Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food - Issue 168

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pizzapasta Issue 168 June 2015 www.papa.org.uk

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and Italian food magazine

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pizzapasta AND ITALIAN FOOD

Editor telephone e-mail

Clare Benfield 01291 636336 clare@jandmgroup.co.uk

Advertising telephone e-mail

Andrew Emery 01291 636334 andrew@jandmgroup.co.uk

Production telephone e-mail

Jayson Berry 01291 636339 jayson@jandmgroup.co.uk

Subscriptions telephone e-mail

01291 636333 membership@papa.org.uk

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

Welcome If the last issue was characterised by the continuing trend for spicy flavours, then this one brings news of the widening availability of more specialist ingredients – great news for all those seeking to hone their creativity in readiness for the Pizza Chef of the Year and Pasta Chef of the Year competitions! Turn to page 16 for how to enter, as well as details about the annual PAPA awards.

In this issue, we report on the progress of Pizza Hut’s new look stores, and provide a flavour of the food from the Italian region of Puglia. We also take a closer look at mozzarella, pasta dishes, and offer some opinions on how to go about enhancing your pizza-making skills.

CLARE BENFIELD EDITOR clare@jandmgroup.co.uk

Contents NEWS 4 Chef Antonio Favuzzi pairs up with Menabrea.

32 More to mozzarella – the essential pizza cheese that’s a dish in its own right.

38 Pasta – ideas and suggestions for creating authentic pasta dishes.

5 UK eating out entrepreneurs upbeat about expansion.

ARTICLES

6 Papa John’s strikes cool deal with Planet Ice.

46 Pizza making on the Edge - the newly launched Sunshine Pizza Company.

8 CQS introduces new fresh pasta shape.

44 Pizza Hut’s re-invigorating refurbishment – the roll out of the brand’s new look and new menu continues.

PAPA 14 PAPA’s new constitution.

16 PAPA Awards 2105 20 Pizza Chef of the Year 2015.

50 Get to know Puglia – food for thought from this gastronomic region

22 Pasta Chef of the Year 2015.

PROFILES

24 Why you should opt in for Assurance.

52 Pizza My World – Lucy Milne of Just Eat.

FEATURES

REGULARS

26 Pizza skills – thoughts and insight when it comes to practical pizza-making.

53 Index of PAPA registered suppliers.

42 New products.

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news Chef Antonio Favuzzi pairs up with Menabrea

Andrew Gallagher, Papa John’s marketing director.

Papa John’s scores award hat trick Papa John’s has scored an award hat trick for its innovative sponsorship of the Football League last year.

Having become the ‘Official Pizza Partner’ of the Football League, Papa John’s won PAPA’s Marketing Award (which recognises successful marketing and promotional initiatives by businesses operating in the UK pizza, pasta and Italian food industry), the award for the Best Online Marketing Campaign at the recent Franchise Marketing Awards (which recognises the industry's most innovative and effective marketing campaigns), as well as being named as the winner of the best Sports Sponsorship up to £750K at the UK Sponsorship Awards 2015.

“The Football League is the world’s original league football competition and in its 125th anniversary year it was a great time for us to join forces,” confirms Andrew Gallagher, Papa John’s marketing director.“A significant amount of thought went into the sponsorship campaign and how it could support and benefit our franchisees. It created a great connection with football fans and established awareness with key customer groups. We are delighted to be recognised for our industry best practice in this way.”

Papa John’s took to social media to engage with fans across the country to assess what type of offer they would like. The results saw ‘Score Twice Half Price’ go top of the league with 71% of the votes. The promotion enabled fans to order half price pizzas if their team scored twice in a match. The Score Twice Half Price offer was supported by an integrated talkSPORT campaign which saw the deal promoted both on air and online, as well as via Football League clubs’ social media channels.

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Multi-award winning beer brand Menabrea has partnered with esteemed chef Antonio Favuzzi to celebrate its UK roll out, bringing together the best in Italian flavour with mouth-watering beer pairings and cooking demonstrations.

Brewed in the Piedmont town of Biella at the foothills of the Italian Alps, Menabrea is well known throughout Italy, especially in its Northern heartland. Despite being produced in Italy’s oldest continuously operating brewery, this partnership marks the beer’s first significant UK distribution.

Menabrea is pairing with Antonio Favuzzi and his flagship London restaurant, L’Anima, to celebrate shared values – namely a passion for bringing genuinely artisan Italian food and drink to the UK, and Antonio Favuzzi will also lead exclusive dining events with Menabrea in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and London this summer.

Antonio Favuzzi started his cooking journey as a child in Sardinia, where he was influenced by the Southern Italian cooking styles of his Sicilian mother and Puglian father.

He began his professional career working at prestigious establishments in Sardinia and Milan before moving to London in 2003. He opened the widely acclaimed L’Anima restaurant in 2008, where he helped create a high-end menu reflective of Moorish cuisine.

He has now made the decision to partner with Menabrea thanks to his love of the beer’s flavour profile, which he says matches superbly with his food.

“Menabrea is an exceptionally flavoursome beer. It only uses five simple ingredients, but those ingredients are of the highest quality and brewed using over 150 years of skill and craftsmanship. Simplicity, quality and craftsmanship can also be found at the heart of Italian cooking, so Menabrea’s rich, complex taste and citrus undertones work well with core Italian ingredients,” said Antonio Favuzzi.

“Both Menabrea and L’Anima have a shared passion for bringing the best of Italy to the UK, and I warmly welcome the chance to

work with a beer that offers a real taste of my home country.”

Franco Thedy, managing director of Menabrea and a fifth generation successor of the brewery’s founding family, added:“In the bars of Turin and Milan, when you ask for a ‘birra’, it’s likely you will be served Menabrea.

