeezed in the food and drink industry, WatchGuard offers flexible, enterprise level security at affordable costs for small to medium sized businesses.”

Jestic set to unveil a host of new technology Jestic Foodservice Equipment reports that it is set to unveil a host of brand new technology including the latest state-ofthe-art cooking equipment from Rosinox, as well as the latest innovation from brands such as Josper, Henny Penny, Vitamix and Winston CVap on Stand 1720A at Hotelympia 2018 (5-8 March 2018, ExCel).

Recognised as being the exclusive distributor of some of the most well known equipment brands in the foodservice industry, Jestic has long been a supporter of this UK hospitality event and this year, visitors to stand 1720a will experience the power and versatility of the equipment, with Jestic’s own Culinary Team hosting a series of live cooking demonstrations, while experts will be on hand to deliver the knowledge and expertise on the equipment to suit bespoke requirements, specification, installation and use.

One of the newest brands in the Jestic portfolio, Rosinox will be making its first appearance on the company’s stand. Launching at the event in London, the brand new Rosinox Dual Chef features two large, independently controlled kettles, and uses a powerful, flat heating element and a three layer, 10mm thick steel base to generate a uniform temperature for outstanding consistency. A hinged and balanced doublewalled, stainless steel lid, complete with peripheral seals ensures optimum heat retention, say Jestic, while a standard 800mm x 840mm (w/d) footprint, complete with rounded edges, ensures the Dual Chef fits with either your existing setup or a brand new Rosinox suite.

February 2018

NEWS

New range of mozzarella products offers solutions Arla PRO has launched a new range of mozzarella products, designed to help operators produce great pizzas, every time, say the company.

The range comes in six convenient variants, including for the first time, in Sticks and Dice, giving operators the flexibility to choose the products that are best for their menu. The versatile range includes Grated Mozzarella (suitable for even coverage), Large Diced Mozzarella (mild and creamy with larger chunks for a slower melt), Diced Mozzarella (for optimum stretch), Sticks Mozzarella (to give great holding performance), Grated Mozzarella & Cheddar (fresh and creamy for enhanced flavour) and Mozzarella Block (for versatility).

Operationally, Arla’s new Mozzarella range provides a level of consistency and even melt, which according to Charlie Nelson, the man behind iconic street food brand, Fundi Pizza, “delivers a lovely brown melt and creamy taste.”

Mark Young, from Leeds-based Sela Bar, has also been trialling Arla’s new mozzarella products and said: “When it comes to cheese,

I want a product that is consistent and helps to deliver the right balance of cheese to toppings, creating great pizza. And Arla’s new mozzarella does that perfectly, adding a distinctive, natural flavour. The creaminess of the texture brought another dimension to the pizza in terms of flavour, which generated some amazing feedback from customers - a clear winner. And operationally, it also had the benefit of needing to use less than other products we’ve used.”

Arla’s new mozzarella products deliver on takeaway too. In the past, feel the company, there has been an issue with transparency for some cheeses, particularly if they were held

Jeff Whitaker With deep sadness, Whitco have announced that their CEO, Jeff Whitaker, died on Saturday 27 January 2018 after a short illness.

Jeff Whitaker was a man for whom the word hospitality and its industry might have been invented. However, his first experience with catering was just a means to an end.

He became a student at Hull Catering College, later admitting: “I only trained in catering so that I could join the merchant navy and see the world!”

His warmth and personality suited the catering industry perfectly. This, combined with an enormous appetite for hard work and a commitment to taking the long-term view (“stick at it” being a favourite mantra), laid the foundation for the growth of the company that he founded with his wife, Vita, in 1995. His leadership and approach to management inspired trust among colleagues, employees, suppliers and customers. At the same time, his innovations fuelled the company’s growth and changed industry practices for the better.

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He also knew how to extend hospitality to others and, not surprisingly, he enjoyed the company of friends, good food and knew his way around a fine wine list. His loyalty to friends and colleagues alike was boundless.

This extended to acts of generosity that often went well beyond the call of duty.

“We have been touched by the depth and compassion of the many messages we have received since Jeff’s death. Words such as ‘gentleman,’ ‘legend’ and ‘industry giant’ have been typical of the obvious warm regard in which he was held by so many people in our industry,” said Whitco’s MD, Tony Butler.

Jeff Whitaker will be remembered as both a gentle man and a gentleman, possessed of a quiet dignity and a winning smile that seemed to enter the room just before he did. He leaves a legacy of a loving family and a business that he built over more than 22 years.

A memorial service will be held on 22 March 2018 at Oundle School Chapel in Milton Road, Oundle, Northamptonshire.

or put in a pizza box, which means that the operator must use more product to maintain customer satisfaction and avoid looking ‘mean’ or ‘ungenerous’. Arla’s Sticks Mozzarella is achieving fantastic results, claim the company, by giving great pizza coverage and maintaining opacity, particularly when held under hot lamps or when delivered, avoiding any such quality issues.

“With pizza accounting for almost one in 10 out of home eating occasions, success relies on creating products that taste great and get consumers coming back for more. So, making sure that the cheese you use has flavour, visual appeal and just the right amount of stretch can have an impact on consumer satisfaction and overall profitability,” said Donna Rowbottom, head of marketing for Arla PRO. “All the products in the new range are endorsed by the Craft Guild of Chefs, giving operators the reassurance that they have been tried and tested by some of the UK’s leading chefs so that they can buy safe in the knowledge that they will also perform in their ovens.”

FOODit absorbs credit card surcharge Restaurant web site builder FOODit, a JJ Food Service company, has announced it will absorb the impact of credit card surcharge fees being abolished to support UK takeaways.

“Everyone is cost conscious in the new year and these small fees can really add up,” said head of product, Paul Sharp.

“From January 13, 2018, it became illegal for any EU business to charge more to pay with a card online, including food takeaway platforms.

Some platforms may increase their prices or introduce a new fee to compensate, but we will be absorbing the cost for restaurants with a FOODit website. This will allow diners to save 50p by ordering directly from their local takeaway’s site.”

Many online platforms such as Just Eat, UK airlines and the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency (DVLA) charge fees as high as 20% for using a debit or credit card, claim the company.

“Rip-off charges do nothing to support independent restaurants and takeaways,” added Paul Sharp. “By absorbing the fee we are helping to put a bit of money back in the pockets of thousands of diners. It’s a win-win for consumers and independents alike.”

To further support takeaways, FOODit has announced a 2020 Price Promise in which all restaurants with a FOODit web site includes a 10% fixed commission fee until at least 2020, no hidden costs and no monthly maintenance fees, say the company.

February 2018

NEWS

SkillSnap targets hospitality industry skill shortage The UK’s hospitality industry is facing a dire skills shortage in 2018, according to new joint research from the University of Cambridge and SkillSnap.

Next year in bars, pubs and clubs alone over 125,000 UK roles will need to be filled, they claim, with the figure being even higher for restaurants and cafés where almost 250, 000 positions need to be recruited. The crisis has been accelerated by high staff turnover and expected freedom of movement restrictions anticipated by Brexit, they add.

The research was carried out by University of Cambridge, Judge Business School MBA in response to the looming crisis with the main findings indicating a need in businesses for ‘matching algorithms’ – namely, clever modern technology to put the right candidate, position and company together producing a) time savings, b) better fitting candidates and c) more longevity in subsequent time of employment, feel SkillSnap.

“It’s a major crisis for both small independents and large hospitality chains,” said Ben Aymé, founder of www.SkillSnap. com. “The CV is 500 years old. It is a flat, un-read, old-fashioned document completely unsuited to the needs of the modern postdigital economy. Our mission is to make it as easy and cost effective as possible to get the right employer and employee fit

to ensure that not only is the job filled but that the person remains in that employment for as long as possible.”

Chris Dunn Consulting was selected to work alongside SkillSnap and the research team.

“SkillSnap has the potential to revolutionise the hiring process in the hospitality industry. The CVP insights will provide a further boost to the company as its innovative platform penetrates new markets,” said Chris Dunn.

SkillSnap feels that it can offer a solution which maximises the efficiency of the recruitment process. For job seekers, SkillSnap is a fast and efficient vehicle for conveying a true sense of who the candidate is and what they want to achieve, and for businesses SkillSnap is revolutionising the cost model and the speed at which businesses can drill down into the depth of prospective candidates ultimately saving business time and money, they claim.

University of Cambridge researchers also found that businesses were having to sell themselves, and that making a business look good in a userfriendly showcase was crucial to attract new staff, with one senior business owner commenting: “We have to fight for every person. For everyone I interview I’m selling my business to them, they’re not just selling themselves.”

Exclusive Ranges now sole UK distributor for Capic Exclusive Ranges has announced that it has become the sole distributor for Capic equipment in the UK as of the beginning of this month in a move that will give them the ability to offer a full range of the French manufactured, modular and bespoke equipment from Capic’s wide portfolio, feel the company.

“This exciting addition of Capic to our collection creates a

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partnership with a family-owned business that will see a return for us to the well-established territory of modular equipment.

We intend to develop the brand through a distributor network across the UK giving full sales and service support through the existing, reputable Exclusive Ranges structure,” said Trevor Burke, managing director at Exclusive Ranges.

SHORTS LAVAZZA DEDICATED MICRO-SITE National wholesaler JJ Food Service has launched a microsite on its web site dedicated entirely to Lavazza coffee, and offering recipe suggestions, free education, training and a range of coffee essentials. With the new micro-site, the JJ Food Service says that it is supporting a range of caterers from casual dining outlets and cafes to higher-end hotels and coffee shops to help them choose the right blend for their business.

THE FOODSERVICE SHOW The Foodservice Show will take place at Hotelympia (5-8 March 2018 at ExCeL London), and is billed as 2018’s only event dedicated to the foodservice industry, giving visitors the chance to keep up to date with the latest food and drink innovations, as well as enjoy the brand new Café Commerce section - a dedicated business event for the booming café market, say the show’s organisers.

BRITVIC UNVEILS NEW WEB SITE Britvic has announced the launch of its new trade web site www.sensationaldrinks.com - to help foodservice and leisure (FS&L) operators prepare for the arrival of the soft drinks levy on 6 April 2018 and provide a host of tools to help them maximise their soft drinks sales. Initially, the online platform will offer support and advice, including useful tools such as a profit calculator, to help outlets understand the financial impact of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy. Customers can also order dispense conversion kits that will help them make changes to their range to offset the effects of the levy, by optimising their sugar free offer.

ORGANIC FOOD AND DRINK SPEND UP Organic food and drink spend in foodservice is up 10.2%, as the UK organic market enjoys sixth year of growth, reports the Soil Association’s 2018 Organic Market Report. It reveals a spend of £84.4 million on organic in foodservice over the past year, equating to around £1.62 million being spent on organic in the catering and foodservice sector every week across the UK. Overall, the UK organic market is now worth £2.2 billion, the highest it has ever been, growing 6% in 2017. The market has now had six years of steady growth, with organic accounting for 1.5% of the total UK food and drink market, add the Soil Association.

TAXES SHOULD GO TO INCREASED RECYCLING At its Environment Seminar, the Foodservice Packaging Association (FPA) and its members welcomed the government’s commitment to tackling the environmental impact of packaging and plastics, calling for all taxes raised to be directed to increasing recycling and reducing litter.

Speakers from Greenpeace, the Green Alliance and WRAP all referenced producer reform, acknowledging that reforming this system should play a significant role in the government’s review of packaging taxes or charges. Professor Margaret Bates, University of Northampton, referenced consumer behaviour and that packaging, its use and disposal, is everyone’s responsibility, and that we should not lose sight of the positive role that packaging plays in society. Lord Deben said reform through the PRN systems would be fast, effective and cost less than levying new taxes or charges.

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PAPA AWARDS

Bravo for business!

2018

2018

It’s 2018, and as we look forward to the year ahead we also start to build on events from last year. This is indeed the case for our PAPA 2017 Awards winners. Once the celebrations were over, our winners have gone on to build on that success, as well as enjoy the glory and potential business that comes from winning a national award. We caught up with a few to see how they are getting on since winning a PAPA Award‌ 14

February 2018

PAPA AWARDS

The PAPA Industry Award The well deserving winners of the PAPA Industry Award were Carnevale for their lifetime contribution made to the industry. The Carnevale family have been supplying the Italian food industry for over 50 years. There was great pride and emotion on display as the family collected their prestigious award commenting how utterly surprised they were to be recognised. General manager Luigi Carnevale remarked: “It was a fantastic evening and we were delighted to be recognised

by PAPA. We are a family company and have been inundated with messages from people across the business celebrating our success.”

Pizza Restaurant Award Vince’s Kitchen and Pizzeria celebrated winning their win by being the first to hit the dance floor at last year’s PAPA Awards.

The family-owned restaurant won Best Independent Pizza Restaurant. Owner Vince Martorana said: “It was a fantastic evening. We had a great time celebrating our success and that of Sub Xpress who also picked up a Gold Award. Since winning the award we have had amazing support locally with the restaurant being fully booked every Friday and Saturday. The local newspaper ran our story and we have received so many wonderful comments and visits from old regulars and new.”

Pasta Chef of the Year

Italian Restaurant Chain Award

Cookery school owner Katarina Broadribb is still smiling following her win naming her the Pasta Chef of the Year.

Katarina beat off competition across the UK and it was her Brisket and Wild Mushroom Ragu Pappardelle that won the judges’ seal of approval. Katarina commented: “Being named Pasta Chef of the Year has had a wonderful impact on my business, the Lemon and Soul Cookery School. Being recognised by PAPA serves as wonderful validation for me as a teacher. People are genuinely excited to work with me and to learn more about my award-winning dish and our pasta making classes and Italian cookery classes are proving to be very popular.”

In such a competitive market it was a significant accolade for ASK to collect the important Italiand Restaurant Chain Award. Brand Manager, Heather Campbell was keen to extol the prestige of winning a PAPA Award: “Winning a PAPA Award helps us stand out against our high street competitors. Being recognised by the pizza and pasta industry helps prove to our customers the quality and authenticity of our food. We recognise our customers have a choice when choosing to dine out and the PAPA Award gives us a standout from our Italian high street competitors.”

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PAPA AWARDS

Independent Italian Restaurant Award There’s something about the Italian Food Industry where businesses are carried on for generations. Such is Surrey restaurant, Spaghetti Tree. The first Spaghetti Tree opened in 1985 by Luigi Romano. Today his daughter Maria and granddaughter Dana run Spaghetti Tree in Tadworth, winner of last year’s prestigious PAPA Award for Best Independent Italian Restaurant. Maria was overcome with the win and recognition from PAPA: “As a family business we are always striving to uphold the Spaghetti Tree legacy. The challenge is retaining the original charm whilst responding to the modern market.

My father worked so hard to open the first Spaghetti Tree and this win is in his honour. It is the first time we have been recognised by PAPA and as a business and family we are absolutely delighted.”

Pizza Restaurant Chain Award High Street favourite Zizzi collecting the Pizza Restaurant Chain Award commented on how this win is indicative as to how they have responded to an ever-changing market. Marketing Director Jo Fawcett commented: “It’s always a significant marker to be recognised by the Industry body PAPA. This award has demonstrated to us that we are standout in the market due to our ability to adapt to the flexitarian diet, being one of the first to offer vegan cheese and gluten free choices.

We will continue to focus on innovation, listening to our customers and developing our menu accordingly.”

Manufactured ‘Everyday’ Pizza Award

Pizza Chef of the Year Marco Fuso has become a local celebrity since he won the prestigious honour of being named Pizza Chef of the Year at last year’s PAPA Awards. Marco wowed the judges with his pizzas which included Pizza Dessert, Wild, Nonna’s Pizza and his overall winning pizza, Sweet Pig. Marco commented: “I was absolutely delighted to be named Pizza Chef of the Year. The competition was a fantastic way of inspiring new ideas. Since I’ve won the title of the Pizza Chef of the Year many things are happening and I have been inundated with new opportunities.

Next month I am competing in the Pizza World Cup in Las Vegas.”

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Quality and value is still key in purchasing. Iceland’s Pizza Express Chicken Barbacoa Pizza won the Manufactured Pizza Product Award, Everyday category.

Iceland’s Claire McGoran puts the success down to the use of flavour and toppings in making their pizza a winner in this category. Claire said “To win a PAPA Award is such a wonderful endorsement for our product. We strive to deliver value for money whilst still offering plentiful toppings. Winning this award demonstrates the demand for value without compromising on taste that is so indicative of what we do at Iceland. Since winning the PAPA Award we have continued to work with the team focusing on value but continuing to offer maximum flavour, according to market demands”

February 2018

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PAPA PAPA MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE – 2018 CHAIRMAN Geoff Parsons (Basilico) VICE-CHAIR Keith Griffiths (Yum/Pizza Hut) FORMER CHAIR Richard Harrow (Freiberger) FROZEN PIZZA MANUFACTURER Kiren Foods (Lesley Chow) CHILLED PIZZA MANUFACTURER Stateside (Phil Goodall) PASTA MANUFACTURER/ DISTRIBUTOR Vacancy SUPERMARKETS Chilled Vacancy Frozen Vacancy PIZZA RESTAURANTS Chain Rupi Zani (Pizza Express) *Independent Edin Basic (Firezza) PIZZA DELIVERY OPERATORS Chain David Scott (Papa John’s) *Independent Vacancy ITALIAN RESTAURANT Vacancy AGGREGATOR Seth Gulliver (Just Eat) CONSULTANT Maurice Abboudi SUPPLIERS Mozzarella John O’Brien (Glanbia) Cheese Richard Thorpe (Ornua) Meat Julie Sloan (Dawn Farm Foods) Flour Alan Ribakovs (Whitworths) Equipment Steve Morris (Jestic) SPECIALITY INGREDIENTS James Faulkner (Leathams) ITALIAN WHOLESALER Giuseppe Motisi (Salvo) * For the purposes of the committee, we have treated independents as having fewer than 30 outlets.

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Chairman’s Report PAPA 2018 2017 was a year that saw a great deal of uncertainty from the ongoing Brexit negotiations, with still no clear direction on the UK’s relationship with the rest of the EU post exit and the likely impact on the labour pool. We also saw inflation return to the UK market with wage growth lagging the inflation rate throughout the year, this has put consumers under pressure with a reduction in disposable income.

Despite these head winds our industry has managed to grow again throughout 2017, with most sectors recording growth.

Whilst also coping with rising costs from ingredients, to increases in the minimum wage, increased business rates and the apprenticeship levy. We continue to offer a compelling product offer across so many eating occasions that resonates with an ever more discerning consumer.

Health is now front and centre with consumers, whether this is salt, sugar or calories. The sugar tax, due to come into force in April 2018 and the government’s targets for sugar reduction on a range of other foods, has ensured that the health debate receives constant media attention.