Those who know Italy, know Menabrea stands for quality, heritage and authenticity – but to many people in the UK it’s still a chance to discover something new. We’re thrilled to have a celebrated Italian chef like Antonio Favuzzi on board to help introduce us.

“In Italy our beer has strong links to food, underlined by the fact that it’s enjoyed alongside aperitivo dishes in bars, and is even used in the manufacture of Sbirro, a cow’s milk cheese made from Piedmont herds by our friends at Botalla Formaggio, in Biella, and exported all over the world. We’re excited to see how Antonio uses Menabrea’s rich flavour profile to inspire his own cooking, and we have no doubt the results will be delicious!”

Antonio Favuzzi will lead a series of exclusive Italian cooking and dining events as part of the partnership, infusing classic Italian recipes with Menabrea’s Bionda and Ambrata beers and designing bespoke pairing menus.

These events will take place over the summer in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and London (further information can be found at www.menabrea.co.uk).

Global Payments first to offer truRating’s Customer Rating Service Global Payments, one of the world's largest card processing providers, has announced that it will be the first company to integrate truRating's customer rating service on their payment terminals.

The launch will allow shops, restaurants, hoteliers and other outlets to capture and then compare customer feedback gathered at the point of sale.

Each customer using a Global Payments' terminal in selected outlets around the UK will be asked just one question (from a bank of several) before they have entered their PIN number and completed their payment. The rating feeds a customer website, where

customers will be able to view the ratings and an analytics dashboard for businesses who can benchmark themselves against others in their sector and test new service offerings, menus, new technology etc. on a scale of 0-9.

The service is quick, anonymous and nonintrusive for customers, resulting in high response rates. It allows businesses to gather reliable feedback when the customer's experience is fresh in his or her mind and they will be able to access this information within 24 hours, helping them to become more accountable and responsive to their customers' needs, say Global Payments.

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news

UK eating out entrepreneurs upbeat about expansion In research company, Horizons’, latest Ones to Watch survey, which tracks the growth of fledgling chains on the high street, company founders and CEOs were asked which foodservice operators they most admired.

Pret, Nando’s and Itsu were all highlighted as admired brands, as well as Starbucks and Innocent Smoothie for the fact they appeal to a wide audience. The survey also found the majority of brand owners are upbeat about future trading, with over half (54%) planning to open more than five outlets in the next 12 months, a significant increase on last year’s response (35%).

Shopping centres top the target locations for expansion (mentioned by 86% in March 2015, compared with 47% in October 2014), with out-of-town retail parks second (up from 18% to 63%) and transport hubs third (up from 24% to 83%).

Many respondents said they are targeting London for expansion – 92% in March 2015, compared with 82% in October

2014 - while 89% are targeting other town centres and high streets.

Property availability remains the biggest challenge to overcome, mentioned by 38% of the respondents, along with the cost of property (38%), staffing costs (nearly 18%) and food costs (6%).

In this latest Ones to Watch survey (April 2015), the fastest growing brand over the past three years in percentage terms is Birmingham-based Indian burrito brand Wrapchic, which since its launch in 2012 with a single unit, now has an estate of 10 outlets, including one in central London, and aims to double its size this year.

Gourmet burger brand Five Guys has the highest number of new outlets in the survey, opening 23 new sites since it first entered the UK in Summer 2013. Three further sites have opened since Ones to Watch was collated, with at least three more about to open.

The company aims to eventually operate 175-200 UK sites.

Second biggest growth player in terms of number of new sites over the past three years is franchised noodle bar brand Chozen Noodle, which now has 15 outlets, up from four in 2013. The company has successfully targeted motorway service areas, railway stations and shopping centre locations.

Third in terms of new site openings is dessert café operator Creams Café, which has grown from three outlets in 2012 to 17 in 2015 mostly through franchising.

The company aims to have 40 sites by the end of this year and is targeting Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Liverpool and London.

The latest Ones to Watch includes 141 new brands, a rise on the 132 new brands in October 2014. The survey also highlights Bubbling Under brands, those which currently have fewer than five outlets but have the potential and ambition to expand. Some 409 brands are identified in this category in April 2015, compared with 235 in April 2014.

Top trends in the type of Ones to Watch outlets are Italian casual dining, healthy quick service and Mexican burrito brands, and the main areas of growth for smaller concepts are coffee shops and steakhouse casual dining, report Horizons.

“The fact these small brands have stepped up their expansion plans is great news for the UK’s hospitality sector – it shakes up the market by bringing new concepts to the public and challenges existing operators. But we have to ask whether the UK market can take such high levels of expansion in the long term,” said Horizons’ foodservice analyst Nicola Knight.

To qualify for inclusion in Ones to Watch, a restaurant or quick service concept must have between five and 25 outlets and a growth in outlet numbers of at least 20% over the past three years combined. Brands with fewer than five sites, but the potential to expand rapidly are listed in the survey as Bubbling Under brands.

Papa John’s becomes first pizza chain to introduce Quality Guarantee Papa John’s have made the bold move to offer every one of their customers a noquibble ‘Quality Guarantee’, ensuring that all pizza lovers are happy with the service and food they receive.

The pizza chain says that it is pledging that if a customer is not 100% happy with the quality of their food, Papa John’s will replace it like-for-like, free of charge. This comes following a pioneering partnership with customer engagement specialists, Rant & Rave, which invites all customers to rant or rave about their experience at the point of delivery via text message.

The conditions of the guarantee mean that the replacement of the pizza is like for like, with not more than two slices eaten.

Pizza must be exchanged, and the guarantee does not apply to temperature or delivery time. In order to apply for a replacement pizza, customers can make the claim by downloading the new Papa John’s UK app for free through iTunes App Store or Google Play, or by calling the Papa John’s store from which they ordered (full terms and

www.papa.org.uk

conditions are detailed at www.papajohns.co.uk/quality-guaranteeterms.aspx).

Since launching the campaign in April 2014, Papa John’s reports that it has received thousands of pieces of verbatim feedback which were uploaded onto an easy-to-read dashboard, enabling franchisees and management team to quickly and easily see what their customers are thinking, and this has armed the team with invaluable insight as they launch the Guarantee amongst their franchisees across the country.

Andrew Gallagher, senior marketing director for Papa John’s UK, said:“Papa’s Quality Guarantee is about standing behind our belief and promise that our pizzas are of the highest quality, every time.

“Introducing the Guarantee is a brave move, but we are very confident in our abilities and in knowing our customers, and what they like and don’t like. We hope this commitment to quality raises the bar within the UK pizza market as we’re the only company that offers 100% fresh dough and

have such an experienced pizza maker as our founder who feels very passionate about the launch of the Guarantee, to ensure our customers always get what they deserve – the best pizza possible.”

Since launching a year ago, whenever a pizza is delivered, all Papa John’s customers receive a text message asking them for their feedback. Customers can also visit the Papa John’s website to share their thoughts online via a feedback widget.

“Our partnership with Rant & Rave has been fantastic. We’ve always had absolute faith in the quality of our product but we now feel even more confident as we’re armed with the knowledge of what our customers really think. However, we’ll be continuing to take feedback from our customers, and acting on it to ensure we’re always evolving and improving,” added Andrew Gallagher.

Rant & Rave is an award winning provider of SaaS Customer Engagement solutions based in Coventry. They help organisations deliver great customer experience, listing half of the FTSE as clients.

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news

Papa John’s strikes cool deal with Planet Ice Papa John’s has announced it has struck a ‘cool’ deal with largest ice leisure brand in Europe: Planet Ice. Planet Ice opened Papa John’s in its Milton Keynes and Uttoxeter ice rinks in March and aims to open in two further locations before the September Ice Hockey season starts.

“We were looking for a wellknown fast food option to put into our ice rinks and complement our own brand,” confirmed Andreas Petrakas, brand business development manager, Planet Ice. “We first met with Papa John’s in 2013 at a franchisee show and were immediately impressed.

“Planet Ice attracts a varied demographic with customers of

all ages coming to enjoy our facilities and so our food offering needed a broad appeal.

Pizza is loved by all! It’s easy to eat and go and Papa John’s supplied the quality product we were looking for. The pizza tastes

Consumer coupon appetite increases UK consumers’ appetite for coupons has continued to grow with shoppers redeeming 688 million coupons last year, an increase from 604 million coupons in 2013, according to coupon experts Valassis Limited, with coupons and vouchers worth £1.7billion redeemed last year and showing that the coupon craze is far from over even though the economy is strengthening, claim the company.

In particular, it is retailer issued coupons that have increased, up 21% from 2013 – 466 million to 564 million. The figures from Valassis, who work with retailer clients that collectively have a grocery market share of 84%, show that it is retailer issued coupons that are driving the growth.

Charles D’Oyly, managing director of Valassis, commented:“We believe this is due to price match initiatives now employed by many grocery retailers. Since these were introduced four years ago, retailer issued coupon redemptions have more than doubled, up 146% from 229 million in 2011.

“The redemption of newspaper subscription coupons is also on the up – from 18 million in 2013 to 20million last year. We’re seeing upward movement following three years of decline after an all-time high of 40 million coupons in 2009. The overall increase in redemption may indicate that coupon use is now viewed by consumers as standard behaviour when it comes to saving money.”

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great and the ‘Better Ingredients, Better Pizza’ concept is already serving-up some fabulous feedback.

“At our Milton Keynes rink, which is a multi-million pound leisure development and

multipurpose arena with over 2000 seats, we are now incorporating the option of ‘Pizza Parties’ for groups celebrating birthdays or special occasions. At our Uttoxeter venue which includes cinema, bowling plus the ice rink, we will also have combo deals available for customers to include a meal option, creating a very cool customer experience!”

Anthony Round, business development manager, Papa John’s commented: “We are delighted to be associated with Planet Ice, it’s a great fit.

Customers can now enjoy our top quality pizza made with 100% fresh dough for a better natural flavour at their favourite leisure venue.”

Donatantonio launches the Good Deli Company The UK importer and distributor of Italian fine foods, Donatantonio, has launched a brand new global foodservice business - Good Deli Company (www.gooddelicompany.co.uk).

Launching in 2015 with a product range of 200 premium, ambient and cost effective ingredients, its products are targeted at the fast casual-dining and contract catering foodservice sectors, say Donatantonio.

“Donatantonio has a 100-year established market in the UK for importing fine Italian and Mediterranean ingredients. We recognised a more expansive trend and demand from operators for global ingredients that can provide a premium and distinct offering at a cost effective price. We launched Good Deli Company to meet that global challenge,” said sales director Laura Bicknell.

Products have been broken down into ten easy categories including free from, oils and vinegars, olives and antipasti, pasta and rice, grains and flours, tomatoes, pastes and sauces, grissini and more and an innovative category ‘food adventure’.

“Good Deli Company’s Food Adventure category is an extremely exciting product class. Innovative and inspiring it contains 10 launch products including a premium ketchup, unique relishes and bespoke oils and flavourings. These offer operators instant authenticity, provenance and menu-stand out,” added Laura Bicknell.