2018 will see possible targets for calorie reduction on pizza and we have indications that salt targets may be reviewed towards the end of the year.

PAPA continues to work hard representing the interests of the industry across many of the issues we face. As examples PAPA has been lobbying MPs about the immigration post Brexit and working with government departments on the industry response to the health agenda.

2017 also saw us celebrate the 40th anniversary of PAPA, quite an achievement in an ever-changing world, this was marked in style at the Awards Dinner in November. We also held the 2nd European Pizza and Pasta show which doubled in size from the first show held just 12 months earlier.

2018 will be a challenging year across so many facets of our industry, which we are sure our industry will meet head on, supported by PAPA. R G Harrow Chairman

February 2018

HELP US TO

HELP YOU

The Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association aims to ensure the best market conditions for our industry. From lobbying government to its organisation of the prestigious Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Awards, we aim to provide the best environment for you to trade in plus a wide range of benefits.

Facing the staffing challenge – Our business needs good people. We are lobbying to ensure Brexit does not lead to the door shutting on the people we need to keep going.

Reducing Energy and Telecoms costs – Our specialist advisor will shop around to get you the very best deals – and it’s free!

Insurance with Free Membership – Our specialist insurers offer really keen prices for shop and business insurance – and independent retailers can get free membership if they use them.

KPMG Accounting offer – Members can take advantage of a three months free accounting offer from leading accountants KPMG. Training – Our discounted on-line hygiene training is focused and saves you money and time.

Assured Guidance – Members following our Assured Advice are protected from enforcement challenges.

Free Advice – From legal to technical advice, our members have free access to experts.

Buying ingredients or equipment from abroad? Our agreement with Cornhill offers exceptionally keen exchange rates.

Business rates and financial help – We have teamed up with a specialist business finance consultancy who provide members advice on everything from business rates to raising finance.

Cutting Fuel bills – Members can enjoy savings of up to 5p per litre on diesel & petrol, and up to 10p per litre at motorway pumps, with a free no-obligation fuel card.

London hotel discounts – Save money when staying in London using the unique Association booking code with Grange Hotels.

It all comes with membership Plus you get free password access to

our online magazine and guidance

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Visit www.papa.org.uk

JOINING TODAY

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PAPA

BREXIT The uncertainties over Brexit continue to cause major concern, not only in terms of the economic outcomes but also staffing and food laws. Our industry is already short of pizza chefs and it relies heavily on a low skilled workforce from EU countries to keep factories and foodservice outlets operating.

We don’t yet know what the final immigration arrangements will be but the uncertainties are already impacting with fewer EU nationals seeking work in the UK. The problem is already evident from the number of ‘staff wanted’ notices in high street windows and we have yet to see the full results.

Furthermore, we do not know yet what bureaucratic hoops businesses and potential EU employees will have to jump through to work in the UK? Our businesses rely on people and shortages will be damaging to the industry and the UK economy.

Throughout the last 12 months, the Association has 20

been lobbying Members of Parliament over this issue and, while many say they understand the problems, they face a dilemma in dealing with it due to the mismatch between public opinions and the reality needs of industry, particularly those reliant on small majorities.

Then there is, of course, the whole question of food legislation. Initially the government seems content to adopt EU rules en masse but once we leave – or are going through a transition – the UK will no longer have a say in the EU parliament or on the powerful committees that form new regulations. Yet if we wish to trade in Europe we will be expected to continue following their rules. This could create some significant problems in the months and years ahead.

In the coming year, PAPA will be continuing to make MP’s and opinion formers aware of the potential risks if these issues are not properly taken in to account.

PAPA AGM

Following the recent AGM of the Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association, director Jim Winship outlines some of the activities that the Association has been involved in over the last year as well as some of the issues for the future.

TRAINING In light of the risks of Brexit, the Association has been looking at ways to develop more structured training programmes for the industry and is currently exploring the development of apprenticeships.

CHALLENGING POLITICIANS On another front, PAPA challenged the mayor of London’s office in the autumn

over proposals to ban wood burning ovens in London – some 60 wood burning pizza ovens in the capital could have been banned. As a result, the mayor’s office has given the Association assurances that they will not be targeted when new rules are introduced.

WASTE Reducing waste has become a major issue with government February 2018

PAPA and the media since the Chancellor raised the prospect of a tax on disposable packaging in the Budget. This was followed by the Mayor of London announcing action to tackle waste from coffee cups and sandwich packs by 2022 and then by Environment Minister, Michael Gove, demanding that operators must take action in December. In all cases, the main focus has been to place the responsibility firmly on the shoulders of retailers.

As an industry, we do have responsibility to minimise levels of waste wherever we can, from food to packaging. Indeed, it often makes good commercial sense to do so.

However, much of the problem associated with packaging waste arises long after delivery boxes and plastic cups have left our hands.

Although there are recycling facilities across the UK capable of handling much of this waste, one of the key problems is that these facilities are scattered and individual waste companies do not necessarily have the right facilities in the right locations to handle these items. For example, it is currently estimated that some 60% of coffee cups could be recycled if they were disposed of in the right place – but reality is that a fraction of this capacity is being used.

While the Association recognises the industry’s responsibility to reduce nonrecyclable waste it is unlikely to be able to achieve real change unless the collection and recycling systems operate in a more structured way. Currently there is no consistency in the way local authorities collect waste and many consumers are confused about what is and what is not recyclable.

TO THIS END THE ASSOCIATION IS CALLING FOR: • A national strategy for waste collection, with all local authorities operating the same approach in terms of the collection and recycling of waste. Currently local authorities are autonomous in their approach, with the consequence that

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neighbouring authorities can have completely different bin systems.

• A national colour coding system for bins that would help consumers to understand where to dispose of different types of waste and which would allow packaging companies/ retailers to colour code cups and boxes etc. according to where they should be disposed of. It is felt that this approach would also help to drive change in materials across the industry.

• An industry managed levy system that would allow funds to be channelled into improving the infrastructure for waste management and where funds could be ringfenced for this purpose.

• Better advice from the waste industry on the recyclability of the different materials.

HEALTH It is not surprising that the government is focused on obesity as a major issue they want to tackle given the huge cost of the support systems needed to deal with the problems arising from it, particularly through the NHS. In recent years targets have been set for food businesses with the aim of bringing down the levels of salt and fat in diets, most of which have been met by larger businesses in the pizza, pasta and Italian food sector. In the year ahead, further pressures are expected with the publication of a new study

by Public Health England (PHE) focusing on calories and portion sizes. There are also plans to review salt and fat targets in 2018/19.

There is a suggestion that the government may seek to set percentage targets for food businesses to reduce calories and portions, although PHE is currently focusing on consumer targets of 400-600-600 calories (breakfast/lunch/evening meal) with the balance made up from snacking/drinks etc.

There is a view among food technologists that reductions in calories can only be achieved by reducing quantities of

key ingredients or reducing portions. However, reductions in portions are likely to lead to negative consumer reactions, particularly as such reductions have minimal effect on costs.

While there are clear signs that consumers are becoming more health conscious in the choice of foods, this is not necessarily the case with those at most risk of obesity and it is important that reductions made by industry are matched by consumer education.

Over the coming months, the Association will be representing the views of the industry in the various consultations. However, there is also concern that this area is in danger of becoming a political game with the Scottish government the latest to publish its own consultation for improving health entitled ‘A Healthier Future’.

In it, it proposes restricting price promotions and two for one offers, banning advertising for food and drinks high in salt, fat and sugar before 9pm, and capping portions sizes and calories. It also plans to include sugary drinks with less than 95% milk (e.g. milkshakes) in the drink levy and to increase its commitment to educating schoolchildren about food and health.

GUIDANCE One of the important roles of the Association is to provide guidance for the industry on how to interpret legislation and to help members deal with any issues they have arising out of this. During the last year, PAPA has also taken on a new Statutory Primary Authority Role which means that much of the guidance it produces is accepted by government and accepted as good practice by local authorities around the UK. At the same time, all members are now covered by that guidance automatically without having to sign up to it.

In 2017 PAPA also tackled the bureaucracy of the Home Office to produce some simpler guidance for businesses on how to assess an employee’s Right to Work. This has subsequently been checked by the Home

Office and is freely available to all members on the PAPA web site.

PAPA has also been supporting a Met Police initiative to reduce scooter crime in London by providing guidance and information to operators.

PLANNING It’s a long time since the UK planning guidelines were last updated and the food industry has changed significantly since then. The Association is planning to lobby government about up-dating current planning definitions to bring them more in line with current practices.

EUROPEAN PIZZA & PASTA SHOW Launched two years ago with the support of PAPA, the European Pizza and Pasta Show has proved itself a major success. This year’s show, held in a larger hall at London’s Olympia, had a real buzz to it and was supported by DEFRA minister George Eustice MP who formally opened the show and spent time visiting stands.

The Italian Ambassador, Pasquale Terracciano, also toured the show.

Such has been the success that the organisers are planning to increase the show from two to three days in 2018 (13-15 November 2018) and are in discussions with the UK government about developing the show as part of the export drive for the UK. This will involve working with embassies around the world to bring in more overseas visitors.

THE PAPA AWARDS Last year we marked the Association’s 40th anniversary at our awards dinner, which was attended by over 450 people from all sectors of the industry.

As well as providing us with an opportunity to acknowledge some of those who are driving the industry, it’s always a good party which comes at the end of the show. This year the dinner will be taking place at the Royal Lancaster Hotel again on the 15 November 2018.

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PREVIEW

Casual Dining – the multi-award-winning trade event for the UK’s pub, bar and restaurant sector – returns this month (21 and 22 February 2018) to the Business Design Centre in London. Here’s a preview of what’s in store for the thousands of operators preparing to attend.

ONE STOP SHOP Casual dining is big business in the UK, and it’s getting bigger by the year. According to Simon Stenning, executive director at MCA, the branded restaurant market alone is now worth £5.7bn – up a massive £1.4 billion since just 2013 - and it’s new innovations like the ones being showcased at the show this year which are helping to feed that growth.

Everything that casual dining operators need to run their businesses successfully is here – from their kitchen equipment to front of house, from the food and drink they serve to how it’s paid for. Since its launch in 2014, Casual Dining and its eclectic mix of exhibitors have been influencing menus across the UK. Around 200 exhibitors companies are confirmed for 2018, including Arla PRO, Bleep UK, Capreolus Fine Foods, Donna Italia, Dr. Oetker Professional (UK), Eden Furniture, Food & Drink Wales, Fwip – Frozen 22

Dessert, Harfield Tableware, Joe Delucci’s, Kavli Food Solutions, Kraft Heinz Foodservice, Lamb Weston, L’Aquila, La Tua Pasta, Lutosa, Marine Ices, Maws Fine Foods, Moy Park Foodservice, Nelson Catering Equipment, Nigel Fredericks, Nisbets, OrderZing, Reynolds, Serious Food, Southover Food Company, Surgital Spa, The American BBQ Company, the Culinary Food Group and the London Linen Group.

This year’s visitors will also be able to see and sample the show’s biggest ever choice of beer, ciders, wines, spirits and mixers, including the latest offerings from some of the world’s best-selling beer and cider brands - Heineken UK – Blade, KBE Drinks (Kingfisher Beer Europe), Duvel Moortgat UK, Budweiser Budvar UK, Carlsberg UK, World Beers, and Molson Coors (whose portfolio includes Carling, Coors Light, Staropramen, Cobra, Grolsch, Doom Bar, Worthington’s,

Caffrey’s, Singha, Rekorderlig and Aspall).

Amathus Drinks, Mangrove Global, Crooked Beverages (natural alcoholic sodas), Marussia Beverages, Longflint Drinks, Wobblegate Cider Co, Cranes Drinks, Kraft Beer UK, Black Storm Brewery, Bathtub Gin, Locksley Distilling, Pococello, World of Zing, Bluecoat Gin, and Toschi UK are just some of the other names set to exhibit.

Soft drinks – particularly premium adult offerings – are another big category at the show this year. Coca-Cola Freestyle, Schweppes, Britvic Soft Drinks, Vimto Out of Home, Fever-Tree, Franklin & Sons, Radnor Hills, Frobishers Juices, Ugly Drinks, Dalston Cola, Pip Organic, Double Dutch Drinks, Sejuiced, Karma Cola, Jax Coco, and many more – will be offering visitors the opportunity to sample everything from fruit juices, cordials, pressés, mixers, tonics to flavoured waters.

For specialist teas, coffee and hot drinks head to JJ Foodservice and Lavazza, Caffè di Artisan, Nestlé Professional, UCC Coffee UK & Ireland, Birchall Tea, Lincoln & York, Brew Tea Co, and Nitro Cold Brew Coffee Co. BIG NAME KEYNOTES Casual Dining’s high-profile seminar line-up includes MDs and senior directors from some of the UK’s biggest and most well-known casual dining chains, including Jamie’s Italian, Casual Dining Group and PizzaExpress.

Jon Knight, the new head of the Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group, will be sharing plenty of ‘Food for thought’ in his opening day Keynote – delving into difficult times, his fresh approach and how to revive a global business.

James Spragg, who is responsible for the Bella Italia, Café Rouge and Belgo restaurant portfolio, as well as leading some of CDG’s key strategic initiatives, February 2018

PREVIEW

Speaker Q&A Zoe Bowley, PizzaExpress Zoe Bowley, UK & Ireland managing director at PizzaExpress has been a member of PizzaExpress’s UK Board since 2011 (first as operations director, then UK chief operating officer, and now MD). She’ll be at the Casual Dining show discussing their transformation agenda, and sharing insights into how they are ‘Keeping PizzaExpress relevant after 53 years’.

What do you see as key trends for the casual dining sector in the coming year?

The continuing cost pressure remains a certainty, so it is important to embrace the trends to grow the top line. Digital and technology innovation – connecting with customers in new ways will be key. Focusing on the ‘promiscuous’ Gen Z – loyalty is less of a factor for the new generation and agility of bringing experience and being relevant is key.

The health agenda and the growth of specialised diets with gluten free/vegan etc. being top of mind. Maintaining a clear differentiated offer in a crowded market place.

What do you feel is the key for operators, like you, to successfully compete against your competitors?

PizzaExpress has been a firm favourite of the nation since 1965, creating memories and experiences through generations. While it dominates the pizza sector and has a differentiated offering with the quality and range of pizza and teams who have stayed with us for many years, we can never get complacent and we constantly review market trends and competitors to innovate.

There has been significant disruption in the market over the last 18 months and while PizzaExpress has shown resilience, 2018 sees an important year for critical innovation around food, format, digital and people strategy. We have restructured the business to put focus in areas we believe will give us competitive advantage for the coming years.

CDG’s James Spragg will be speaking at Casual Dining. will be giving his take on ‘brand evolution’. Prior to taking on the newly-created role of COO at the group last year, he was MD of Bella Italia and Café Rouge, overseeing the French bistro’s successful brand reinvigoration.

He’ll be discussing this, and how they are keeping these core brands fresh and relevant for 2018 and beyond, on the show’s opening day.

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Who or what inspires you to be even better?

To work with brands and teams, from any industry background, that are able to balance their history and heritage whilst being forward looking and constantly innovating. To be a business that is able to blend its past with embracing the fast paced world around it and maintaining its market leadership is what inspires PizzaExpress to continue to be a brand people love.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

Think about what, or who, could put you out of business and use it as your competitive advantage to think differently.

Describe the Casual Dining trade show in three words…

Insightful, collaborative, innovative.

How important is the show to you and the sector?

It is important to connect with competitors and trade alike to ensure we share best practice and continue to focus on making this sector an attractive place to work and deliver memorable experiences. Casual Dining is a chance to share thinking and discuss the big topics facing the market, as well as to meet both new supplier opportunities and network with industry contacts.

Can you tell us a bit about your muchanticipated keynote presentation at Casual Dining 2018?

Given the history of PizzaExpress, there is huge loyalty to our much-loved brand. We have spent the last six months planning and understanding to ensure we embrace the change in the sector and are equipped to invest in the right areas to drive growth.

Framed as our Transformation Agenda, there is a focus on our 10,000 strong teams to ensure we are attracting and retaining the best. In tough times it is easy to default to cost measures but we are investing heavily in our teams — initially through a transforming Leadership Programme and then with a number of engagement initiatives to ensure that we are a truly great place to work for any team member.

More than ever our strategy will be grounded in the customer and, again, we are investing heavily in why people come to PizzaExpress and how we keep relevant for the future generations informing format, food, design, experience and embracing the digital consumer. And while PizzaExpress in the UK and Ireland remains the dominant market, our strategy remains to invest and grow our other equity markets in China and Hong Kong and ensure we are set up as a global business across our markets.

Keeping PizzaExpress relevant after 53 years, 11am in the Keynote Theatre, Thursday, 22 February 2018.

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PREVIEW The show’s second day will see Zoe Bowley (MD of PizzaExpress UK & Ireland), talking about their transformation agenda, and the importance of keeping ‘relevant in a crowded and competitive market’. She’ll be revealing how a focus on putting their people first and being customer centric has been key to ensuring sustainable growth; both in and out of restaurants and across both home and international markets.

“It is important to connect with competitors and trade alike to ensure we share best practice and continue to focus on making this sector an attractive place to work and deliver memorable experiences.

Attending Casual Dining is a chance to share thinking and discuss the big topics facing the market, as well as to meet both new supplier opportunities and network with industry contacts,” said Zoe Bowley.

Other speaker highlights – there are 18 sessions to choose from – include Susan Chappell (divisional director/executive committee at Mitchells & Butlers), Nick Collins (CEO of Loungers), Mark Smith (MD of Pho), Brian Trollip (operations director at Dishoom) and Luisa Fernandez (marketing director at Yo!), plus

an exclusive interview with Chris Hill (CEO of New World Trading Company).

There will also be panel sessions featuring the Glendola Leisure Group, Nando’s, Young’s & Geronimo Pubs, Las Iguanas & La Tasca, Flat Iron, All Star Lanes, and the ALMR. Market updates will be provided by CGA (Simon Stenning, Graeme Loudon and Jamie Campbell) and Peter Backman Foodservice (see the show’s web site for full timings and further seminar details).

Informative, inspiring, innovative, and collaborative are just some of the words these speakers have used to describe the show. For them, like the thousands of visitors that regularly attend, it’s where the industry meets to do business.

“I’ve always loved the show,” says repeat visitor (and speaker) Tim Foster, of the Yummy Pub Co. “Getting up close and personal to existing suppliers for a natter, and finding new ones, is what has always excited me – and Casual Dining is the market leader.”

“Casual Dining is a fantastic event for anyone in our industry.