The launch range also includes an award nominated ‘Nduja paste - a delicious spicy paste, made with pork from Calabrian pigs in the southern tip of Italy – a sweet Kalamata olive relish and an extended range of ambient char-grilled vegetables, beans and pulses.

Premium condiments include a best-selling

balsamic ketchup, full in flavour and impact, and a range of fruit flavoured balsamic vinegars such as cherry, fig and raspberry which come in an innovative spray bottle.

All of the ingredients are sourced by a team of expert food scouts from speciality suppliers.

Provenance spans Europe and Asia, and ingredients hail from Peru, Mexico, Portugal, Greece and Morocco. Building on the success of Donatantonio who have held a Royal Warrant since 2001, Italy obviously continues to have a strong influence on the range and Good Deli Company stocks Donatantonio’s premium Italian retail range Lupetta.

The Good Deli Company web site launched with a luxury interactive product brochure and free sample ordering capability. Products are available direct from www.gooddelicompany.co.uk, or via select wholesalers and come in a range of pack sizes (future developments include a click and collect facility from their head office in Hertfordshire).

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news Papa John’s franchisee opens fourth store Papa John’s has announced that franchisee, Steve Mullarkey has opened a store in Prestwich.

Steve Mullarkey joined Papa John’s in 2013 and runs Chester, Preston, Warrington and now Prestwich, employing around 100 local full and part-time staff.

“Papa John’s is currently running an incentive scheme for franchisees opening up in development zones across the UK and this support is one of the key ingredients for my success, enabling me to add the Prestwich store in a short space of time,” explains Steve Mullarkey.“The scheme offers special deals on equipment and help with marketing and also means I can look forward to opening three further Papa John’s before the end of 2015!

“My new Prestwich store is situated in a densely populated area, on a busy main road, in and out of Manchester. Securing the best sites has been one of the biggest challenges, however, Papa John’s dedicated property team have been helpful to ensure the planning process runs as smoothly as possible.

“So far, the aspect of the franchise that has impressed me the most has been the number of repeat customers we have been seeing. Each store was busy from day one and the quality of our pizza gets very positive feedback. Customers just keep coming back for more!”

Papa John’s has recently launched its new incentive scheme to help franchisees in the early stages of growing their businesses which includes discounted royalty fees, contribution towards marketing spend plus free equipment for new stores opening our the enterprise development zones of the Midlands, Wales, The North West, North East and Scotland.

CQS introduces new fresh pasta shape Continental Quattro Stagioni (CQS), supplier of a wide range of food and drink to multiple and independent restaurant groups, hotels, bars & clubs, fast food outlets and regional catering wholesalers has introduced Divella Fusilli Avellinesi fresh pasta to its range.

Fusilli Avellinesi are tightly curled tubes of pasta - different to the standard fusilli corkscrew shapes - and originate from the town of Avellino in Campania. They owe their name to "fuso", a wool-rolling object and are characterised in the form of three twisted fins that run harmoniously in a spiral pattern that holds any kind of seasoning, making it suited to both simple thick well-seasoned tomato sauces as well as more complex sauces featuring

asparagus and ham, say CQS. “Divella combines history, over 100 years’ worth of pasta making expertise and a keen focus on quality control to deliver an exceptional product range. This new pasta shape offers our customers further opportunities to experiment with their pasta menus to create new and exciting dishes,” said Sandro Bevilacqua, vice chairman of CQS. Other Divella fresh pasta products available include Lasagne Sheets, Tagliatelle, Fettuccine, Pappardelle, Strascinati and Trofiette (Divella Fusilli Avellinesi fresh pasta is available from CQS in cases of 10 x 500g and at a list price of £16.10).

Mrs Crimble’s launches new pasta range The gluten-free bakery brand, Mrs Crimble’s, have created a new range of pasta and sauce in three flavours – Fusilli with a Rich Tomato and Mediterranean Herb Sauce, Fusilli with a Gourmet Mushroom and Cream Sauce and Fusilli with a Cheese and White Wine Sauce.

The pasta range is part of a new family of gluten-free products called Gluten Free…and Good For Me which are low in fat and designed to provide a fast and delicious balanced meal or a sustaining snack, say the brand. They are made with real Italian fusilli, providing a much needed point of provenance on the free from fixture, claim Mrs Crimble’s (they will also carry an on pack endorsement from England Netball – helping to reinforce the products’ positive nutritional benefits).

Mrs Crimble’s Gluten Free…and Good For Me pasta is the first range available within the free from fixture which combines corn pasta with a dried sauce, say Mrs Crimble’s, and can be prepared in 10 minutes by adding boiling water and

cooking them on a hob or in the microwave.

Cliff Carter, general manager of Mrs Crimble’s, said: “Around a quarter of people who avoid gluten have concerns about gluten free foods not being as healthy and nutritious as they would like. That is why we have created the new low fat ‘Gluten Free…and Good For Me!’ range of products which aims to make it easier for people who avoid gluten to eat well.”

36% of people think that free from foods taste as good as regular foods according to Mintel Free From Foods November 2014. The glutenfree market has grown 25% year on year and is predicted to grow by 71% in the next five years according to the same report.

UK-based 3M Envision Translucent Films light up Domino’s Pizza image By offering a high sustainability edge, 3M Envision Translucent Films Series 3730 have enabled pizza franchise giant Domino’s to make huge savings in running costs at its US franchisor outlets.

3M Envision Translucent Films are described as an industry breakthrough, being reputedly the first graphic films to optimise LED technology and allowing sign and graphics producers to achieve maximum brightness whilst using fewer light sources. As a result, power consumption and overall running costs have been greatly reduced whilst enhancing the visual definition and brightness of the signs and displays due to the high light transmission capabilities of the films.