It’s great to be able to meet so many suppliers in one place,” says Max Wright, head of food & drink procurement at Casual Dining Group.

Raynor Foods (Stand M232) has added to its vegan selection, with a new Hummus Salad sandwich made with beetroot, carrot and hummus on thick malted wheat. They have also added to their Cafe range with the Tuscan Chicken, featuring chicken in pesto mayo with sun-dried tomatoes and rocket on thick malted wheat.

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NEW INNOVATIONS AT CASUAL DINING 2018 Blanco Nino (Stand A211) is previewing its new un-fried, precut blue corn tortilla chips. Made using just three ingredients, non-GM sustainably grown blue corn and a pinch of salt and lime, they are naturally gluten, fat, and sugar-free.

Whitby Seafoods (Stand G15) is sampling its new Glorious Grains Jumbo Scampi. The large wholetail scampi comes with a new crumb made with red and blonde quinoa, linseed and amaranth seeds with kibbled rye and oats. This creates a nutty crumb that complements the sweet flavour of langoustine.

McCain Foodservice (Stand G5) is previewing its latest Staycrisp Skin-on Medium Fries and Julienne Fries. As part of the launch, they’ll be staging a multisensory experience at the show, which will feature high-profile guest chefs and a flavour expert.

Quorn Foods (Stand A308) is sampling its new Quorn Vegan Burger at the show. High in

protein and low in saturated fat, this naked burger can be grilled or cooked from frozen, helping to reduce waste. Ideal for vegetarians, flexitarians and vegans.

Lucozade Ribena Suntory (Stand M518) is previewing its Ribena Sparkling in two new flavours: classic Blackcurrant, and a tropical Pineapple and Passionfruit. Both flavours are under 15 calories per 275ml glass bottle, rich in Vitamin C, and free from artificial colours and flavours.

Ethnic Brand Marketing (Stand U212) is launching Lueria Grand Vital, a red wine blended from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc grapes. It’s hand harvested in Sifsaf, which nestles in the foothills of Mount Meron in Upper Galilee, Israel.

Also showcasing: Roby Marton Italian Mule party jars.

AAK Foodservice (Stand G21) is launching the Lion World Flavours range of sauces, dressings and mayonnaises. The 17 sauces include: Thai Honey Sticky Sauce, Adobo Hot Sauce, February 2018

PREVIEW

Lamb Weston (Stand M401) will be highlighting its premium potato solutions, including Connoisseur Chunky Fries, Connoisseur Rustic Fries and Sweet Potato CrissCut® Fries, and the opportunity they present to the on-trade.

To register for a free trade ticket to Casual Dining 2018, visit www.casualdiningshow.co.uk and use priority code CD80.

OPENING TIMES: 10am to 5pm both days (last entry 4pm) DATES: Wednesday, 21 and Thursday, 22 February 2018

VENUE: The Business Design Centre, Islington, London

FREE

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cream and serve.

Gorilla Spirits Co (Stand AS-8, Artisan Spirits Lounge) has launched a new Maraba Coffee Liqueur for 2018. Their carefully selected beans come from individual growers in Maraba, Rwanda, which are then roasted and ground by partners Moonroast Coffee. The liqueur is rich with deep buttery chocolate flavours and a fruity overtone Think Drink’s Mosca Cold Brew (Stand M531) is a rich coffee cold brew with cocoa

spirits with natural ingredients and a splash of sparkling water. Each drink is 4% ABV, only 99 calories, and contains a fraction of the sugar found in many drinks. Available in Pink Grapefruit & Vodka and Elderflower & Gin. L’Aquila (M522) is showcasing its selection of vegetable ingredients, which includes Sorriso roasted sweet red-drop peppers and Sorriso chargrilled Jerusalem artichokes slices – ideal for pizza, salads, sandwiches and ready meals.

Gamble Foodservice Solutions (G17) is previewing Hatco’s Rapide Cuisine high powered induction units. It has user programmable pre-sets, and a food temperature probe for more accurate cooking. Other features include: four surface temperature monitors, a 6mm patterned glass ceramic top, a removable grease filter, and conformal coated boards.

Coca-Cola Freestyle (Stand U116B) – the new smaller counter top freestyle machine, offers 50+ soft drink brands.

Using patented micro dosing technology, its networked connectivity and supporting app allows consumers to create their own bespoke soft drinks, and then share them via social media.

Heineken UK – Blade (Stands A101 and U106) is promoting Blade, its new eight litre draught beer system. Blade’s small footprint and compression system, which doesn’t require carbon dioxide or other gasses, allows users to serve premium draught beer from any countertop.

TR AD E TI CK ET

gochujang-inspired Korean Hot Chilli Sauce, Japanese Teriyaki BBQ Sauce, Asian Ginger, and Chilli and Garlic Sticky Sauce.

Sean Loughnane’s (Stand A315) is launching a meat free burger range to meet the increasing consumer demand for plant based foods. The new burgers options include Sweet Potato & Broccoli, Beetroot & Kale, Curried-Cauliflower, and Kale, Lentils, and Barley.

SXOLLIE Natural Ciders (stand UB-9, Craft Beer & Cider Pavilion) is introducing its Granny Smith Cider. Made with the internationally-awarded Golden Delicious varietal, the cider has a zesty taste and is an ideal low alcohol, fully natural, sparkling alternative to Sauvignon Blanc.

Essential Cuisine (Stand M328) is launching its Peppercorn Sauce, part of a new range of ready-to-use sauce bases. The Sauce Collection has been created by the company’s development chefs, and comes in a concentrated liquid format that means kitchens can simply mix with water, then add double

and caramel notes. This natural, full flavoured, pick-me-up takes the time out of brewing, and is available in Double Expresso and Night Brew.

Sea Products International’s (Stand M126) latest Luxury Mini Crab Cakes are 20g uncoated (naked) crab cakes with a high protein content (65% protein of which 52% is crab meat). Cooked from frozen or (best) from defrosted, the crab cakes can be made in minutes and come in pack size: 10 x 50.

Thistly Cross Cider (Stand UB-4, Craft Beer & Cider Pavilion) is promoting its new seventh family member, Cloudy 5.5% Cider. A crisp and balanced 5.5% session cider, medium dry and naturally cloudy. It’s matured for six months to give balance and smoothness.

Woodall’s British Charcuterie (Stand G4) is promoting its new range of salami, consisting of three flavours: Original, Spicy and Gin. Available in 40g or 250g packs, which work as bar snacks or on a sharing platter, they are gluten and lactose free, and high in protein.

Pidy UK (Stand M115) is exhibiting its new Black Mussel Shell. Made with butter and free-range eggs, it’s shaped and ready-to-fill with any savoury filling of choice. Produced using a black mineral added to the pastry recipe, the range provides a modern and eye-catching design that will really make a statement on any sharing menu.

Kalosa Spritz (Stand AS-15, Artisan Spirits Lounge) is the newest brand from Kold Group, made by mixing pure-distilled

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210x

PREVIEW The Airedale Group (Stand M423) is launching Lighthouse, a new advanced asset management tool, which offers clients full visibility on their reactive, statutory and planned maintenance plus real business intelligence on their commercial catering equipment.

Alexandra (Stand G23) is launching its new chefs wear made-to-order service. With a choice of up to 42 shades, it’s now possible to personalise the NU572 chef’s jacket and combine any two colours.

Krowd (Stand A310) is promoting its Borderless Dining app, which integrates all ordering apps (Deliveroo and UberEats etc) into a single dashboard. The Krowd App’s competitive edge stems from hyper personalisation of recommendations, allowing diners to order at the table/preorder and pay straight from their phone.

Nitro Cold Brew Coffee Co (Stand U201) is promoting its Nitro Cold Brew Coffee machine, a new nitrogen-infused coffee experience, served straight from the tap and not over ice. The nitrogen gives the coffee a sweet smooth taste without the need for sugar, which can also be made into a liquor.

Adande Refrigeration (Stand M433) is showcasing the newly launched Adande Combi Oven Stand, which is available for both rear and side engine drawers. The stand allows

the user to load chilled/frozen products from Adande drawer directly on to 1/1 GN cooking pans and place into a six-grid combi oven. Also showcasing Adande Fryer Stations.

Ascentia Foodservice Equipment (M536) is launching the Robatayaki Grills from MIBRASA, which are available in a range of sizes and adjustable levels. This multi-tier open charcoal grill is equipped with accessories to perform a range of cooking techniques using grills, Teppanyaki hot plates or skewers.

Yumpingo (Stand M138) is exhibiting its Intelligent Bill, which builds on its existing digital guest review platform, streamlining the payment process while collecting unparalleled levels of food and service feedback. Through EPOS integration, restaurants are now able to track NPS to server level to transform how their customers are engaged.

Crafti’s (M138) is promoting its new brown Kraft Bizzi range, including meal boxes, food carriers, activity bags and activity place mats. They come in four designs (Zoo, Farm, Safari and Pet) with many different activities to entertain young customers.

Harri (Stand U209) is promoting TeamLive, which includes dynamic team scheduling overlaid with both labour costs and POS sales performance integrations. It’s an app-based time clock that

uses biometric facial recognition to track employee hours – eliminating wage miscalculations and team-wide communication.

Carlsberg UK (Stand A107) is promoting DraughtMaster, an innovative, compact and convenient beer dispense solution that uses 20 litre PET kegs. Fresh beer is filled straight from the Brewery and served with little interference from the system (it is a gasless system), providing a quality serve every time.

JJ Food Service (Stand G20) is promoting its Lavazza Coffee Micro-Site, offering recipe suggestions, education, training and a range of coffee essentials.

Visitors can download a free guide to coffee and register to attend a coffee training session at Lavazza’s Training Centres in Uxbridge and Greenford.

GS Systems (Stand M247) is showcasing MAX Suite, which gives visibility over every site in an enterprise so that users can monitor key performance indicators, incentivise staff, plan proactively, and react quickly with critical real-time data.

Bleep UK (Stand M139) is promoting its new ISO Merchant Services and Card Payments Division. Bleep Payments will offer simple and straightforward merchant services, with fast, secure, and reliable card payment terminals, which can either be integrated with Bleep EPOS, or as standalone card processing devices.

OrderZing (G25) takes online food and drink orders from mobile phones and prints the orders using an existing star printer infrastructure. It means users can start re-using existing hardware investment to help grow their sales pipeline.

Apicbase (Stand A208) is promoting its APIC Studio and Kitchen Manager, which includes fully costed recipes, methodologies, allergen, and nutritional value tracking, ingredient bill of materials and orders. The APIC Studio can be used to access high quality food photography, so users can create customer proposals and recipe guides.

Access (Stand M342) is introducing a proposition around five integrated, cloud-based, market leading technology solutions, which span the key touchpoints of a hospitality operation. Covering aspects such as property management, reservations, finance, ticketing, cash, sales, stock, and people – it automates many of the time-consuming processes through just one single trusted technology provider.

Joe Delucci’s (Stand M334) will be at the show promoting their award-winning indulgent gelato. Their water-based Mulberry won Bronze at the last Casual Dining Show, and is made only with carefully sourced natural ingredients, whole fresh fruits and no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.

Fentimans (Stand A407) is presenting its Mediterranean Orange Tonic Water, made with Valencian oranges and infused with lemongrass, and a hint of quinine. This tonic is made using the technique of botanical brewing – the blending and fermentation of natural ingredients.

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VISITOR REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN

Book your free trade ticket to your award-winning trade show for the fast moving eating and drinking out sector.

Register at www.casualdiningshow.co.uk using priority code CD33

“Casual Dining is a fantastic exhibition and an incredible opportunity to meet new suppliers and experience innovative products & ingredients.”

SAM ELLIOT, CHEF DIRECTOR, JAMIE’S ITALIAN

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

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TRENDS

Trend

watch 2018 is well and truly here, but what are the flavours and wider factors we can expect to see shaping the food business?

Pizza toppings supplier, Dawn Farms, and research company, NPD Group, share their predictions…

BIG FLAVOURS Dawn Farms (www.dawnfarms.ie), a European supplier of cooked and fermented ready-toeat meat ingredients for the pizza industry, believes 2018 will continue to see an increase in the trend towards bolder flavours as the year progresses.

In tune with increasing consumer demand for heightened sensory eating experiences, the company reports that it is exploring new ways to capture taste and texture.

“Bolder flavours reflect culinary trends like charring and smoking,” says Julie Sloan, Dawn Farms’ consumer insights manager. “Charring also features in the colourful trend cited more and more by food bloggers, and making 28

pizza ‘instagrammable’ will be important to resonate with Millennials in 2018.

“We’re also looking at how we interpret spice, ranging from hot fiery flavours from different chillies to warm, exotic spices like harissa and cumin. One area we’ve been exploring, for example, is natural colourings like turmeric and beetroot in cooked meats which has produced some fantastic tasting results.”

Dawn Farms sees pizza continuing to evolve in three key culinary areas throughout the year. These are American with Attitude (distinctive regional recipes influenced by the wider Americas), Modern Mediterranean and Global Fusion.

February 2018

TRENDS “We’re continually evolving new cooking methods to find new ways of delivering authentic flavour and texture,” adds Julie Sloan.

“For example, by tapping into our cooking expertise and process innovation we have created great tasting street food-inspired ingredients like rotisserie-style chicken and pork carnitas. These enable our customers to provide layers of flavour on pizza and let the meat really speak for itself among the layers of cheese, tomato and dough.”

Dawn Farms says that it has started 2018 inspired by global BBQ /grilling techniques and flavour profiles – from next generation American BBQ to South American, Filipino and Peruvian.

Also, in recognising the popularity of premium spirits among Millennials, the company adds that it has seen the potential in infusing its cooked meats with alcohol to add a touch of sophistication and indulgence, for example Kentucky Bourbon Beef, Maple Whiskey Ham and Ginberry Bacon.

“As always, though, great pizza is all about the ability to deliver consistently great tasting ingredients, and we expect the core toppings like pepperoni, spicy beef, ham, bacon and chicken to continue to grow and offer versatile options throughout the year,” Julie Sloan continues.

“We see the rustic pulled meat trend getting chunkier and breathing new life into old family favourites like pulled ham hock or pulled chicken or beef. Should the pressure on consumer spending continue to build in 2018, offering accessible yet memorable food experiences will be paramount.”

Dawn Farms publishes a popular weekly Top 9 for Friday trend ezine (for further information, contact info@dawnfarms.ie).

TOP FIVE The global information company, the NPD Group (www.npd.com), reports that it has identified five new trends that will be shaping Britain’s £57 billion foodservice industry in 2018.

POWER AHEAD WITH ‘CLICK & COLLECT’ Click and collect through smart phones is set to alter rapidly the way foodservice operators and consumers interact; it could reduce order and wait times for consumers and help operators serve more people per hour, they feel. The roll out of click and collect across the foodservice market will trigger wide-scale consumer adoption, particularly for tech-savvy millennials and Generation-Z consumers, they predict.

Operators can expect higher sales and profits, and better customer data that could spawn more personalised offers as a result.

Winners will need to create an irresistible click and collect offer, they advise, and during peak periods, increased traffic will call for improvements in restaurant efficiency, particularly in order fulfilment. Click and collect customers will want to benefit from an ‘express lane’ experience so restaurant layouts may need reconfiguring and staff might need special training, they feel, pointing out that operators can also use click and collect to drive traffic outside peak hours.

INVEST IN THE BEST STAFF AND IMPACT YOUR BOTTOM LINE Consumers love to have an emotional connection with foodservice brands, observe NPD, and thus staff can play a vital role here.

Loyal consumers are also more likely to make recommendations and visit again, they add, so it makes sense for foodservice operators to invest in the best staff – and to provide the best training. The payback? Higher customer satisfaction, loyalty and company profits.

Operators who invest in their staff will gain a commercial advantage, they feel.

Winners will be the companies that nurture, train and retain staff, they suggest, and operators who hire great people will really stand out - what better way is there to balance the march of technology across foodservice?

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TRENDS

MAKE VIP STATUS THE NEW NORM Consumers are tired of the same old loyalty schemes, feel NPD. Savvy customers expect more than simple discounts and freebies and so the next chapter will be about tiered and personalised foodservice loyalty, they predict.

Loyalty schemes will aim to target the most valuable customers with ‘Premium’, ‘VIP-only’, ‘Exclusive’ or ‘Private’ offers to heighten brand appeal and drive visits, share, frequency and spend, they suggest.

Therefore, winners will be the operators offering a simple yet fresh loyalty scheme that rewards the most valuable customer on a regular basis, and delivering the occasional, disruptive surprise will help drive short-term share gains and generate buzz and brand warmth.

AVOID BROKEN BRAND PROMISES Never allow your brand to over-promise and under-deliver, advise NPD. Avoid a costly mismatch between consumer expectations and reality. Foodservice operators must ensure that product quality, service, support and marketing is in line with what they are promising to consumers, they emphasise.

Don’t allow your customer’s restaurant experience to be marred by long wait times, poor staff training or a poor supply chain, for

30

example. The foodservice industry is intensely competitive and it’s all too easy to lose repeat business, they caution (and there’s also the danger that consumers take to social media to complain about their experience).

Winners will be those operators that deliver on their brand promise, they feel, by delivering an excellent product and service before the visit, during the visit and after the visit.

SHARE A RECOMMENDATION In the age of social media and smart phones, consumers love recommendations for places to eat or drink, and what to order when they choose an outlet, say NPD. People turn to a variety of sources for recommendations: friends and family, online, marketing campaigns and even foodservice staff. Staff members who offer authentic recommendations will build meaningful rapport with customers. Technology and customer data will help tailor menu suggestions that are relevant to a customer’s mood, diet, hunger or reason for visiting, they assert.

Therefore, winners in 2018 will be those operators

who can help their customers make the best choice. In doing this, good staff training and the smart use of customer data will help operators present personalised recommendations, making customers feel valued and wanting to return, they suggest.

“The foodservice industry has demonstrated its creativity for years, and many of the trends we see shaping the sector hinge on continuing to be innovative, on seeing opportunities and responding well,” says Cyril Lavenant, NPD Group’s foodservice director UK. “There’s huge potential for click and collect, for example, but success will depend on how well a foodservice responds to this trend. There’s also scope for developing the way in which a business nurtures, trains and retains staff.

“Operators can bring creativity to bear on tiered and personalised loyalty schemes, and on the trend for recommendations. But it’s also important to deliver on brand promise – never allow your brand to over-promise or under-deliver.

Consumers will spot this quickly and if they feel disappointed they can spread the word faster than ever before on social media.”

February 2018

EPOS

BACKGROUND

Optimal EPoS

Eight top tips from Kevin Greene (international product manager at supplier of innovative EPoS solutions, CBE Software, www.cbesoftware.co.uk) to make the best use of time for busy out of home food business operators.

MAXIMISING PROFITABILITY “Out of home food business operators have 101 things to manage every day, so electronic point-of-sale (EPoS) software may not always be front of mind. However, I hope that the following handy tips will help operators stay right on top of things, and make sure they get the best return on technology investments,” says Kevin Greene (pictured).

BE IN CHARGE OF THE TECHNOLOGY EPoS software is designed to work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is important that out of home and café operators ensure that any software is fully configured to automatically deliver everything that it can possibly do on an ongoing basis to ensure they are getting the best out of the software.

MAKE MORE USE OF TIME TO TACKLE NONAUTOMATED TASKS Whether it’s creating an order or managing margins in the back office, EPoS software was designed to gobble up time-sapping tasks and automat them allowing more time for staff to do other things. Better still, it does so without human error and without duplication. Once technology is sorting these automatable jobs, staff are free to address the more important, non-automated tasks – everything from greeting a customer to planning the next quarterly budget.

REMEMBER THAT INTEGRATION IS KING By having as much technology as possible operating on a single platform, operators can seamlessly mesh a multitude of functions, from managing deliveries to stock control,

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and from mobile payment to follow-up marketing. By integrating and consolidating your technology it provides greater control and a more holistic overview of your entire operations.

TAKE THE HASSLE OUT OF SUDDEN SALES SPIKES The out of home food business is subject to frequent and sudden sales spikes, and automated technology is a sure-fire way to address the issue. Pay-at-table apps, for example, can make sure that a busy operator doesn’t need to ramp up staff levels at a busy lunchtime or on holiday weekends.

VALUE EVERYBODY’S TIME It’s tempting to say that “the staff were there anyway”, but allocating menial and automatable tasks fails to put a value on their time. Surely, they could be doing something far more important for the business – perhaps helping a customer when deciding what to order – creating a relationship with the brand and a ‘customer for life’ in the process. By putting a value on everyone’s time, operators can focus on important KPIs, such as margins and profitability.

DON’T CONFUSE DATA WITH INSIGHT Software is capable of providing myriad data and management reports, but time needs to be spent on it to reveal where the insight lies. Knowing that fish isn’t selling much is one thing – knowing that it sold twice as fast when it was promoted with chips is another.

Operators should leverage data in real terms to spot the useful information that lies behind it.

As a well-known supplier of innovative EPoS solutions in Ireland since 1980, CBE Software launched in the UK in 2007, primarily focusing on the retail and forecourt sectors. Building on its reputation and leveraging the strength of one of the world’s most popular hospitality EPoS products, they report that they have now recently launched their hospitality solution in the UK, to take integration and service to a new level for operators (their business integrates with over 200 partners and says that it is committed to removing the barriers to expansion for multi-site operators - therefore eliminating one of their biggest headaches).

CBE say they take a collaborative approach to EPoS, demonstrated through its many integrations, which include payments, mobile ordering, loyalty, online ordering, kitchen automation and queue management. They also boast what they feel to be a mutually beneficial strategic partnership with PAR’s PixelPoint PoS, and claim that their software is so technically advanced, it can be configured to meet the bespoke requirements of any hospitality operator.

CBE also has a dedicated research and development centre whose aim it is to spearhead new innovations in technology, many of which have gone on to become the industry standard, they point out.

SPEED OF SERVICE IS KING THESE DAYS More and more consumers are under huge time pressure, so ensuring that they can get in, get served and get out as quickly as possible can be instrumental in keeping them coming back. Make sure technology is geared towards facilitating speed of service, whether it’s automated ordering platforms or fast payment options. And did you know that if you can speed up each transaction by as little as five seconds, you can deliver an additional eighteen transactions per hour? That corresponds to 18 happy customers who might otherwise have gone elsewhere due to the length of your queue.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR ADVICE Operators should spend time talking to the vendor, asking them questions such as “what would you do if you were in my shoes?” There’s also a wealth of information to be had via online forums, where like-minded operators share their learnings with each other.

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TOP THAT

with new Arla Mozzarella W

ith pizza accounting for almost one in ten out of home eating occasions, success in the £3bn* market relies on creating products that taste great and get consumers coming back for more. So, making sure that the cheese you use has flavour, visual appeal and just the right amount of stretch can have an impact on consumer satisfaction and overall profitability.

That’s why Arla, the UK’s biggest dairy company, has launched a new range of mozzarella products, designed to help operators produce great pizzas, every time.

The range comes in six convenient variants, including for the first time, in Sticks and Dice, giving operators the flexibility to choose the products that are best for their menu. The versatile range includes: • Grated Mozzarella - perfect for even coverage • Large diced Mozzarella - Mild and creamy with larger chunks for a slower melt • Diced Mozzarella – for optimum stretch • Sticks Mozzarella – gives great holding performance 32

• Grated Mozzarella & Cheddar - Fresh and creamy, delivering enhanced flavour • Mozzarella Block - for ultimate versatility Operationally, Arla’s new Mozzarella range provides a level of consistency and even melt, which according to Charlie Nelson, the man behind iconic streetfood brand, Fundi Pizza, ‘delivers a lovely brown melt and creamy taste’.

Charlie is among an increasing number of high profile pizza operators who have already recognised the operational benefits of Arla Mozzarella, whether that’s the product delivery, the naturalness of the product or consistent and even melt.

As well as working well operationally, Arla’s Mozzarella

also meets consumer demand for natural, responsiblysourced ingredients, with 100% mozzarella, without the added vegetable oil and starches that many other products contain, as well as being lower in salt - all of which combine for better performance and ultimately a more satisfying eating experience.

Mark Young, from Leedsbased Sela Bar, has been trialling Arla’s new mozzarella products and said: “When it comes to cheese, I want a product that is consistent and helps to deliver the right balance of cheese to toppings, creating great pizza. And Arla’s new Mozzarella does that perfectly, adding a distinctive, natural flavour.

Arla is farmer-owned, giving it complete traceability and quality control from well-cared-for cows to your kitchen. And with farmers as shareholders, when you buy an Arla product, you can rest assured you are supporting farmers directly

www.arlapro.co.uk

*MCA Menu and Food Trends Report

PROMOTIONAL

“The creaminess of the texture brought another dimension to the pizza in terms of flavour, which generated some amazing feedback from customers - a clear winner. And it also had the benefit of needing to use less than other products we’ve used.”

Arla’s new mozzarella products deliver on takeaway too. In the past, there has been an issue with transparency for some cheeses, particularly, if they were held or put in a pizza box, which means that the operator must use more product to maintain customer satisfaction and avoid looking ‘mean’ or ‘ungenerous’. Arla’s Sticks Mozzarella is achieving fantastic results, giving great pizza coverage and maintaining opacity, particularly when held under hot lamps or when delivered, avoiding any such quality issues.

All the products in the new range are endorsed by the Craft Guild of Chefs, giving operators the reassurance that they have been tried and tested by some of the UK’s leading chefs so that you can buy safe in the knowledge that they will also perform in your oven.

February 2018

CDM

‘New Arla Diced Mozzarella gave us unrivalled stretch and melt’

*MCA Menu and Food Trends Report

Fundi Pizza, Dinerama

Made specifically for professionals; our products are designed to cook more consistently, creating a more appealing and appetising appearance. Easy to use straight out of the bag, and with great portion control, it’s why so many chefs choose Arla.

Available in:• Large Diced 2kg • Small Diced 2kg • Sticks 2kg • Grated 2kg • Block 2.3kg • Mozzarella & Cheddar 2kg

To discover which format is right for your business and watch our products in action visit www.arlapro.co.uk

CDM_FALSE FRONT AW .indd 1

30/01/2018 11:31

PIZZA

Marco Fuso

Pizza Chef of the Year 2017 It was professional pizza chef consultant, Marco Fuso, who secured the title of Pizza Chef of the Year 2017 (awarded by PAPA, the Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association), officially recognising him as the crown jewel of pizza making.

The PAPA Awards ceremony gala dinner took place at the Royal Lancaster London Hotel in Hyde Park, London with comedian Dominic Holland and celebrity chef, Theo Randall, presenting Marco Fuso with his award (Marco having competed in the live grand finale at the European Pizza Pasta show at London Olympia).

Marco’s pizzas amazed the judges and left them wanting more, having entered the competition with four creative and original pizzas - Nonna’s, Wild, Dessert, and the winning pizza Sweet Pig. With over 17 years of experience in pizza making, Marco Furso now offers his consultancy services to smaller businesses and helps to inspire menu changes, as well as helping to professionally train a new generation of pizza chefs who can benefit from his expertise.

From a very young age, he has been passionate about baking especially pizzas, having spent his childhood in Lecce, Italy where, after seeing his grandfather’s love for baking, became inspired to bake himself. Moving to London eight years ago, since then he has helped various organisations through MFP consultancy. He works together with C. Carnevale Ltd and Polselli flour mill.

PAPA award-winning Carnevale was founded in 1966 and is well known for its supply of quality Italian food ingredients throughout the UK, not least its freshly crafted fior di latte, which is used to make flavoursome pizzas.

Polselli is one of the longest running flour mills in the world, providing over 40 different blends, and via his work with them, Marco Fuso is constantly inspired to create pizzas of different textures and flavours by experimenting with the various blends he can get his hand on. Fresh ingredients and love is the key to a tasty pizza, he feels. And the secret behind his success? It isn’t just the years of skills he has gained, but the joy pizza gives his customers, friends and family which keeps him inspired.

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Pizza paces In the wake of his Pizza Chef of the Year win at the PAPA awards last year, Pizza Pasta & Italian Food asked Marco Fuso for his opinion on various aspects of making pizza.

Is it all down to the skill of the pizzaiolo, or does the right equipment help too?

February 2018

PIZZA high dough rising time. With that said the ingredients are very basic and include; water, ‘00’ flour, salt, fresh yeast.

Toppings?

Toppings are minimal but should be local produce of high quality. These include San Marzano plum tomato, fior di latte mozzarella, fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil. San Marzano tomato is the most famous, and is also a tomato which produces the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity.

Fior di latte is a semi-soft fresh cheese (a variation of mozzarella), and due to its semisoft nature it melts quicker when using a fire oven to bake the pizza. The fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil complete the dish, giving it the final seal of authenticity.

In addition to the pizzaiolo, what type of equipment is required, and is there anything that you ‘couldn’t do without’?

Equipment needed could be whittled down to a stone/fire oven and your hands!

However, on an industrial level there are various pieces of equipment that make the process quicker. For example, a dough mixer to allow you to mix large quantities of dough without achy arms.

What’s the most important thing when it comes to making good pizza, and why?

To make a good pizza there are several rules every pizza chef should follow. You must nail the quality of the dough used as your base. In order to do this, the period of time you allow the dough to proof is essential. In my opinion the optimum time I would say provides the lightest pizza would be 24-36 hours.

In addition to this, the toppings selected are what make each pizza unique. Simplicity is key, too many toppings may end up creating a sloppy mess. My favourite pizza has to be a classic Neapolitan Margherita. You only require three toppings; tomato sauce, cheese and basil leaves.

What ingredients would you advise for an authentic, Neapolitan style base?

A Neapolitan style base relies more on the method of preparation rather than the ingredients themselves. The ingredients are able to generate a thousand different kind of bases but the key is the method. The ratio of yeast to time given for the dough to rise are essential to creating this kind of base. the rule of thumb is low yeast content and

What common mistakes do you see made, and where can the greatest improvement be made?

Whilst I continue to travel up and down the country, investigating and improving well established businesses as a consultant, there are several mistakes that could be mentioned.

However, the most common mistake is using high protein content flour which requires a longer amount of proofing time. This then creates a really heavy dough which may, in turn, be very hard to digest.

When seeking help and training, what should chefs be looking out for in a training course?

The essential requirements are to find someone who is able to give one-on-one training (in a group or individually) and some course information booklets. In addition, to this you should receive feedback on your progress and some knowledge tests in order to excel and improve your skills.

For example, at MFP Consultancy we provide tailored courses dependent on level experience at the start of the course. All materials and hands on training is provided.

We also follow up to ensure you are on the right path with regards to finding a job in your new chosen path.

Does making pizza take years to master, or can a high skill level be achieved relatively easily?

High skill levels aren’t easy per se, but if the hard work and dedication is put in, anything

is possible. Pizza making can be broken down into the ability to make dough, proofing, creating and baking a pizza.

Making and flipping a pizza can be one of the easier skills to ascertain. However, the technique of dough making and creations may require many years.

What advice would you have for chefs seeking success in pizza-making competitions?

The secret ingredient can’t be given to everyone but I would say the most important thing is to be sure of the creations submitted ensure they are tried by friends, colleagues and family for valuable feedback.

How different is pizza in the UK to Italy these days?

In Italy, pizza is a staple meal in every home or restaurant. Therefore, it is difficult deviate from the traditional fresh dough made on a daily basis by nonna, or her little helpers. In the UK, pizza is seen as a treat so is therefore not as ‘well practised’ in most homes, so the quick alternative would be buying readymade bases or frozen dough.

However, in the past ten years UK restaurants have adopted traditional Italian methods, including making dough on a daily basis rather than buying ready-made dough. The Italian produce market has grown in the UK and it has allowed small to medium business to access authentic Italian produce.

What pizza trends in terms of toppings, shape, portion size and style of base etc. do you see shaping pizza’s future?

The classic round shape will remain as that was how pizza was introduced to the world.

That being said, pala alla Romana has now appeared in the UK market and I’m sure it will become a favourite. The creations regarding toppings are endless. Pala alla Romana type of pizza is more oval-like in shape. It is also made from flour that’s less refined giving it a more grain-like taste.

Regarding toppings, I believe that the classic tomato base and mozzarella will forever remain. But there’s no doubt with many talented chefs out there, gourmet pizzas are climbing up the ladder and becoming a large trend.

Portion sizes I believe will stay the same.

Pizza is a moreish dish, the Italian pizza influence is continuously spreading round the world. Pizza in Italy is considered a poor man’s dish as it can be very simplistic and easy to make.

Pizza continues to grow in the UK. I have watched it grow from the moment I arrived, up until the recent PAPA awards, and to have such an array of contestants who were all so very knowledgeable shows how pizza has grown in the market.

www.papa.org.uk 35

PIZZA THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT Zoe Turner is works manager at Alphin Pans, a UK-based manufacturer of pizza pans and pizza-related light equipment, and knows only too well how the right cookware depending on what types of oven and dough are being used by the operator – can be essential when it comes to making high quality pizza, consistently.

Alphin Pans has come to supply some of the UK’s, and indeed Europe’s, largest pizza food chains along with smaller, independent restaurants and takeaways. Major customers include Domino’s UK & Ireland, Pizza Hut, Pizza Express and Papa John’s.

“Consumer appetite for different types of pizza, whether from restaurants or takeaways, is continuing to grow and develop, and key considerations for successful, consistent pizza making are using the right combination of oven, dough and pans,” says Zoe Turner.

“While this may seem obvious to many businesses in the pizza industry, we still receive regular new enquiries from restaurants and takeaways who are baffled by inconsistent cooking results.

“We often get calls from business owners and kitchen staff saying they’ve bought a certain type of oven, but that the pans are not cooking their pizzas correctly.

When dealing with these types of enquiries, I always start the conversation by first asking about the type of oven, the dough and pizza pans the customer uses.

For example, do they use parbaked, frozen or fresh dough?

These initial key questions will then lead us on to different cooking processes and identifying the right products for creating successful pizza results.”

The standard pizza pan in the whole industry is what Alphin Pans call the ‘black iron’ steel pan, and this is the type of deep pan range that they sell the most quantities of. However, they claim, there are a lot of imported pizza pans on the market that invariably prove to be too thin and flimsy. Obviously thin pans can be used successfully for certain cooking processes, but if businesses use the wrong pan with the wrong type of dough, the results can be inconsistent, wasteful or even disastrous, report Alphin Pans.

“There are a number of considerations and options,” says Zoe Turner. “For example, 36

if a business is using par-baked dough in a convector stove, I would advise them to use a standard pizza mesh screen. If they want to make thin-crust pizzas, I’d advise them to use mesh screens for an evenly-baked base.

This allows the hot air to transfer between the crust and the oven chamber.

“Overall, I’d always recommend people to seek good advice so that they can make sure they’ve got the right equipment in place to match their cooking processes. This will help them consistently get the right results for their customers.”

Unlike many UK pizza pan suppliers, Alphin Pans point out that they are a manufacturer. This means that they can design bespoke products for the customer’s specific pizza-making processes, whereas some suppliers who may appear to be pizza pan manufacturers are in actual fact selling pans that have invariably been made elsewhere.

“We emphasise that we genuinely manufacture our own products here in the UK and as such can work with our customers to make bespoke products for their particular cooking processes and needs,” adds Zoe Turner.

“We can also respond to new pizza trends by designing, and then manufacturing, the right products. For example, a new trend is slider pizzas. This trend has come from burger restaurants.

February 2018

PIZZA Customers order a number of smaller pizzas with individual toppings that are served together on a board, a bit like Spanish tapas.

“Slider pizzas can be made on any type and size of pan. The most popular size is four-inch, but we can go smaller. We can make any size of pizza pan.”

Another trend, they report, is for more smaller independents to serve stuffed-crust or double-crust pizzas. This is something that has crossed over from the bigger pizza chains, they believe.

“We manufacture stuffed-crust ring accessories allowing restaurants to place their pizza screens inside the ring, allowing them to form the dough against the edge,” explains Zoe Turner.

Since being founded in 1989, familyowned Alphin Pans, based in Delph, Greater Manchester, has built a solid reputation as a one stop shop for all types of pizza and fast food equipment. The firm has a huge range of pizza pans, pizza screens and trays, as well as a wide variety of other commercial catering products such as pizza accessories, bakeware, cookware, food storage and kitchen accessories.

“We work together with customers and can manufacture pizza pans, screens and trays, along with other professional cookware and bakeware to specifically suite their needs. We are happy to work alongside development chefs to manufacture pans that help them create new menu items,” says Zoe Turner. “We also have products for fish and chips, hot dogs, kebabs and Mexican food businesses, and can work with shop fitters supplying new store and restaurant openings.”

“If operators are to get their pizza offering right and ensure their dishes hold maximum appeal with customers, they need to have the right tools and accessories for the job,” agrees Martin Brown, Vogue brand manager for Nisbets Plc (www.nisbets. co.uk).

The Vogue range from Nisbets, for example, features a wide selection of pizza accessories aimed at outlets that regularly feature pizzas on their menu, and including everything from pizza trays and pizza wheels to pizza screens, with choices to suit all levels of requirement, say the company.