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Available in standard and customised colours and in an inkjet-printable format, Envision 3730 Translucent Films featured prominently in a recent overhaul of the brand image of and signage for Domino’s Pizza. Using the LED-enabled films, the

company’s management team found a way to bring down the cost of channel, monument and pylon signs by as much as $200 per sign. As the changes have been implemented at each store, franchisees are reported to have been pleasantly surprised at the performance and low cost of the new signs.

With around 1,100 independent franchisees in the US, the Domino’s management team set out to find signage materials that would deliver both value and performance. With all of the US stores set to upgrade their signs over the next four years, Domino’s is making 3M Envision Translucent Films a key element in the service it provides franchisees.

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news Sveba Dahlen launch the P400 deck oven Sveba Dahlen have launched the new P400 deck oven - an innovative, high quality deck oven combining superior insulation with double tempered glass to make the appliance extremely efficient to use while also providing a uniform distribution of heat throughout the chamber, say the company.

Available in a choice of one, two or three decks, dimensions of just 1120 x 1010 mm (w/d) and a stand height of 930mm, the Sveba Dahlen P400 offers a good solution for operators looking to produce delicious pizza in a kitchen or front of house setup with limited available space, suggest the company.

For added versatility, each deck is independently controlled via a digital display, allowing the operator to select start times, operating temperatures or initiate the eco-mode to further reduce energy consumption during quieter periods.

Heat reflective glass maintains the working temperature in the kitchen while the sandblasted, stainless steel handles remain cool to touch throughout the cooking process for ease of use. For added flexibility, the stand comes complete with handy containers suitable for pizza toppings, spices and cheese. Adaptable shelving further enhances space optimisation in a compact catering environment.

Michael Eyre, product director at Jestic Foodservice Equipment, distributors of the Sveba Dahlen P400, describes how the combination of the compact design and highly efficient operation provides chefs with the optimum tool for creating a delicious pizza offering: “The new Sveba Dahlen P400 takes all of the benefits of the larger ovens in the range and combines them with a compact footprint. Available in a choice of one, two or three decks for the ultimate in capacity, the ovens unique design creates a consistent temperature across the chamber, providing uniform colour and a delicious, authentic taste,” explains Michael Eyre, product director at Jestic Foodservice Equipment, distributors of the new oven.

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Orchard Ovens get backing of Valoriani Orchard Ovens, based in Preston, has become the sole UK distributor and importer of Valoriani ovens from Reggello in Tuscany, with the backing of Valoriani owner, Massimo Valoriani.

Headed up by Andrew Manciocchi, whose family originate from a village in the province of Rome, Orchard Ovens report that they are already supplying prestigious Valoriani ovens to chefs who understand their point of difference.

Having the name Valoriani on a pizza or wood-fired oven immediately distinguishes it from a range of inferior ovens on the market, say Orchard, with Valoriani having been making ovens for three generations, ever since Massimo’s grandfather, Gino, moved the family furnace to Reggello, having found a quarry with exactly the right alumina in the ‘cotto clay’ to make the firing of refractory brick a perfect one (what this means for a restaurant, hotel or pub kitchen is that the oven fires up quicker than others and retains heat superbly, requiring less ‘feeding’ with wood to keep the fire going and so using less fuel and manpower).

Orchard Ovens is now supplying four commercial ovens to the UK market - the Professional Elementare, Professional Igloo, Professional Poligono and the Verace Professionale.

All of these commercial pizza ovens are DEFRA-licensed and come with certification to prove the operator is complying with clean air

legislation and regulations within smoke controlled areas (the Verace offers the lowest emissions of any of the commercial wood-fired ovens).

Having fitted commercial ovens for A-lister chefs, Orchard Ovens has become a trusted supplier and installer of Valoriani ovens and says that it has lots of advice and ideas to impart to chefs. However, it has now gone one stage further and opened a training facility at its headquarters in Preston. In the coming months, it is planning to have the World Pizza Champion visit the UK, just to provide demonstrations to chefs.

“We are delighted to have teamed up with Valoriani, to bring UK-based chefs the pizza oven with the true and unrivalled marque of quality – the Valoriani V. Valoriani truly are the kings of clay and chefs confirm to us, on a daily basis, that there is no equivalent to that of cooking in a Valoriani oven,” said Andrew Manciocchi.

“We do offer gas-fuelled versions for those chefs who simply want to turn a switch to get their oven fired up, but there is nothing like the food theatre that accompanies cooking with wood, which is why we encourage chefs to learn the art and reap the benefits. We have got off to a flying start with our UK sales and are delighted to be able to help restaurants, hotels and pubs make better margins, have a competitive advantage and generate new income streams.”

Adande and Gamble Retail Solutions team up Foodservice refrigeration specialist, Adande, has linked up with equipment provider, Gamble Retail Solutions, to offer a range of hot food workstations.

Designed as integrated solutions for the storage, cooking and service of hot food to go, the units are suitable for supermarkets, convenience stores, forecourt outlets, quick service restaurants, sports’ stadia, the leisure sector and any environment where there is a requirement for the fast service of quality hot food, say the companies.

Described by Adande sales director, Karl Hodgson, as a foodservice profit pod, the units have a compact footprint of just 1100 mm width by 700 mm depth, making them ideal for operations with limited floor space.

The cost of the workstation is less than £13,750, meaning that a complete 3 m x 3 m foodservice station, including shop fitting, can be put together for less than £18,000, claim Adande.

Based on profits of just £35 per day, payback on the investment is achieved in less than eighteen months. Further profit opportunities are available by adding associated foodservice equipment, such as hot drink machines and chilled food displays, especially in high traffic areas.