Vogue Aluminium Pizza Screens, for instance, allow operators to easily achieve superior baking results and create delicious pizzas via evenly baked pizza crusts. With a mesh style design that allows air to circulate around the pizza whilst it cooks, these screens are available in a wide range of sizes from 8” to 18”, and feature a strong aluminium construction which ensures they are robust enough to withstand the demands of a busy commercial kitchen.

In addition, well-considered tableware choices will also help to showcase a well38

made meal to perfection and shouldn’t be considered as an afterthought, feels Ross Jones, Olympia brand manager for Nisbets Plc. “The versatile Nisbets collection includes Olympia Whiteware Pizza Plates, available in a range of sizes, which combine classic looks with a robust design suitable for heavy commercial use,” explains Ross Jones.

“Fully vitrified for heat and shock resistance, their stackable, scratch resistant design features chip resistant strengthened

rolled edges and is oven, microwave, freezer and dishwasher safe, ensuring perfectly presented pizza every time.”

The range from Olympia also includes Olympia Pizza and Steak Knives which combine hard steel and a serrated blade to ensure customers can cut through crispy pizza bases with ease. The elegant mirror polished knives are made from hardwearing stainless steel with a solid one-piece construction, and are dishwasher safe, point out the company.

DOUGH MIXING A reliable, compact, stand mixer is a basic necessity in many busy kitchens, and particularly so in one making pizza dough from scratch. And because so many commercial kitchens are open to the eating area these days, operators also have to consider the aesthetics of any equipment within view of customers.

Pantheon’s stylish-looking TM5 is five litre mixer that has been devised to look good and work well, as well as be very competitively priced, say the firm (www.pantheonce.co.uk).

Stand mixers work on the planetary system where the bowl remains static and the selected accessory spins. The TM5 comes with three aluminium attachments that can cope with a multitude of tasks. A whisk for liquid ingredients such as whipping cream or beating eggs, a beater for applications such as creaming butter and sugar or making batters and a dough hook for dense, sticky ingredients.

It is powered by a 200W motor and has a stepless speed facility giving the operator complete control, enabling precision mixing. Overload protection is built in to ensure that the motor is never overworked. A switch lock prevents accidental activation and rubber feet stop the mixer slipping on the countertop.

February 2018

MARKETING

Based in Gloucestershire, Jonathan Butler is an awardwinning chef and restaurateur with over twenty-seven years’ experience within the industry.

After an early start working in a restaurant washing dishes, he worked his way up the kitchen ladder going on to enjoy chef positions in two and three rosetted restaurants, four- and five-star hotels across the country.

Aged twenty-three, he purchased his first hotel in Somerset along with a further two restaurants, managing a turnover in excess of £2m and winning multiple awards within the industry including Investors in People and a prestigious Caterer & Hotelkeeper Acorn Award.

More recently, in 2010, he founded OutSauced Consultancy (www. outsaucedconsultancy.co.uk)

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which he has evolved into a restaurant and hospitality consultancy business, and he has since worked on a variety of projects and businesses advising on everything from brand management, marketing, design and customer experience to scalability and profitability. His recent book Business Recipes for Success (published by Outsauced Ltd, RRP £11.99 paperback and RRP £4.99 ebook) is available to purchase online retailers and to order from all good bookstores.

Recipes for success What are the elements to success in founding, or already running, a profitable food business in the Italian food arena?

With business advice and input from those already involved in working with brands and food businesses, we share some valuable opinions and insight.

February 2018

MARKETING

“In the UK we have a passionate love affair with Italian food, and despite many new international cuisines trying to edge their way into the market, there is little sign of our love affair extinguishing,” says Jonathan Butler.

“It would appear Italian food is here to stay, and it is indeed something the chains have noted, and our high streets seem to be bulging with choice when it comes to pizza and pasta, risotto and antipasti. So is there still an opportunity for the independent Italian restaurant or pizzeria?

Definitely. If there is one thing I have learnt from 27 years’ experience within the restaurant industry is that whatever the ‘big boys’ think they can do, the ‘independents’ know they can do it better!

“Obviously, we have seen some significant names having to scale back their operations within this market sector in recent times, most notably Jamie’s Italian, and you may well be questioning if a brand such as this can’t make it work, how will I fare?

“In my opinion, Jamie’s Italian is a classic example of ‘how not to do it’. They blamed Brexit and a fall in the pound as the reasoning behind their troubles. However, the customers cited high prices, bland food and poor service. I

feel they simply expanded the business too quickly; this then presented the issues to which the customers referred. When a business grows rapidly, the cracks will soon appear, and if you haven’t got robust, tried and tested systems in place these cracks soon become canyons, and you just can’t paper over them.

“The UK dining out market is buoyant. Back in 1989, a PWC/ Mintel survey reported that 22% of consumers in the UK ate out once a month or more, but by 2015 this had rocketed to over 65%, with 23% reportedly eating out once a week or more.

In 2016, UK consumers spent around £54bn on dining out, and it is predicted to have been over £55bn in 2017. So, despite the doom and gloom press, the market is active and growing. In addition to this in recent years with the expanding eat-at-home market through companies such as UberEats and Deliveroo, restaurateurs have an excellent opportunity to be even more successful.

“So if you are thinking of setting up a new Italian restaurant, how should you go about it? My top tips for getting your venture off the ground and making it a success would be as follows.”

Get your concept right The starting point for any business is the concept - the vision of what you want your restaurant to be, what your business is going to do, and how you are going to do it.

You need to brainstorm and map out your business, look at restaurants that are already in the marketplace and take what you like about them and incorporate it into your vision for your business. Take pictures of what you like, write down your values and goals. Consider the menu you want to serve, the ingredients you will use. Do you have a USP (unique selling point) such as freshly made pasta and pizza?

Don’t be afraid to think big at this stage. The idea is to get as much down on paper as you can, the refinement will come later.

Simply if it comes into your head at this stage put it down.

Create a concise business plan I am constantly bewildered by the number of restaurants that I come across that don’t have a business plan! Writing a business plan is crucial. Many people think they only need to write one to satisfy the banks if they are borrowing money, or investors if they are seeking investment.

But a business plan is so much more than that. It is the blueprint for your business vision. It is the refinement of your concept brainstorming and a map of how you aim to achieve your business goals and objectives.

Your business plan will be the meat on the bone of your concept. It includes the framework to your restaurant, how you will operate, who are the key players within your restaurant, who is your competition and how you will overcome them, how you will market your restaurant, any problems or issues you expect to encounter and how you will deal with them.

It will also include financial forecasts and projections. It is important to be realistic in your calculations, as well as provide clear assumptions and explanations as to how you expect to achieve them. When you are finally operational, it is essential that you track your actual financials to your projections to stay on course.

Finally, you may also include a proposal for how you intend to grow and develop your business through expansion to more restaurants or new sales channels such as takeaway or branded products.

www.papa.org.uk 41

MARKETING

Q&A Gianluca D’Angelo and Claudio Vescovo (Zia Lucia) What did you learn from your first opening?

The success of our first venue is way beyond our projections and wildest dreams. We have learnt so many things and so many things we still have to learn! But it has been an amazing journey. We believe that customers do recognise the quality of our food and of all the ingredients we use. Our passion and the hard work we put into identifying and carefully selecting all our suppliers, for example - even if it can be difficult and many times more expensive for our company – is something that has really been valued by our guests.

Have you done anything differently with the second venue?

The star of the show is still our 48 hour, slow fermented dough. We have four types of dough, developed after many years of studying the best combinations of taste and digestibility. All our pizzas are available with the vegetable charcoal, wholemeal, gluten free and traditional dough. And to celebrate that in opening at Brook Green, we have created a new Moringa superfood dough which is very green in colour and earthy in flavour.

How do you set about marketing your brand and product?

We do all the marketing ourselves. We believe that the brand needs to live and breathe our spirit and passion. We really wish our communication to speak our language, which is genuine and passionate.

We are Londoners, born in Italy, who wish to show that pizza can be amazingly tasty and at the same time perfectly digestible.

How do you make sure that you have the right chefs and staff to realise your business vision?

Almost half of our time is dedicated to human resources - selection, training and retention. Our neighbourhood concept and familiar atmosphere is driven by the fact that the staff are passionate about our concept and embrace our culture. We wish to offer an experience whereby the guest is not just another customer; the human element is of paramount importance for us.

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Are there any particular challenges (and marketing opportunities) associated with the use of a wood fired oven?

The key challenge is that using a woodfired oven is an art and not a science. Our oven can bake pizzas to perfection, but using it can be tricky and it takes a lot of craftsmanship. For this reason, the time we spend training the pizza chefs is of paramount importance.

How do you see the current market – in terms of its challenges and opportunities? (business rates, food inflation, food intolerances, competition etc.)

The market is definitely very competitive, with new openings popping up all the time.

However, we believe that our innovative doughs and our continuous research is an important USP we can leverage on. We are constantly coming up with new ideas already... But we’ll keep them secret for the time being!

What (particular) advice would you have for someone new starting out?

Believe in your product and invest in it.

Never compromise on quality!

How have your different types of doughs/bases been received, and is this something you feel will be taken up more by other operators?

The fact that we serve four different types of dough has been received extremely well by our guests. Our vegetable charcoal dough has been featured in many magazines and newspapers for its digestibility characteristics. Our wholemeal dough is increasingly popular among our customers thanks to its lightness, and many guests come to us for our made without gluten dough since they are just as tasty as traditional pizza (and it is not always the case, so they say).

What do you feel has made Zia Lucia different and successful?

The four types of dough, our focus on very high quality ingredients and selection of small local suppliers, the neighbourhood atmosphere which is both cosy and very buzzy.

What food trends do you see impacting your business in the future?

Simple and very moderately priced yet tasty and beautiful food is an important trend we are very much part of. Raising attention to what you eat and where you source it, focus not only on the eating but also on the posteating (ie digestion) are part of our culture and DNA. Moreover, we were among the first pizzerias to have designed a vegan pizza as part of the menu. And we feel that we offer one of the best ‘Made without Gluten’ doughs in the capital!

What feedback have you had from customers so far?

Customer feedback is fundamental to us. To date, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive in relation to our doughs, salads, plates and home-made desserts. And guest have enjoyed interacting with us, suggesting new pizzas, specials for a week. We do wish to keep this very close link with them, since they are the reason why we are here and put so much passion into what we do - simple and genuine, tasty and digestible pizzas What are your future plans and ambitions?

We started in Islington, where both of us live, and have now expanded to Brook Green, as a lot of our friends live there and have been crying out for our doughs, and west London is where we met. Expanding, keeping the focus on quality and familiar atmosphere is our dream. And the best is yet to come!

February 2018

MARKETING I urge you to write a business plan - even if you are already trading - and use it to guide your team towards your goal.

Stay in control Staying in control isn’t about being a control freak or playing big brother all the time. It is about ensuring you have adequate and effective systems in place that help your business run effortlessly and smoothly at all times. When things go wrong it generally isn’t because of the people, it is because of a failure in the system. If you ensure your team are well trained and understand your values, concept and vision, they will perform to the standards and expectations set.

Staying in control of your restaurant starts with effective leadership; you must lead your team and communicate at all times your vision and goals.

It is essential to have in place processes to review and maintain your systems, ensuring they are updated and relevant.

Management needs to have access to up to date financial and sales data. So you must invest in a good EPoS system for managing your day to day sales, stocktaking and reporting as well as an accountant that is providing you with regular up to date management accounts.

Most new businesses fail not because they don’t have enough customers, but because they aren’t in control of their cash flows and financial balance sheets.

Engage your employees Your employees are your front line, the face and voice of your restaurant brand. Quite simply, they play one of the key roles in your business and should be central to your business strategy.

They are delivering the customer experience, and you must empower this force.

When you consider the people who will work within your restaurant, you must invest time to ensure they will fit into your restaurant family. Don’t just employ someone because they have the right work experience on their CV, or because you are short staffed at the weekend, and

you desperately need someone, and they are the first person who has said they can work the weekend! In the long-run, your business will suffer if this is your recruitment policy (and is most probably the reason you are in the situation in the first place).

You should develop a thorough induction and training programme that all your employees go through. Having your employees buying into your brand and being more than just the gophers benefits your business two-fold. It not only helps to build and communicate your restaurant brand, but studies have also shown that employees who are proud of the company, brand and employer they work for are also more loyal.

Understand and prepare for the pressures Starting any new business venture is not easy and should not be undertaken lightly. You have to be thoroughly prepared not just financially but also emotionally. I have worked with even seasoned restaurateurs who still encounter the rollercoaster ride of launching a new venture.

In many cases, they do it for this thrill, but they do it with measured risk to reward, and understand that as long as they are in control of what they can control, factors that are beyond their control should have little impact.

Running an independent restaurant is hard and demanding work. You have to spin many plates at once from marketing to HR, accounting to cost control, while maintaining and delivering a quality and consistent product that your customers want and are willing to pay for.

Although we are at present in uncertain economic times with Brexit, rising food costs, increases in minimum and living wages, it is clear that the UK dining revolution is far from subsiding. If you view the aggressive growth of the chains in the UK as a clear sign of our appetite to eat out and are prepared to invest time and money into delivering a quality product and consistent dining experience, then your restaurant will surely be a success.

The independent restaurant has the ability to innovate and embrace the future generation of diners, technology and social experience consumers are craving.

SECOND OUTLET SUCCESS Independent pizzeria, Zia Lucia, has opened a new local restaurant in Brook Green, London. Following on from the launch of the first Zia Lucia in Islington in 2016, founders Claudio Vescovo and Gianluca D’Angelo have now brought their authentic Italian neighbourhood pizzeria to this leafy part of West London, an area close to their hearts.

Zia Lucia’s first independent pizzeria on Holloway Road brought unusual doughs, delectable toppings and Italian community flair to North London and has proved to be a huge hit with locals and visitors ever since, having become renowned for its impressive selection of 48-hour slow-fermented doughs, including traditional white flour, wholemeal, gluten free and vegetable charcoal black base variants.

For the latest launch, Zia Lucia have added a limited edition, green vegetable dough to their menu. Named after their new neighbourhood, the ‘Brook Green Dough’ is adding to their creative and constantly evolving pizza list.

Founders, friends and former West London residents, Claudio Vescovo and Gianluca D’Angelo were keen to bring their successful pizzeria back to their favourite pocket of West London, much to the delight of local friends and family.

“Gianluca and I used to live in the area, it is where we met and we still have plenty of friends there who have been crying out for our pizzas,” says Claudio Vescovo about the decision to bring Zia Lucia to Brook Green.

“The area embraces our “neighbourhood” spirit and we hope to become the go-to destination for pizza-lovers in the West End,” adds Gianluca D’Angelo.

Zia Lucia, translates as ‘Auntie Lucia’, and the restaurant is inspired and named after Gianluca’s very own aunt. A

fantastic cook and generous host, Lucia is both the inspiration behind the brand and an investor in the restaurant, report the duo.

Entirely friend and family-funded, Zia Lucia’s shareholders are personally involved in the success of the restaurant.

Maintaining its ethos of great value genuine Italian food, all wood-fired pizzas at Zia Lucia Brook Green are priced from £7-£11 and feature fresh, classic Italian toppings, signature Arianna and Andrea Pirlo pizzas, and are available on all the four types of dough.

Toppings range from irresistible Italian favourites such as fiery nduja, spicy spianata salami, truffle honey, burrata and rich gorgonzola to vegan butternut squash cream. The menu also features some seasonal specials. Alongside the pizzas, there is a selection of Italian-style starters, plates, salads and desserts.

The drinks menu focuses on spritzes, Zia’s famous Negronis, bottled beers from Italy and locally brewed in London, as well as wine and prosecco sourced from small Italian producers back home. With a seated capacity of 50, including an outside area, Zia Lucia in Brook Green is now happily sharing the ingredients and values of its first Islington restaurant.

GOING FOR GROWTH If you’re at the stage of looking to seriously grow your out-ofhome food business, then you have probably been considering how, and where, to make key investments.

For businesses also looking for industry expertise to complement such investment, the right network and strategic advice in areas such as recruitment, marketing, or rollout proposition and private equity investment can be an attractive proposition, and is something that private equity firm, Livingbidge, feel they specialise in.

Steve Cordiner is investment director at this mid-market private equity firm - a growth partner that has already been accelerating expansion for operators with investments in the likes of Pho, Rhubarb and Bistrot

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MARKETING

Design considerations “Embarking on a brand refresh – or totally new brand creation – for an Italian food concept can be a daunting prospect. Italian culture is synonymous with beautiful design, and consumers understandably expect Italian foods to be presented with unique and compelling packaging design and attention to detail,” says Caz Hildebrand, creative partner at Here Design, and who shares with us some of her own observations.

Changing perceptions As a rule, Italians are very bound up with tradition and have a surprisingly conservative approach to their food choices.

They are extremely loyal to brands, buying the products their mothers and grandmothers bought before them, and are often suspicious of new packaging. Whilst Italians may be open to experiments in automotive, fashion and architectural design, often new food concepts and packaging can be a frontier too far.

Consequently, this presents a challenge to new brands and those looking to innovate.

Across Italy, the majority of consumers source their fresh produce from street markets and independent specialists (traditional local makers and suppliers), rather than chain supermarkets in line with the traditions of prior generations.

However, as younger Italians begin to travel outside Italy and return with a more open-minded approach to food experiences, so supermarkets are slowly adapting to align with a consumer base with increasingly sophisticated tastes. Packaging is therefore taking a more important role in communicating new taste experiences and opportunities to this demographic who are gradually opening up to the new.

In the UK, however, the consumer tends to be more open to change. Attitudes are less fixed and there is a willingness to try new things and a willingness to experiment. Whilst Italians have an innate knowledge of food pairing in their DNA, often the UK consumer is keen to recreate dishes seen on their travels or on TV cooking shows, and so welcomes a helping hand through serving suggestions or recipes.

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Artisan influences and new innovations in packaging are met with greater enthusiasm by a UK market, with a hunger to learn about alternative produce and the recipes that bring them to life. With these conflicting sentiments, crafting an Italian brand that connects with consumers pulled in opposite directions can be a challenge.

Celebrate purity and simplicity Italian branding works best when it is authentic. True Italian cuisine focuses on good quality produce, cooked simply with intense flavours, and this purity and simplicity should be celebrated.

Romance and a homemade feel are widely used to great effect, but what is often lost is a sense of sophistication.

Take our work with Little Italy - an Italian restaurant and pizzeria in the heart of Amman, Jordan. Their commitment to preparing and serving dishes true to Italian culture, heritage and authenticity guided the identity for the restaurant. Inspired by the handwritten, beautifully crafted neon signs of old gelaterias and salumerias, we delivered a design imbued with the traditions of Italy but with a modern take.