Typically, the workstations comprise a Gamble Ovention Matchbox 1313 oven,

conveniently mounted on an Adande two drawer refrigerator. The ability to set the temperature of the Adande drawers, through a range from +15oC to -22oC at the push of button, provides storage versatility, allowing operators to hold chilled or frozen food to meet changes in demand and menu.

The oven may be used for cooking, baking, broiling, grilling a wide range of food, from chilled or frozen, including croissants, pizzas, paninis, toasties, steaks, burgers, pies, pasties, chicken wings, chips, omelettes and even a full English breakfast.

“The combination of the Adande drawer unit and our Ovention Matchbox oven provides an ideal foodservice solution for fast food operators, allowing them to deliver an all-day hot food offer of the highest quality,” said Scott Taylor, business development manager for Gamble Retail Solutions. “The workstations occupy a limited footprint, require a relatively small capital outlay with minimal running costs and can be operated by unskilled operatives, creating very attractive profit opportunities in a wide variety of foodservice environments.”

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news

SHORTS Valentina Fine Foods open flagship store Valentina Fine Foods, the authentic Italian delicatessen, restaurant, caffé, and enoteca (wine shop) which currently has seven branches in London, Surrey and Kent, opened its eighth location in the Shad Thames area of Tower Bridge recently. The newest addition to the Valentina family boasts a £1 million refurbishment and is the group’s flagship store and restaurant, with the group planning on further expansion in 2015.

Located in the Cardamom building this 6,200 sq. ft. site caters for 100 covers and houses a considerably larger wine offering and delicatessen than the other sites and is the home of the Valentina online business.

Nisbets open ninth store Catering equipment supplier, Nisbets, has added to its growing retail portfolio with the opening of its latest store in the heart of Nottingham City centre. Its ninth store, it offers catering professionals over 2,500 best-selling products (with an additional 20,000 available for next day delivery), and is packed with everything from chef knives and clothing to furniture and refrigeration from top brands such as Buffalo, Polar and recently-launched heavy duty equipment brand Thor.

Pizza press creates the perfect naan A new and unique pop up Indian food outlet - Naked Naan based in Uxbridge, London - has revolutionised its business by moving away from traditional Indian cooking methods and introducing a pizza press to produce its best-selling Naan bread. As well as reducing valuable cooking time, the press - the Cuppone LLKP30 pizza press, supplied by Linda Lewis Kitchens - creates the perfect Naan bread for the popular venue that is a big hit with the locals.

New machine offers profit potential eXpresso Plus has launched the Barista Gold Blend Tower coffee machine - a selfserve espresso menu that combines one of the UK’s leading brands with top quality drinks at an RRP of as little as £1 to £1.50 per cup, offering big profit potential for operators. The Barista Gold Blend Tower is a floor-standing machine that uses a mix of instant and roast ground coffees to produce a rich aroma and a full-bodied taste. The machine offers an authentic espresso menu, including Americano, latte and cappuccino and is available exclusively through eXpresso Plus.

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Rentokil launches new annual low cost pest control contract Rentokil Pest Control has launched an annual, low cost PayAsYouGo (PAYG) pest control contract, which delivers to small businesses the same level of protection as large enterprises, say the firm.

Businesses that sign up for PAYG will be provided with four routine pest control visits each year by a BPCA (British Pest Control Association) certified Rentokil technician.

These technicians will inspect for pests and provide advice and recommendations to help ensure premises remain pest free and compliant with health and safety regulations.

By opting for a PAYG pest control contract with Rentokil, SMEs and start-up businesses can benefit from greater flexibility in their pest control requirements for just over £1 per day, point out Rentokil, and the solution also provides great value for money for those looking to spread their health and safety expenditure across the year.

Dave Hall, operations director for Rentokil Pest Control commented: “Contrary to popular

belief, quality pest control from qualified experts does not need to be expensive. Our PayAsYouGo service allows customers to keep track of any unwelcome visitors to their premises throughout the year, while also providing a flexible, professional and affordable solution that helps businesses ensure that they comply with health and safety regulations. For small businesses looking for peace of mind, security and value for money, this is a sensible solution.”

Rentokil say that their service is intended to prevent any disruptive damage caused by pests, and help protect the reputation, profitability and operability of businesses across the nation. Available nationwide and 24/7, the service includes cover for common pests such as rats and mice, and also the installation of insect detectors. Call outs and follow up visits are not included in the basic PAYG contract price, and in the event of any pest infestation occurring, additional visits would be chargeable.

First Kimbo Coffee Embassy opens in London Kimbo, the historical Italian brand which embodies the authentic Neapolitan espresso, and Caffé Caldesi, a renowned little corner of Italy in London delivering the best of Italian food, have agreed to promote the etiquette of coffee in the capital of the UK, and as a consequence, the first Kimbo Coffee Embassy outside Italy has opened in Marylebone, as a place where coffee receives all the respect, attention and care it deserves.

Customers of Caffé Caldesi can now enjoy the best blends, obtained from selected origin coffee, subject to strict quality controls and brewed according to extensive knowledge and craftsmanship, typical of the Neapolitan tradition, with the Embassy offering a wide selection of coffees, first of all the original and authentic Neapolitan espresso, created to give consumers a rare, special and unmistakable taste.

The choices include the unique Kimbo Cuccuma coffee, which is prepared with the traditional Neapolitan flip coffee pot through the long and theatrical ritual of coffee percolation and delivers a remarkably uncommon sensory experience - something very exclusive in the London coffee scene, feel Kimbo.