We played with Italy’s reputation as a country of makers, creating a suite of symbols expressing the guilds of craftsmen through the ages. The end result is a stylishly egalitarian take on classic Italian design – simple and authentic, with a sophisticated edge.

This process of diving into the heritage of a brand story and wider cultural history can be time consuming, but it is imperative to fully understand what makes the brand unique and how it fits into its own story. Italians are incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about food, and

it’s the role of the design team to listen and learn before helping shape the brand’s identity.

Be brave!

Packaging in particular offers so many possibilities. It is a blank canvas for a brand to tell its story, with every detail and nuance revealed as the packaging unfolds. This is communicated across every level, from visual identity to the way the product feels in the consumer’s hand. It is important to consider how they engage with the product on a sensory level.

It’s also an opportunity to attract a new audience. When faced with a consumer whose choices are guided by loyalty to select brands, it’s crucial that the packaging and positioning of a new product inspires confidence and captures the essence of the brand story.

Once the consumer’s curiosity is piqued, the brand can then win them over with the quality of the product within.

Avoid common clichés A common pitfall of many brands is to revert to clichés, from emblazoning product packaging with the Italian flag to using script typefaces or caricatures with little mob caps and paper lids to give a ‘homemade’ feel.

In truth, this is a lazy design shorthand. In adopting these over-used representations of Italian culture, the brand loses its distinction and unique voice.

More than ever, consumers want to see brand provenance.

We recently worked with Milanese rice brand Riso D’Uomo on a new visual identity that embodied the company’s commitment to artisanal

techniques, and celebrated the incredible achievement of growing rice close to a city centre.

Rather than leaning towards commonly-adopted clichés, we looked to the heritage of place of origin, and their farm, almost in the shadow of the historic Duomo di Milano where they have been growing rice since the Duomo was built over 700 years ago.

Alongside a product of unparalleled quality and flavour, this location is what makes the brand special. The vibrant new packaging therefore reflects the bold patterns of the ornate marble floor tiles in this impressive cathedral.

Tell your own story Drawing out this ‘special quality’ from an Italian brand can take time and patience, but for a brand identity or marketing campaign to be successful it has to consider a much wider matrix beyond the physical product.

Open dialogue and exchange of ideas is crucial for this, and in-depth research into the processes involved to make the product, how it engages with wider cultural context, and where the company has come from – and where it intends to go – can ensure that the final design is authentic, original and of its place.

There is room for both modernity and timelessness in design, yet this is often lost in the drive to commercialise. As the makers of beautiful and useful things, much of our work is in storytelling, and Italian culture – and its produce – is rich with stories waiting to be told, and the tools with which to do so.

February 2018

MARKETING Pierre – and has the following advice on how out-of-home operators seeking this sort of investment can stand out in a crowded marketplace Always keep your customer front-of-mind Investors want to know that your brand has long term growth potential. For that to happen the proposition you’re offering should be something new, whether it’s concept, service, delivery, location or ambience.

If you can fulfil a customer’s need, they’ll feel satisfied by their purchase, generating a loyalty that will keep them coming back again and again.

To demonstrate to investors that you are relevant to your customers in this way and that you know how to put them first, you will really need to show an understanding of who your customers are, why they choose you, and in turn how you can keep them coming back for more.

Location, location, location An out-of-home food business operator with a shrewd eye for good site economics piques the interest of any investor. If you’re planning to grow, you’re likely planning a roll out, so you should have a clear view on expected return on capital when opening new sites.

A comparatively quick return on that investment allows for an ambitious vision for the future.

This should be coupled with a real understanding of what your property and location strategy is. What type of site is right for your business, and where do you foresee your most significant growth areas? Does your pipeline reflect this? Out-of-home operators who can demonstrate a strong proposition, a welldeveloped property and location strategy, together with a proven ability to find new locations, will find themselves very attractive to investors.

Are there barriers to growth?

Why don’t sushi businesses grow as quickly as coffee shops? The answer is in the scales (and no, that’s not a fish joke!). An out-ofhome and café operator should consider from the outset the size

their business can scale to, and understand the total potential market they operate in.

Factors for consideration include the style of offering and logistics, as one size definitely doesn’t fit all. Consideration should be given to whether your offering could be rolled-out regionally. For example, some high-end restaurants might not work in all areas of the country, whereas burger businesses are popular nationwide. A management team should understand where the limitations of its offering are, and those with fewer barriers to growth are inherently more appealing.

THE MEETING PLACE FOR ITALIAN FOOD PROFESSIONALS

Take control Demonstrating operational and financial control is the best way to give investors confidence in your business. This should include good cash management that evidences financial stability with appropriate use of debt or capital funding. Evidence of timely and accurate performance reporting will also add to your credibility as an attractive prospect.

Another key focus should be your operational KPI (key performance indicators) suite.

Frequent review of individual site data is essential, including analysis of food and beverage margins, like for like sales, and customer satisfaction. These are all elements that an investor will look at to ensure you really understand which areas of your business are driving value and how, together, you could drive future growth.

Investing in people When an investor backs a business, it is really investing in the people and the belief that together you might be able to build the next success story.

In the hospitality sector this is even more important as it is a people-based industry, and the entrepreneurs have to be passionate about the businesses they run. In a sector overflowing with people who love what they do, an investor wants to see that passion, together with people who are hungry to build businesses that customers really love.

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PROMOTIONAL

It’s all-change in the world of

pizza!

Perhaps it’s not entirely surprising, but the predicted growth in sales of pizza is a great barometer of the revolution we’re experiencing in the what’s, when’s and where’s of our evolving eating habits.

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e live in rapidly changing times, demanding more in terms of choice and convenience, eating when we want, not when convention dictates, and adopting lifestyles that are forcing the food manufacturing and food service industries into constantly thinking on their feet.

So, what are the key changes we need to respond to? Here we take a brief look at the trends that are already impacting, and those that are set to shape the future.

WHO DOESN’T LOVE PIZZA? It’s safe to say pizza is up there as one of the world’s favourite foods, and would probably retain this position even if other factors weren’t coming to bear.

Currently, the global market for pizza is estimated to be heading towards £130Bn and showing every sign of getting bigger…and bigger.

Here in the UK, that same trend is reflected as we top the world’s ‘per capita consumption of pizza’ table. Yes…we tuck into more pizza per person than anywhere else in the world, despite having fewer pizza takeaway and delivery options than similar markets like

the US, Australia and New Zealand.

Cue one of the biggest growth opportunities for the UK market.

DELIVERING A BETTER RETURN The extraordinary rise of apps like Just Eat and Hungry House, and delivery specialists like Deliveroo and Uber Eats, is a sign of things to come.

While we love to eat out – pizza is the No.1 item consumed at lunch – we also love to eat ‘in’, especially when someone else does all the work and delivers to our door. Whether it’s at home, to the office, or even to a station platform (as one top DJ famously arranged as his train made a scheduled stop), we now expect convenience. It’s no longer a luxury. It’s an essential.

In fact it’s anticipated that delivery will be the single biggest driver in increased pizza consumption, helped by millennials who are the heaviest users of pizza takeaway and delivery services, and ordering with even greater frequency.

FOOD-TO-GO GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH It’s not just the dining out and ‘in’ markets that are booming.

Eating on the move is on the up too, fuelled by longer working hours, longer commutes and a general ‘blurring’ of the dayparts, all of which encourage us to grab a meal or a snack wherever we can…with pizza by the slice or in a hand-held format fitting the bill to perfection.

Even the traditional retail market is benefitting from this ready-food phenomenon. With a third of us deciding what to eat for dinner late in the afternoon, the convenience of picking up pizza at the supermarket is an easy solution.

But what about the pizza itself? Well, our tastes are changing almost as fast as our need for more…but faster!

HEALTHY, WEALTHY AND WISE All our favourite toppings are still there, whether the pizza is chilled, frozen or already cooked for us. But new ones are rapidly coming to the fore.

Exotic and spicy flavours are in demand. High quality, fresh ingredients offer added value.

Vegetarians and flexitarians are looking for meat-free flavour.

Even the bases are changing

to meet our new requirements, with gluten-free and cauliflower proving popular, along with spelt and rye sourdough.

And let’s not forget the most important ingredient of almost every pizza…cheese.

No longer just Mozzarella or Cheddar, we’re now enjoying Monterey Jack, Colby, Provolone and Fontal. All of which is music to the ears of Richard Thorpe, Head of Marketing & Insights at food ingredients giant, Ornua Ingredients UK. “These are exciting times for the pizza industry…and for dairy producers like us.

Where once it was all about the classic Mozzarella topping, we’re now working with our clients to develop all manner of customised cheese toppings… whether it’s IQF portion control, specific melt characteristics, new flavours…even specialist bechamel sauces.”

So that’s just a little taste of what’s to come. But there is one last thing…

Don’t overlook visual appeal.

In our Instagram world, a stunning pic of a pizza…opened by millions of users…could be your best marketing tool – ever!

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If you’d like to know more about Ornua Ingredients UK’s pizza cheese technology, visit www.ornuaingredientsuk.com

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Our cheesiest ad …ever!

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pizza cheese. From sauces to toppings, from high protein to low fat, from the territorials to the exotic.

Yes, this is our cheesiest ever message.

That’s because we’ve recently added cheese slices to our huge portfolio of products and formats.

So now we offer just about every in-demand dairy ingredient to the food manufacturing and food service industries.

From 4x5kg deli blocks to grates of every shape and size. From ropes and ribbons to specialist

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We customise too, thanks to our extraordinary technical facilities and famous NPD expertise.

And we’re proud of our status as the frontrunner in innovation and insight.

So, cheesy enough for you?

Innovation tastes like this

Grates

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Sauces

Blocks

Slices

BREADS, BASES AND BAKING

Alternative and artisanal

The trend for more artisanal style breads and baking methods is offering a good way for operators to differentiate themselves from the competition, with more and more food outlets also turning their attention to pizza, and in particular the use of more specialist doughs and alternative grains and ingredients.

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February 2018

BREADS, BASES AND BAKING ON TREND According to a Euromonitor International report (Baked Goods in the UK), volume growth for craft breads rose by 1.8% between 2009 and 2014, with forecast sales between 2014 and 2019 expected to go from £682.5m to £780.7m; evidence of the growing popularity in artisanal baked goods.

Of the bread and baked goods that are enjoying success, premium and speciality breads are top of the game. According to Kantar WorldPanel data, sales of brown bread have risen 13.3%, on volumes up 14.8%. The report also highlights the preferred choice of consumers – “sandwich alternatives have grown by 4.8% and bakery favourites by 3.3%.

Rolls are also making a comeback with sales up 5.1%.”

The proliferation of small artisan bakeries and the popularity of ethnic and world bakery produce, along with the surge in demand for healthier and allergy considerate bakery produce has benefited the market.

The rise in all day dining and food-to-go outlets reveals an optimistic picture, with demand for premium and innovative bakery items continuing to soar, feel sector supplier, Pan’Artisan (www.panartisan.com). As consumers seek out products featuring better nutrition, authenticity and versatility, innovative bakery alternatives such as thins and wraps, and ‘old world’ artisan breads have grown in popularity, they note.

Continental and ethnic breads are trending, they report, and the speciality bread and bakery sector is flourishing as today’s consumers seek more choice, are more adventurous in what they will try and are generally more educated in terms of provenance, quality ingredients and authenticity.

A specialist producer of award-winning, quality doughbased goods for the foodservice sector, Pan’Artisan offers a range of frozen dough balls along with full and part-baked pizza bases and speciality breads. The company’s products are created with busy operators in mind and aim to assist caterers by

supplying consistent, superior quality products where the timeconsuming, specialist work has already been done, say the firm.

This year, Pan’Artisan is also sponsoring the Street Food Dough Ball Challenge which will be taking place at Hotelympia’s International Salon Culinaire on Tuesday, 6 March 2018, and will be providing competitors with its award-winning pizza and sourdough dough balls to create a winning, innovative street food dish.

Chosen for their versatility, ease of use and quality, Pan’Artisan’s pizza and sourdough dough balls have also achieved a near perfect score from industry chefs under the Craft Guild of Chefs Product Endorsement Scheme, attaining their ‘Approved Product’ logo.

October 2017 saw the launch of Pan’Artisan’s latest addition to their dough ball range. In recognition of the huge demand and interest for sour dough products, Pan’Artisan created a new dough ball featuring a 5% sour blend that produces a stronger sour taste to compliment currently trending flavour profiles, without overpowering the final

flavour of the finished item.

Supplied frozen, once defrosted it is ready to use in a number of different applications, be that as a pizza base, sandwich carrier or meal accompaniment.

“The success of our product range lies with the many advantages it has to offer operators. Whether they are experienced or starting out in foodservice, our bakery items provide caterers with consistency, ease of use and exceptional quality,” said Chris Dickinson, new business development director at Pan’Artisan Ltd. “Because our bakery goods are pre-made, costs of labour and equipment for the operator are decreased, as there is no need to employ skilled bakery staff or purchase expensive bakery equipment or premises. We offer a full, and often bespoke, service for our customers and can produce various dough balls to suit customers’ different handling techniques and levels of equipment such as rollers, presses, different oven types and employees’ skill sets. We can also provide training and education on how to use the product and how to hand stretch pizza bases where

required, along with a continuing support programme.

“Our expertise in unique raw materials can assist customers to achieve their desired end product profile – we can create pizza doughs and bases tailored to flavour and handling preferences and as we work to the British Retail Consortium Global Standard, customers are assured of high food safety standards.

“Some of our most popular products are from our extensive pizza base range. Our pizza bases stand out from the competition partly due to our manufacturing process. Most manufacturers produce pizza bases by either stamping or rolling out the dough and cutting the required disc size.

Here at Pan’Artisan, however, we produce our pizza bases by dividing the dough into an individual ball and slowly rolling it out under a series of rollers, producing the flattened dough disc for proving, this handcrafted approach results in a pizza base with an extremely light and fluffy crumb structure.

“All of our products are produced with health credentials in mind. We offer two pizza bases developed especially for schools that comply with nutrient-based government standards, these are a ‘Deep Pan White’ and a ‘Deep Pan Brown with 25% Wholemeal’.

Created from the very best ingredients, they contain no GM products, artificial flavours or additives, are low in fat and have a reduced salt content of 0.75%.

We also avoid the use of additives, preservatives, GM or irradiated ingredients, as well as artificial flavours and colours in all of the product range. Sugar use is kept to a minimum. We use only three allergens, these being gluten (from grains) and dairy (milk and egg) and use of these is strictly controlled within our production environment.”

UK foodservice specialist Aryzta Food Solutions reports that it is bringing four new crafted sourdough breads to the UK market, helping caterers profit from a highly popular variety and put provenance at the very top of their menus.

Supplied frozen and part baked, the new range which includes a Sourdough Bloomer,

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BREADS, BASES AND BAKING XL White Sourdough, Sourdough Baguette and innovative and spiced new Fruit & Nut Sourdough Loaf, offer an authentic subtle flavour, open crumb texture and a crisp rich crust. The crust, which has come to define this iconic bread, is enhanced by stone baking, making for an even more pleasing texture.

Upholding the traditional artisan methods that set sourdough apart, including hand cutting and finishing, Aryzta’s new breads are made using a stiff starter dough with a rigorous five-day fermentation process.

With traceability top of mind, the flours – stone milled and free from added preservatives or dyes – are sourced from Aveyron in southern France – a territory renowned for its diverse ecosystem and rich soil).

“The craftsmanship and quality represented in these breads really is something to behold. As a leader in bakery, Aryzta has the expertise and means to make great bread accessible to everyone.

Frozen at source, these breads maintain their freshness right up until service, and can help to save on costly wastage, making them perfect for a variety of sectors, from cafes and delis, through to restaurants, bars, hotels and the B&I sector,” said Aryzta Food Solutions’ head of marketing, Paul Whitely.

The four new sourdough varieties will be making their tasting debut on the company’s stand (C70) at the forthcoming Northern Restaurant and Bar event (21 and 22 March, Manchester Central).

FROM ITALY TO LONDON This month, Gordon Ramsay’s Union Street Café brought a gourmet pizza trend that is currently taking hold in Italy, to London. This new trend is seeing the worlds of fine dining and pizza collide as bespoke dough recipes are, in turn, paired with the finest of ingredients.

Italian dough expert, Matteo Attianese (right), joined Union Street Café head chef and old friend, Davide Degiovanni of La Cascina dei Sapori in Italy, for one night only to create a six-course pizza tasting menu, and which took guests on a journey to discover this new style of pizza.

Having first worked together seventeen years ago, Davide Degiovanni and Matteo Attianese decided to reunite for an unforgettable evening, working

What’s

trending?

“Looking around the world, pizza is understood as a different culinary concept, especially during the last few years. The increase of wellbeing awareness has led to a more conscious ‘good way of eating’ which is only the starting point of the pizza’s revolution,” says Jason Bull (sales director, Eurostar Commodities) in the company’s 2018 Trends Report.

Eurostar (www.eurostarfoods. co.uk) is an innovative Yorkshirebased family business founded in 1994. They supply over 10,000 tonnes of product to the UK and Europe every year, sourcing the finest grains in small supply chains to ensure quality and provenance.

Their brands include Frumenta Italian flour and Crispy Bite pizza flour, and in 2017 their innovative new products included spelt and rye chapatti/pizza flour, sprouted flours and spinach, sweet potato and vegetable flours to name but a few.

“Pizza bases made from vegetable flours will grow and feature strongly, tying in with the

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gluten free trend that will continue to grow using natural ingredients.

These alternative flours are made from beetroot and spinach creating a stand-out purple or green pizza base which tastes delicious and will satisfy the most discerning healthy eater and hungry kids alike,” adds Jason Bull.

“What’s the most important nutritional value within a pizza?

Carbohydrates! So there is no better time than breakfast to enjoy a good pizza! The key point relies on creating a pizza that offers the right nutrition levels that are required at breakfast time.

“The concept is not new. Very popular in the Roma region of Italy is a crunchy slice – a perfect little pizza served in small portions, firm enough to be a perfect base topped with cold toppings (meats, ham etc.), raw vegetables and fresh fruits and served in the mornings.

What every Yorkshireman and woman wants to see, though, is a full English on a pizza! And 2018 is the year when we just might very well see it!”

February 2018

BREADS, BASES AND BAKING

side by side to create a six-course pizza tasting menu to showcase this emerging trend that is making a name for itself in Italy.

Ranked within the top 10 best pizza restaurants in Italy in the prestigious Gambero Rosso Guide, La Cascina dei Sapori showcases the finest dough-making, for which Matteo Attianese is an expert in and has become well known for. Thus, Union Street Café’s Davide Degiovanni was able to work alongside Matteo, pairing his exceptional, innovative dishes to the bespoke dough base his friend and former work colleague created.

The tasting menu included Fritta (fried pizza dough topped with crudo of tuna, turnip tops, chilli and bergamot), Dal Mare (with Mediterranean octopus, stracciatella and n’duja), and Dolce (a sweet dough topped with sheep’s ricotta, pistachio, lemon and chocolate). Each was served with a small ‘taster size’ pizza base, rather than the pizza base sizes most are used to seeing.

Union Street Café can boast a vibrant buzz of activity, making it popular place for many Italiani in London who are passionate about their food, and indeed lovers of food, wine and conversation in general - a place to spend time in the company of friends and loved ones.

No two days are the same at the café which is characterised by a constantly changing menu which adapts to the specialist Italian ingredients hand sourced by the chefs themselves according to freshness and availability.

Davide Degiovanni and the team enjoy bringing all sides of Italy with them in both style and personality, aiming to treat every guest as if they are welcoming a friend into their home, and also of course sharing their memories of Italy with their guests.

This pizza tasting event was the first of its kind at Union Street Café, with guests able to start their experience in the subterranean Olive Grove bar, before heading upstairs for the

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www.smeraldiniemenazzi.it

BREADS, BASES AND BAKING

pizza tasting event that was hosted personally by the chefs (the six-course tasting menu, including an aperitivo, cost £35, with an optional added £15 for beer pairings).

The Gordon Ramsay Group is a collection of restaurants and bars by acclaimed chef, restaurateur, TV personality and author Gordon Ramsay. Originally rooted in fine dining, the Group has expanded to also include more diverse and informal guest experiences around the globe.

Led by CEO Stuart Gillies, the group now has a total of 31 restaurants globally and seven Michelin stars. The current London portfolio of 14 restaurants include Pétrus, London House, Gordon Ramsay Plane Food and Union Street Café. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in Chelsea is the Group’s flagship venue, and has held three Michelin-stars for 16 years.

The Group’s 17 international restaurants can be found in locations such as Europe, the US, the Middle East and Asia. The international portfolio includes Le Pressoir d’Argent in Bordeaux, Gordon Ramsay Steak in Las Vegas, Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill in Atlantic City, Gordon Ramsay at Forte Village in Sardinia, London House Hong Kong as well as Bread Street Kitchen in Hong Kong, Dubai and Singapore.

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VEGAN SOURDOUGH PIZZA Four Hundred Rabbits kickstarted 2018 with a brand new vegan special sourdough pizza featuring a best-selling peanut butter by award-winning London-based producer Pip & Nut. Launched in early January and served throughout the month at their neighbourhood restaurants in Nunhead and Crystal Palace, the Veganuary exclusive matched up Crown Prince squash pesto, woodroasted beets, Berbere chickpeas, crispy onions, celery, sultanas, plus Crunchy Maple Peanut Butter.

The latest in the pizzeria’s successful series of collaborations with talented local artisans, the new vegan special also served to showcase one of the most popular products in Pip & Nut’s range, which began as their first limited edition nut butter.

Passionate about using the best innovative and seasonal British ingredients for their toppings, Four Hundred Rabbits’ menu includes both one vegetarian and one meat speciality each month alongside their signature favourites. The time-limited pizza was made using their acclaimed 48-hour proved dough base, then baking in the wood-fire oven at around 400oC so as to create a deeply

flavoursome base with a light chewy texture.

“We have always offered an off-menu vegan pizza and noticed how popular this has become with our regulars and local visitors - so we wanted to put this front and centre on our menu this month for everyone to enjoy,” said co-founder Daniel Edwards, commenting

on the January special vegan sourdough pizza.

“Nut butters work brilliantly on our sourdough bases and Pip & Nut share our ethos of using the best natural ingredients, so this felt like the ideal collaboration and at the perfect time with so many people looking to try more plant-based dishes too.”

February 2018

www.smeraldiniemenazzi.it

NEW 1 RAVIOLACCI ALLE CARNI BRASATE CAVATIELLI

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CALAMARATA

IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING: ITALY IS SYNONYMOUS WITH PASTA.

CASUAL DINING THE BDC LONDON 21-22 feb 2018 booth M532

Raviolacci with braised meats, Calamarata and Cavatielli: 3 new varieties of Italian regional tradition pasta.

EMILIA-ROMAGNA

Laboratorio Tortellini is a brand

The chef ’s Italian favourite.

SURGITAL S.p.A. - Lavezzola (RA) - Emilia-Romagna - Italy - +39 0545 80328 - surgital@surgital.it - www.surgital.it

LEGISLATION

Work o t t e

Righ

complianc

Adrian Black (pictured below), founder and chief executive officer of fraud and financial crime solutions provider, Contego (http://contego.com/), set up his company with the aim of helping other organisations reduce fraud and navigate compliance regulations. Here, he outlines some of the issues employers can have with Right-to-Work (up to 95% of SME businesses risk sponsor licence revocation for migrant workers, observe the firm, with many also at risk of instant Home Office closure), as well as the benefits to be had from an automated, electronic solution.

CHANGING LANDSCAPE The UK workforce is becoming increasingly diverse in its makeup, and while undoubtedly this is a good thing, it isn’t without some challenges.

Civil penalties set by the UK government have become stricter for those who are employing workers who do not have the right to work in the UK. Research commissioned by immigration law firm, Migrate 54

UK, for example, found that of the companies who hold a sponsor licence - typically those that directly advertise and sponsor workers from outside of Europe to come and work in the UK - up to 95% of small to medium enterprises are at risk of having their sponsor licence for migrant workers revoked, with many others also at risk of being instantly closed by the Home Office.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS Fines can stretch up to ÂŁ20,000 per illegal employee, so the cost of being found to be non-compliant is not insignificant. This can have a significant impact on the finances of a business, or the credibility and stability of their HR departments.

There’s also the potential for company directors to have to serve a five-year prison sentence, plus the possibility of irreversible damage to your brand reputation.

February 2018

LEGISLATION There’s also the risk of loss of earning due to fraud and damage to supplier/customer relations. With this in mind, ‘Right to Work’ compliance can often weigh heavily on an employer’s mind.

Everyone must comply with the Right to Work checks.

Whether you hire one person or thousands, have part-time or full-time staff, or are working in the public or private sector, businesses must ensure that all potential and existing employees are considered eligible to work in the UK through mandatory Right to Work checks. The principles seem very straightforward overall. However, carrying out these Right to Work checks can often prove challenging for HR departments.

This is largely due to the fact that the dynamics are changing for how the UK workforce operates. Nowadays, a lot of businesses choose to combine a variety of different contracts from flexible working to parttime, home-working to full-

www.papa.org.uk

time, contractors to temporary staff. This enables a business to have a flexible approach to their staffing, which helps with changing business needs. It can make it difficult when hiring though.

WHY IT IS BECOMING HARDER TO COMPLY WITH RIGHT TO WORK? HR teams are under growing pressure as a result to hire the right people, make all the necessary checks, and to ensure employees have the legal right to work in the UK. Legislation is regularly changing, and therefore staying abreast of all the developments can be demanding.

Although HR professionals are well-trained, they are increasingly facing the growing trend for fake identity documents being used in job applications. This makes their job even harder and means trying to spot identity fraud while dealing with hundreds of applications is challenging. As these forgeries

become more sophisticated it can be hard to spot fraudulent documents. Additionally, with a rise in transient workers, plus the growing ‘gig’ economy, there’s also the increased risk of unwittingly employing illegal workers on a short-term, but equally unlawful, basis.

Moreover, throughout sectors such as hospitality, leisure, warehouses and retail, many HR functions are de-centralised. This means that on-site managers are often responsible for making hiring decisions. Here the risks are even greater as they often don’t have the same training as HR professionals and are not abreast of the legislation.

However, this context will hold little sway with the government who are keen to crack down on non-compliant workers.

SAVE TIME AND REDUCE HUMAN ERROR Undertaking right to work checks doesn’t have to be complex though, as the process can be handled very easily thanks to

technological solutions.

With robust, automated processes occurring through a comprehensive solution, the risks can be minimised, and you don’t need a HR team that constantly stays ahead of legislation. They can also be confident that the Right to Work checks are meeting all current and future legislative requirements.

These systems, such as the likes of the offering we have created at Contego, aim to help to reduce the burden of the manual approach. Document checking is automated, meaning businesses can quickly check, authenticate and retain ID documents in line with the latest immigration legislation.

Electronic scanning provides your team with a consistent, reliable and straightforward way of performing checks without having to be ‘document experts’.

The Contego mobile application also enables real-time Right to Work validation of employees on the move.

55

Pizza My

World As a leading independent supplier of fine ingredients, Eurostar Commodities (www.eurostarfoods.co.uk) says that it feels compelled to push the boundaries of what we’ve come to expect from our ingredients. Eurostar’s technical development team is headed by Davide D’Auria, a Naples native and third generation pizzaioli. Joining from Harrods, and as a graduate of the prominent Pizza Italiani News School, his typical day revolves around looking at pizza from a different angle…

7.00am 7am Each week is different for me but most mornings I am on the road by 7am.

Obviously I would prefer to drive a Fiat 500, but the boot is too small to carry all of the flour that I bring around with me! I live in London but am frequently travelling back to Italy and all over the UK. Often, I will be in a great city like Nottingham, or Manchester, Bristol or Belfast. Some weeks I go a bit further. For instance, in Iceland we’re doing some demos over the next few weeks with some great pizza chains and independent restaurants.

When I am traveling I often call home to Naples to speak with the family. I am one of five brothers and we are all pizza chefs.

I do miss Italy, but I like the British sense of humour and the beautiful countryside.

When I get home my mother makes risotto alla pescatora (sea food risotto) which I miss when I am here. When I am with my brothers we love to eat pasta al forno (pasta baked in the oven).

10.00am 10am I am a qualified expert pizza Instructor, and I have worked in several prestigious restaurants in London and Pisa, Italy. When I do a demo, I work really closely with the chefs at the restaurant. I had a brilliant day with Donnelly’s Pizzeria in Norwich recently and they have adopted many of the techniques that we worked through.

56

I work with what I consider to be one of the best flours available in the UK - Grandi Molini Italiani. We have many products, but I focus on Pizza Verace which produces a remarkable golden, tasty crust. It’s also perfect for Neopolitan pizza, and Lievito Naturale which has increased extensibility to improve ‘rolling out’ and ‘stretching’, and gives a unique flavour and aroma and is easier to digest.

I really like the Pizza Dorata flour that is produced with Manitoba grain, and is a mix of Canadian and North American grains of great strength and tightness which produces an extremely soft dough – perfect for long fermentations.

I love talking about the chemistry and craft of making pizza dough and all the chemical micro processes that happen in the fermentation process in order to produce a technically perfect dough. As pizza chefs we need to be able to break down more starch and proteins during the fermentation to create a highly digestible and light product.

I try to share my knowledge as best I can with the chefs and support them with any problems that can happen with dough. Our goal is to help our clients to improve their products and understand their customers.

Every place is different.

Where we are different is that we always start with the flour. Many people calculate from the starting point of the water, but we start with flour to obtain a better structure in the final dough. We create a dough that will absorb more water and will be more consistent.

I find that many people often make the same mistake and use flour with too high protein content that will form more gluten once mixed. However, when restaurants have a short proofing time this isn’t the best option, as the dough doesn’t have enough time to mature.

February 2018

standards. A favourite lunch for me other than pizza would be Parmigiana di melanzane con provola (Neapolitan version). It’s different than the normal one because we bread and fry the aubergines beforehand and then layer with tomato and mozzarella and then bake.

3.00pm 3pm If I manage to finish up and get home in the afternoon, then I can check in with Phil and Jason Bull at Eurostar. We champion innovation and bring to market new specialist products. Often at home or in our development kitchens in Yorkshire, we play around with ingredients and try out new things. We have been developing healthy option pizza using spinach, beetroot and sweet potato flour. I am very excited about this. It completely transforms the calorific value of the pizza, and not only that it massively increases the vitamin level increasing digestion and absorption.

I am also working on developing a range of breakfast pizzas. Some research we did went viral and we’ve had huge interest from around the world. We are incorporating increased health credentials to create a product that can be eaten to provide good carbohydrates at breakfast time and for snacking on throughout the day.

The concept is not new – it is very popular in the Roma region of Italy - a crunchy sliced perfect little pizza served in small portions, firm enough to be a perfect base topped with cold toppings (meats, ham etc.), raw vegetables and fresh fruits and served in the mornings. We are also the only company to have the sole exclusive rights to supply new sprouted flours from the only fully industrialised, BRC accredited sprouting plant and mill in the UK. We are developing a range of pizza bases using sprouted flour that will have lots of additional health benefits.

brothers.

Davide D’Auria (left) with three of his pizza chef

I love my products but what I really love about Eurostar Commodities is that no matter how big or small our client we give them all the technical support that they ever need. We go and see them, we train them, and we tailor our service to their business.

12.00pm 12noon For lunch, I try to mix it up and have something light. When I worked in Harrods I got used to making pizza for many famous celebrities and footballers. I got used to a high intensity environment and very high

5.00pm 5pm In the evenings to relax I often meet up with friends. I have a lot of friends who work as pizza chefs. Officially I started working in pizza kitchens in Naples when I was 16 years old but I helped my family long before that. There is a big community of Italian pizza chefs in London and also all over the UK. In London we like to try out different restaurants. We tend to meet earlier in the week as of course these are the best days as most of us work over the weekend. We often talk about pizzas, football and share new ideas and birra of course!

At the moment there is a lot to talk about as I am going to be one of the few UK-based pizzaioli to return to Italy to compete in the Pizza World Championships in Parma. It is like the world cup of pizza and the most prestigious event in the world of pizza.

So I am hoping that all of my friends and customers will wish me all the best!

www.papa.org.uk 57

WOOD FIRED OVENS

Maintaining

oven a wood fired

Jay Emery (www.bushmanwoodfiredovens.co.uk) is known as the “woodfired-oven guru”, having started making wood-fired ovens back in 1999 and the first to get DEFRA approval. Here, in a regular series of articles, he tackles some of the important topics surrounding this growing area.

LITTLE TO GO WRONG, BUT… When I was asked to write this article, I was confounded. Why? I hear you ask. Well, that’s simple.

If you have a good, well-made oven, then there really is so little to go wrong that maintenance is almost negligible. Then I got to thinking.

At some point, irrespective of how fantastic an oven is, it’s going to need some kind of

maintenance. I’m therefore going to discuss ovens that are in my area of expertise, rather than everything out there. This area is narrowed into high thermal mass refractory ovens, not lowweight, stainless steel domestic or electric/gas conveyor ovens.

So let’s get real, what’s the lowdown? What needs to be done and how often do you need to do it?

For any more specifi c answers please don’t hesitate to ask, and I’ll do my best to help!

58

CHIMNEY SWEEPING The first and most common maintenance issue is chimney sweeping. Hell if you are not sweeping your chimney then you are an accident waiting to happen.

I recommend that in a restaurant environment you should be looking at doing this at least every six months, that’s if you are using compressed hardwood logs with a guaranteed moisture content of 8% or less. If you are still living in the dark ages swinging an axe and acting like an outback or Amazonian mountain man with attitude, then boy you need to consider doing this more often, especially if the wood is not kiln dried which it really should be.

The reason is simple – creosote.

Those sticky black deposits which run down the inside of the chimney when the wood is burnt, when wet it’s highly flammable and can catch fire.

If you notice any creosote on joints of any kind, well then your flue pipe has probably been installed upside down anyway and will need attention.

So if you are still burning chopped air dried wood then get yourself a chimney log or a couple of them to set the creosote so that it can be swept out by the chimney sweep, they are super effective.

DAMAGED FLOOR Ok, if your floor is knackered - in other words been bashed or scrubbed to hell and it’s costing you money in lost throughput - replacing the floor could be a good plan.

Unfortunately, in the smaller range of ovens, I’m aware of only Bushman Wood Fired Ovens having replaceable floor tiles. A good reason to have a Bushman I guess, or am I just being biased?

Ok, let’s say that you have some other manufacturer’s oven and the floor is shot, what should you do?

Well, If it’s just minor pitting and crazing – then nothing. If, however, you have holes in the floor and you can’t replace the floor tiles, then fire cement is an acceptable temporary fix. I use the Minkon brand, simply because I like the brown fire cement, but you can just as easily go to one of the DIY stores and get some black stuff.

So first things first - clean the oven. By this I mean get every scrap of dust and ash out of the area you want to fill. Then vacuum it clean, you don’t want any dust at all. Next, using a wet sponge, re-hydrate the spot. If you try to fill a completely dry or an un-cleaned spot, the patch that February 2018

WOOD FIRED OVENS you are applying won’t last long.

Once dampened, apply fire cement liberally (it can be ground off or cut off later), making sure you press it down hard. Note that although fire cement gets super hard with fire, it needs to dry first before setting with fire.

This means you can’t fix and then light a huge fire, all that happens if you try this is big, big bubbles and a weak patch caused where the cement boiled. You are better doing this slowly.

Grind flush with an angle grinder once set. The same method can be used for fixing holes on the walls and roof of the oven and it’s a lot cheaper than buying a whole new oven.

If the floor is so knackered that you can’t cook on it or fix it you have three options; get a new oven, replace the floor if possible or lay a new floor on top of the existing one. I’ve seen people buy pizza stones to cook on and I’ve made some of these for customers in the past. Now you’ve sorted the floor and the chimney, what next?

GIVE THE FRONT AND THE DOME OF THE OVEN A GOOD CLEAN AND FRESHEN UP I hate it when I see ovens that look skanky at the front, and boy, do I see a lot of them! There is really no excuse. If you have raw refractory then simply paint it once in a while with a good lime-based masonry or high-heat paint, there are plenty available. The other thing I see a lot is soot stains on the front of an oven.

If you are using an oven indoors then there should not be any smoke spill out of the oven.

If there is, you need to clean the chimney now. Urgently!

If it’s still spilling, then you have a huge problem. You need mechanical extraction and you need to balance the system, in fact your restaurant should be closed.

Smoke should go up the chimney.

Kind of obvious really, but so many people just ignore this, thinking that the air handling unit will pick up any spill. Big no-no.

If it’s outside, then this is just a cosmetic annoyance, just give it a good clean. I use a pressure

washer to get the main dirt and grime off, you can adjust the pressure on the lance so that it strips off just the dirt. Once clean repaint.

If the oven is dirty because the brickwork has been covered with sloppy cement work, then use a commercially available brick acid to clean it. Just follow the instructions of use.

If your unit is indoors and dirty and you can’t use a pressure washer, then get yourself a wire brush and scrub what you can off.