Furthermore, customers of the Embassy can try the Americano coffee or any of the different variations with milk: macchiato coffee, cappuccino, latte macchiato and mocaccino. Particular attention is paid to

the quality of service, with each kind of coffee is served in a different cup, especially designed to enhance both aroma and fragrance. In addition, a chocolate candy or a small cookie is always placed on the saucer to accompany the tasting. The hot drink is regularly offered with a glass of water, in order to cleanse the palate before enjoying the coffee.

Espressos are always prepared manually with a lever machine, highlighting the barista’s skills, and customers are encouraged to stay as long as they like to savour and enjoy their coffee, whether at a table, counter or bar, as the Kimbo Coffee Embassy is not only an excellent coffee bar, but also a place where the secular Neapolitan culture, associated with this drink, is promoted and explained.

The premises of Caffé Caldesi will also host both free and paid tasting courses for professionals and amateur, at the end of which participants will be awarded a certificate of attendance (the Kimbo Coffee Embassy is located at Caffé Caldesi, 118 Marylebone Lane, London, W1U 2QF).

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news

Bidvest 3663 strengthens gluten-free product range and support for chefs Foodservice providers, Bidvest 3663, has launched a new GlutenFree Made Simple Guide and expanded its gluten-free range to encompass more than 330 products.

The new range will help its customers cater for people with food allergies and intolerances and make the most of growing demand for gluten-free choices on menus, say the company, and comes as market data indicates that food allergies and intolerances affect nearly a third of UK households – with 22% of the population believing that they suffer from one according to Food and Drink Innovation Network figures.

In particular, coeliac disease an autoimmune disease caused by intolerance to gluten - affects 10% of households and a further 8% of the population avoids gluten as a lifestyle choice, according to Mintel figures from 2014. Yet, according to Coeliac UK, the UK’s expert body on coeliac disease, the catering industry is missing out on an estimated £100 million a year by not adequately catering for people with coeliac disease.

As part of its work to drive the gluten-free category forward, Bidvest 3663 has appointed a gluten-free strategy team across buying, marketing, new product and food development and quality assurance departments. Its role is to ensure that the glutenfree range meets customers’ needs and that all products comply with legal requirements.

Available as a digital download from the Bidvest 3663 web site, the new guide showcases the 330

Bidvest’s Gluten-Free Made Simple Guide is available to download from http://www.3663.co.uk /gluten-free.html

www.papa.org.uk

gluten-free products across a range of categories. Among the 44 latest new additions to the glutenfree range are pizza bases, Schär spaghetti and D&Co ham and cheese panini.

Catherine Hinchcliff, head of customer marketing at Bidvest 3663 said:“Although consumers with coeliac disease and those who avoid gluten as a lifestyle choice can choose from a wide range of gluten-free goods in supermarkets, many still feel overlooked when eating out of home.

“Furthermore, research performed by Schär found that almost half of consumers living with coeliac disease have given up eating out, after being unable to find places that can cater for their needs; therefore catering for this customer group can pay dividends for operators.”

YouGov Research indicates that 45% of consumers with a food allergy or intolerance are unaware of restaurants that cater for their specific requirements and they are cautious about eating out because of their condition.

Although there is no standardised way for operators to label their gluten-free dishes, many are choosing to write separate menus or use wording or a symbol to signpost gluten-free dishes to customers. By being transparent about ingredients in dishes, operators can give customers peace of mind and encourage new and repeat business from this customer group.

Hinchcliff added:“The introduction of the Food Information Regulations means that caterers must be able to provide information about whether any of the 14 major allergens are present in any of the dishes that they are preparing and serving. Customers can be assured that all products in the GlutenFree made simple guide are gluten-free. We also updated the packaging on our own brand products so that allergens are highlighted in bold and are easily recognisable.”

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papa news

A new

constitution for After a recent review, PAPA’s (Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association) Management Committee will in future be structured so that it provides a balanced cross section of the membership and the industry, with elections to be held this autumn to put this in place.

Activity review The Association, which was founded in 1977 to represent the interests of the industry, is also currently reviewing all its activities with the aim of strengthening the support it can give to members. To this end it is inviting members to put forward suggestions on activities they would like to see the Association providing in future.

Richard Harrow, managing director of frozen pizza manufacturer Freiberger, has been elected chairman of the Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association (PAPA) following a comprehensive review of the Association’s structure and constitution.

The new vice-chair is Geoff Parsons, managing director of pizza delivery chain Basilico.

Primary Authority role One major change recently has been the establishment of a Primary Authority role for the Association with the aim of establishing a more consistent approach to the enforcement of environmental health and trading standards legislation. Under this agreement, which operates through Slough Borough Council but which applies across the UK, the Association is developing Assured Advice which, if followed by members, will help to protect them from action by other authorities.

Currently Assured Advice has been developed covering allergen labelling and waste management. Work is also underway to develop further advice covering general food hygiene, pizza delivery and fire management in foodservice outlets.

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Legislation Alongside its increasing role in establishing standards for the industry, PAPA has an ongoing involvement with representing the industry’s interests to government and in trying to ensure that new legislation or initiatives do not harm the interests of members. For example, the Association coordinated negotiations with the Department of Health on new salt targets and is in regular contact with government departments over issues likely to affect the wellbeing of members.

Current issues include making representations about inconsistencies in Food Hygiene Ratings and the excessive delays that some are experiencing in getting negative ratings reviewed. There is also growing concern about the likely introduction of charges for EHO (environmental health officer) and Trading Standards visits in future which the Association will be lobbying against.

Employment is another area the Association is currently looking at following concerns that the industry could face increasing issues with finding staff if excessive legislation is introduced on employment contracts and immigration.

As part of this, the Association plans to look at how the industry might be able to build a better image in terms of the career opportunities it offers.

With changes in legislation and its interpretation a constant issue, one of the Association’s key functions is to keep members informed of these changes, although this is not always easy as changes

often slip through as part of broader legislation changes.