I start with a brass brush and then move to a steel wire one.

Use a vacuum cleaner to get rid of the dirt, not a cloth.

Once you have got the worst off, scrub with a scrubbing brush and sugar soap. Allow to dry and repaint.

If you have an oven with stainless steel surfaces, then use a product like 3M Stainless Steel Cleaner on all-purpose surfaces, or baby oil and WD40 once clean also works well for non-eating surfaces.

It’s fab and does not leave finger marks.

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For optimum service, reliability & consistency in your restaurant fuels, contact Logs Direct: Tel: 01524 812476 Email: enquiries@logsdirect.co.uk www.logsdirect.co.uk Piccante pizza logs • Kiln dried logs • Restaurant grade charcoal • Kindling wood • Wood wool firelighters

www.papa.org.uk

59

SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainable ready meal production Water optimisation is the key to meeting demand for both convenience and sustainability in the production and supply of ready meals, argues Dave Norman of Clearwater Technology (a supplier of water treatment, hygiene and air solutions servicing major brands across the UK and Ireland).

POPULAR MAINSTAY Italian cuisine has long been a dominating presence in the ready meal aisle, with microwave lasagne and spaghetti Bolognese standing the test of time while various other options of cuisine have come and gone.

Love them or loathe them, quick and easy, and convenient, pasta-based microwave meals and pre-prepared pizzas are as popular as ever (according to figures published last year, the UK collectively spent £3 billion on ready meals in the UK in 2016 alone, equating to roughly £9 million per day).

As consumers demand more convenient options and ready meal sales accelerate, retailers and producers must, however, question both the cost efficiency and environmental impact of ready meal preparation. A 2017 Unilever study, for example, revealed that a third of consumers base purchasing decisions on a brand’s social and environmental responsibility. The study also found that there is an estimated £857 billion opportunity for brands that make their sustainability credentials clear.

THE TRUE COST OF CONVENIENCE There are many areas that must be considered when striving towards a reduction in production costs and increases in sustainability, but in some cases it’s easier said than done.

Packaging, for example, would be an obvious area where the carbon footprint could be significantly reduced.

60

Food grade packing often requires the use of non-recycled plastics known as virgin plastics to eradicate any chance of cross-contamination, creating a significant impact on the carbon footprint that is difficult to reduce. Therefore, with this in mind, every effort must be made to compensate by reducing energy consumption and recycling resources in other areas.

Water is a widely used for energy transfer in food processing and the water footprint of the ready meal will be a surprise to many, given that the production of one microwave chicken curry requires approximately 2,500 litres of water. Ready meal producers can, however, in my opinion, significantly reduce their water usage in three important ways.

RAISING THE GAME WITH STEAM Steam heating is the most widely used method for pre-cooking meat, fish, poultry, vegetables, sources and gravies, providing a quick and effective means to cooking components to the point at which they’re ready to microwave. Yet this method also involves the sourcing and processing of large quantities of fresh water. If ready meal producers can reduce the amount of make-up water required in this process, they can reduce the cost of operation and the cost to the end consumer while also meeting the growing demand for more sustainable production approaches.

Steam boilers maintain a constant steam load through a cycle of concentration and this can be analysed and optimised to reduce the volume of water required. Implementing a turnkey pre-treatment plant could drastically reduce both the make-up water required, and the waste water generated which would traditionally have been blown down the drain, creating energy expenditure savings of 5% upwards, while removing the cost of draining away waste water.

CREATING COOLER ENERGY Once the meal ingredients have been steam-heated to the point at which they’re microwave ready, they must be cooled quickly in order to maximise shelf life. This is typically achieved through the use of chillers and cooling towers which also require large amounts of water to operate and are another area where significant savings can be achieved. The quality of make-up water in the cooling towers can be optimised through effective water treatment, but the system must also be analysed for inefficiencies, losses and leaks.

Losses and leaks are not always managed in the food production facilities, but simple analysis can result in a water saving of as much as 33%.

Replacing hardware components such as fans and recirculation pumps with more energy efficient solutions will allow water to be recirculated at a desired rate rather than a constant. The latter typically results in water returning and overflowing the

cooling tower base holding tanks, creating further losses and incurring further costs.

ENERGY EFFICIENT TRANSPORT ROUTES The cost of refrigeration during transportation is significantly higher than the equivalent relative cost of static refrigerated storage. To contend with these costs, many supermarkets and suppliers make efforts to reduce the time refrigerated goods spend in transport as much as possible, leading to supermarket chains establishing their own refrigerated distribution depots which again utilise cooling towers to extend the shelf life of the products by keeping them at optimum temperature.

Reducing the time spent in transit would be a major step in reducing the cost of operation for ready meal producers, suppliers and stockists, but to ensure the process is as sustainable as possible, they must ensure that refrigerated depots, whether directly owned or belonging to a third party, have undergone the relevant cooling tower optimisation processes.

In conclusion, maintaining profitability while striving to meet the conflicting consumer demand for both sustainability and convenience needn’t be a headache when it comes to producing ready meals. Lowering the water footprint in the heating, cooling and transportation process can be easily achieved by enlisting a water technology provider that has the expertise and experience to design tailored solutions that deliver true return on investment.

February 2018

index registered suppliers 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

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

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

Chefsrange Unit 4 Egerton Close, Daventry, Northamptonshire NN11 8PE Contact: Tim Charlton Tel: 01455 559969 Fax: 01455 559979 tim@euro-catering.co.uk www.chefsrange.co.uk

Continental Quattro Stagioni 8 - 33 Royal Elizabeth Yard, Kirkliston, West Lothian EH29 9EN Contact: Mr Paolo Veneroni Tel: 0131 3191919 Fax: 0131 3315566 p.veneroni@continental-wine.co.uk www.continental-food.co.uk

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

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 DK-Foods A/S Bommen 9, Thorning, DK- 8620, Kjellerup, Denmark Contact: Kevin Peacock Tel: +45 86 88 00 13 kevin@dk-foods.dk www.dk-foods.dk

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: Andrew Ford Tel: 01749 838108 andrewford@eurilait.co.uk www.eurilait.co.uk

Euro Pizza Products Smederij 13, Amstelveen, The Netherlands 1185 ZR Contact: Ilay Ben Hamo Tel: 0031 347 38 88 Fax: 0031 347 38 89 llay.benhamo@europizzaproducts.nl Extons Foods 5/6 Caldey Road, Roundthorne Industrial Estate, Manchester M23 9GE Contact: Rachael Exton Tel: 0161 998 5734 Fax: 0161 902 9238 rexton@extonsfoods.com www.extonsfoods.com Freiberger UK Ltd Broadgate House, Westlode Street, Spalding, Lincolnshire PE11 2AF Contact: Andrew Thorne Tel: 01775 767655 01775 767656 andrew.thorne@freibergerukltd.co.uk

Futura Foods UK Ltd. The Priory, Long Street, Dursley, Gloucestershire GL11 4HR Contact: Jo Carter Tel: 01666 890500 Fax: 01666 890522 jo@futura-foods.com www.futura-foods.com

GCL Food Ingredients Dunsil Road, Engine Lane, Newthorpe, Nottingham NG16 3PX Contact: David Staiano Tel: 01773 533944 david@gclfoodingredients.com www.gclfoodingredients.com 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 Insurance Protector Group B1 Custom House, The Waterfront, Level Street, Brierley Hill DY5 1XH Tel: 0800 488 0013 business@ipgdirect.co.uk www.insuranceprotector.co.uk IPR Events London Ltd. The Plaza, 535 Kings Road, London SW10 0SZ Contact: Stanislava Blagoeva Tel: 0207 352 4356 slava@iprconnections.com www.iprconnections.com

Jestic Units 3+4, Dana Industrial Estate, Transfesa Road, Paddock Wood, Kent TN12 6UU Tel: 0845 5048050 Fax: 0845 5048051 Email: info@jestic.net www.jestic.co.uk Just-Eat.co.uk Ltd. Imperial Place (IP4), Maxwell Road, Borehamwood WD6 1JN Contact: Paul Griffith Tel: 0208 7362001 b2bmarketing@just-eat.co.uk www.restaurants.just-eat.co.uk Kerry Kerry Global Technology & Innovation Centre, Millenium Park, Naas, County Kildare, Ireland Contact: Gillian Raftery Tel: +44 7795 368168 gillian.raftery@kerry.com www.kerry.com

index registered suppliers KPMG Small Business Accounting 15 Canada Place, London E14 5GL Contact: Sales Team Tel: 0808 231 7921 accounting@kpmg.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 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

Martin Mathew & Co 50 St Andrew Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire SG14 1JA Contact: Mr M.J. Donnelly Tel: 01992 641641 Fax: 01992 641333 matthew@martinmathew.co.uk www.martinmathew.co.uk Norseland Ltd. 1 Furzeground Way, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB11 1BD Contact: Oliver Scott-Harden Tel: 01935 842800 oscott-harden@norseland.co.uk

Ornua Ingredients UK Hazel Park, Dymock Road, Ledbury, Herefordshire HR8 2JQ Contact: Richard Thorpe Tel: 01531 631300 Fax: 01531 631300 richard.thorpe@ornua.com www.meadowcheese.co.uk

Pan’Artisan Ltd. Unit 25/26 Holmbush Industrial Estate, Midhurst, West Sussex GU29 9HX Contact: Sam Davies Tel: 01730 811490 Fax: 01730 811491 enquiries@panartisan.com www.panartisan.com

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 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 Salvo 1968 Ltd. Salvo House, Maxwells West, Great Cambridge Road, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire EN8 8XH Contact: Giuseppe Motisi Tel: 0800 122 1968 Fax: 0207 607 5928 giuseppe@salvo1968.co.uk www.salvo1968.co.uk

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

Surgital s.p.a.

Via Bastia 16/1, 48017 Lavezzola RA, Emilia Romanga, Italy Contact: Eddie Grimes Tel: +44 7786 515906 e.grimes@surgital.it www.surgital.it

Venice Bakery UK Ltd. Unit 2 Crown House, Queen Street, Bexleyheath DA7 4BT Contact: Adam Martyn Tel: 0208 301 2624 adam@venicebakery.co.uk www.venicebakery.co.uk

TICCO Foods Ltd. Unit C, Skyway 14, Calder Way, Colnbrook, Slough SL3 0BQ Contact: Chiara Bellodi Tel: 01753 685444 hello@ticco.co.uk

Whitworth Bros Limited Victoria Mills, Wellingborough Northants NN8 2DT Contact: Alan Ribakovs Tel: 01933 441000 Fax: 01933 222523 enquiries@whitworthbros.ltd.uk

Manufacturers of quality cooked pizza toppings for the FAST FOOD SECTOR PIZZA TOPPINGS, READY COOKED, READY TO USE, SIMPLE

www.pizza-toppings.co.uk

HARGREAVES

QUALITY FOODS LIMITED Units 1&2 Smithfold Lane, Worsley, Manchester M28 0GP

Tel: 0161 702 8447 Fax: 0161 790 4136 email: sales@pizza-toppings.co.uk B.R.C GRADE AA THE GLOBAL STANDARDS FOR FOOD SAFETY

AA

index of products PAPA

BEVERAGES

DOUGH & PIZZA

Chargrills

Pasta (Dry)

Meat

Pasta Sauces

Beer

EQUIPMENT

Chefsrange

Carnevale Ltd.

999 Pizza Toppings (UK) Ltd.

Leathams PLC

Carnevale Ltd.

Pizza Accessories

Displays

Continental Quattro

Carnevale Ltd.

Pasta King (UK) Ltd.

Coffee

Pizza Plus Foodservice

Chefsrange

Stagioni Ltd.

Dawn Farm Foods

Salvo 1968 Ltd

Carnevale Ltd.

Salvo 1968 Ltd

Drinks Systems

Donatantonio Ltd.

DK-Foods A/S

Pizza Making Systems &

Carnevale Ltd.

GCL Food Ingredients.

GCL Food Ingredients

Equipment

Fryers

Leathams PLC

Pizza Plus Foodservice

Chefsrange

Chefsrange

Pasta (Fresh)

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Cooktek (MCS Technical

Jestic

GCL Food Ingredients.

Pizza Sauces

Products)

Griddles

Salvo 1968 Ltd.

Donatantonio Ltd.

Surgital s.p.a.

Pizza Plus Foodservice

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

Jestic Pizza Direct UK

Stagioni Ltd.

Pizza Ovens

Carnevale Ltd.

Chefsrange Jestic

BREAD, CAKES &

PD Catering Internatonal

DESSERTS

Pizza Plus Foodservice

Garlic Bread Riva Foods

FISH & SEAFOOD Other Fish & Seafood

CHEESE, DAIRY & EGGS Cheese

Leathams PLC FLOUR & BAKERY

Chefsrange Jestic Holding Ovens Jestic Preparation Counters Chefsrange Refrigeration Chefsrange MEAT Bacon Dawn Farm Foods Ltd.

The Fresh Pasta Company Ltd

READY PREPARED

MARKET RESEARCH

Dough Balls

Prepared Pasta Meals

Accountancy

Euro Pizza Products

Bakkavor Pizza

KPMG

Kiren Foods

Freiberger UK Ltd.

Pan’Artisan Ltd.

Surgital s.p.a.

TOMATOES

Pizza Plus Foodservice

Prepared Pizza (Chilled)

Canned Tomatoes

Pizza Bases & Crusts

Bakkavor Pizza

Donatantonio Ltd.

Kiren Foods

Stateside Foods Ltd. Prepared Pizza (Frozen)

Martin Mathew & Co. Ltd.

Pan’Artisan Ltd. Pizza Plus Foodservice

Freiberger UK Ltd. Pizza Plus Foodservice

Allied Mills

Beef

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Durum Semolina

Leathams PLC

Venice Bakery UK Ltd.

Venice Bakery UK Ltd.

Allied Mills

Chicken & Other Poultry

Carnevale Ltd.

Leathams PLC

Eurilait Ltd.

Ham

PIZZA TOPPINGS

Flour

Extons Foods

Allied Mills

Futura Foods UK Ltd.

Carnevale Ltd.

Donatantonio Ltd.

Carnevale Ltd.

Garlic Spreads & Mixes

Carnevale Ltd.

Dawn Farm Foods Ltd.

Fruit & Vegetables

Riva Foods

Donatantonio Ltd.

Carnevale Ltd.

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Leathams PLC

Leathams PLC

Ornua Ingredients UK

Icings

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Allied Mills

Italian Meat & Sausages

The Cheese Warehouse

Improvers

Dawn Farm Foods Ltd.

Eggs

Allied Mills

Donatantonio Ltd.

Premixes

GCL Food Ingredients.

(Bread & Cakes)|

Salvo 1968 Ltd

Allied Mills

Ticco Foods Ltd

Futura Foods UK Ltd. GCL Food Ingredients.

Continental Quattro Stagioni Ltd.

Glanbia Cheese Ltd.

Euro Pizza Products

The Cheese Warehouse

Leathams PLC

Salvo 1968 Ltd.

Salvo 1968 Ltd.

Parmesan

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Eurilait Ltd.

TICCO Foods Ltd.

Futura Foods UK Ltd. GCL Food Ingredients.

FRUIT & VEGETABLES Chargrilled Vegetables

COMPUTING SOLUTIONS

Carnevale Ltd. Olives

CHAIRMAN

ITALIAN RESTAURANT

VICE-CHAIR

AGGREGATOR

FORMER CHAIR

Freiberger (Richard Harrow)

CONSULTANT

GCL Food Ingredients.

Pepperoni

FROZEN PIZZA MANUFACTURER

SUPPLIERS

Pancetta Carnevale Ltd.

Geoff Parsons, Basilico To be appointed

Carnevale Ltd.

Kiren Foods (Lesley Chow)

Dawn Farm Foods Ltd.

CHILLED PIZZA MANUFACTURER

DK-Foods A/S GCL Food Ingredients.

Salami Carnevale Ltd. DK-Foods A/S OILS & VINEGARS

Donatantonio Ltd.

Olive Oil

Leathams PLC

Donatantonio Ltd.

Stateside ( Ian Kent – substitute Phil Goodall)

PASTA MANUFACTURER/ DISTRIBUTOR Vacancy

SUPERMARKETS Chilled - Vacancy Frozen - Vacancy

PIZZA RESTAURANTS

Leathams PLC

Insurance Protector Group

Salvo 1968 Ltd

PIZZA DELIVERY OPERATORS

KITCHEN & SERVING

PASTA, POLENTA,

EQUIPMENT

GNOCCHI & RICE

Cooktek (MCS Technical

Bakery Ovens

Gnocchi

Products)

Chefsrange

Surgital s.p.a.

Just-Eat.co.uk Ltd. DELIVERY & PACKAGING Heated Pizza Delivery Bag Systems

GCL Food Ingredients.

INSURANCE

Sun-Dried Tomatoes

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:

Chain Pizza Hut (Keith Griffiths) Independent Firezza (Edin Basic)

Online Ordering Solutions

Martin Mathew & Co. Ltd. SunBlush© Tomatoes

Carnevale Ltd. Foods Ltd.

FOOD WHOLESALERS

Donatantonio Ltd.

Leathams PLC

Whitworth Bros. Limited

Eurilait Ltd.

Passata

STOCKS & DRESSINGS

Salvo 1968 Ltd

Carnevale Ltd.

Salvo 1968 Ltd.

SOUPS, SAUCES,

Leathams PLC

Mozzarella

CONSULTANCY &

Fish

Glanbia Cheese Ltd.

Leathams PLC

Salvo 1968 Ltd.

& CRUSTS

PIZZA DOUGH, BASES

Salvo 1968 Ltd.

Carnevale Ltd.

Leathams PLC

SPECIALIST FOOD

Leathams PLC

(UK) Ltd.

Euro Pizza Products

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Concentrates

999 Pizza Toppings

Pizza Sauces

Vacancy

Seth Gulliver (Just Eat) Maurice Abboudi Mozzarella Glanbia (John O’Brien) Cheese Ornua (Richard Thorpe) Meat Dawn Farm Foods (Julie Sloan) Flour Whitworths (Alan Ribakovs) Equipment Jestic (Steve Morris) Speciality Ingredients Leathams (James Faulkner) Italian Wholesaler Salvo (Guiseppe Motisi)

Chain Papa John (David Scott) Independent Vacancy

* For the purposes of the committee, we have treated independents as having fewer than 30 outlets.

SUPPORTED BY

Discover Over 750 Suppliers 5-8 MARCH • ExCeL LONDON

Purbeck Ice cream stand 3700

Pizza Equipment Ltd stand 1730

Metaltecnica Produzioni stand 1742

Bridor stand 3720 Wassanen UK stand 3550

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