A good example, is the new HM Revenue ruling requiring those employing casual labour to make tax and national insurance deductions for these staff under the PAYE system, which is likely to impact some member businesses and may lead to changes in the way staff are employed in future, particularly as the employer is required to submit monthly reports for up to a year after the casual labourer has left their employment!

Part of the role of the Association has always been to provide members with advice on how to deal with issues like this.

Activities and awards The popular annual Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Industry Awards – which are 26 years old this year - are also being reviewed currently with the aim of introducing more creative competition elements. Last year a Pizza Art Competition was launched to run alongside the Pizza Chef of the Year competitions and a further pasta making competition is being added this year.

The Association’s Management Committee will be reviewing all the award categories when it meets in May. The Committee is also looking at ways the Association may be able to better support member retailers and brands through consumer marketing. It already provides a support role in providing data and information for the media as well as through the PR campaigns structured around the awards and winners. A new consumer web

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papa news site is being considered as an additional way of reaching out to consumers and promoting member businesses.

Membership benefits Another area the Association is currently looking at are all the direct benefits it offers members – from insurance to energy agreements - designed to save them money.

The most recent benefit to be added is a discounted private health insurance option aimed at owners and key staff who businesses rely upon. A new low cost on-line Level 2 food hygiene training package is also in the pipeline and will become available this summer.

As part of this review process, the Association is keen to receive suggestions from members and the industry about how they would like PAPA to be shaped for the future. Suggestions can be emailed to director Jim Winship at jim@papap.org.uk The current PAPA Management Committee Richard Harrow, Freiberger - chair Geoff Parsons, Basilico – vice-chair Ian Kent, Stateside Sarah Denyer, Asda Richard Burgham, Pizza Hut Andrew Gallagher, Papa John

www.papa.org.uk

John O’Brien, Glanbia Cedric Blanpied, Bel UK Ian Ritchie, Dawn Farm Foods Alan Ribakovs, Whitworths Maurice Abboudi, Consultant Graham Corfield, Just Eat

Freiberger’s Richard Harrow is the chairman of PAPA.

Structure of the new PAPA Management Committee The future Management Committee of the Association will be structured around the

membership with specific places allocated to each sector, as follows: 1 x frozen pizza manufacturer 1 x chilled pizza manufacturer 1 x pasta manufacturer/ distributor 2 x supermarket - covering chilled and frozen 2 x pizza chain restaurants 2 x pizza delivery operators 1 x aggregator 1 x Italian restaurant 1 x mozzarella supplier 1 x cheese supplier 1 x meat supplier 1 x flour supplier 1 x tomato supplier 1 x equipment supplier Note • The existing committee will remain in place until the AGM in November.

• 50% of the existing committee to stand for re-election and nominations will be sought from the membership for these vacant places. Current members can put themselves up for re-election.

• A vice-chair will be elected by the Management Committee each autumn, with the current vice-chair becoming chair.

The current chair and vice-chair will remain in office until November 2016.

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The Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Industry Awards 2015 16

Overall Supermarket Section Sponsor

Overall Independent Section Sponsor

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papa industry awards 2015 he XXVI Annual PAPA Awards have been launched to showcase the finest Pizza, Pasta and Italian food businesses across the country. Entries are now being welcomed for all categories.

Whether your business is a major High Street name or an independent, the Awards are an opportunity for gaining recognition for your success as well as for promotion.

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

There is no cost involved.

The aim of the awards is to recognise excellence in all aspects of the market, from designing pizzas to manufacturing and selling pasta products. The results will be announced at the annual industry gala dinner, to be held this year at the Lancaster London Hotel, in London, on 12 November 2015…….but judging starts this summer, so don’t delay in getting your entries in.

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

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

All judges will be bound by confidentiality agreements.

To ensure that there is absolutely no bias in judging, all those involved on the main judging panel are excluded from entering awards or having strong links with those entering.

Furthermore, at least one panel member will be a representative of the Secretariat to ensure fair play.

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www.papa.org.uk

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

So, to get on the first rung you need to send us your nominations – which must reach the Association by no later than Tuesday, 1 September 2015. Nominations can be accepted from anyone….you can even nominate yourself! – and you don’t even need to fill in any forms, simply email pam@jandmgroup.co.uk stating which category you wish to enter, details of what you are entering and why you think it deserves consideration.

THE AWARDS

OVERALL OPERATOR This lifetime award will be presented to an individual, company or organization who the judges consider deserves recognition for the contribution made to the industry.

Nominations should state simply why they should be considered for this award.

PIZZA RESTAURANT CHAIN OF THE YEAR AWARD This award will be given to the pizza restaurant chain (a business with more than 10 restaurant sites) which the judges consider to have done the most in the last year to develop their business and which sets a standard for others to follow. For the purposes of the awards, a pizza restaurant is defined as one where pizza forms the main focus of the business. In assessing entries the judges will be focusing particularly on standards in terms of product, service and overall atmosphere.

Judging will be done by a central panel of industry experts who will consider market data, submissions from entrants as well as reports from independent ‘mystery shoppers’ who will visit a sample site and report on the restaurant from a customer’s perspective.

What to send in: Your entry should include a brief note saying why you think the business deserves to win, data on demonstrating the businesses success plus a voucher for a meal for two to be used by the ‘mystery shoppers’. Please also include a list of locations which can be visited.

PIZZA RESTAURANT PLATINUM AND GOLD AWARDS These awards are given to independent pizza restaurants (businesses with 10 or fewer sites where pizza is the predominant item on the menu) that set a standard for others to follow. In assessing entries the judges will be focusing particularly on standards in terms of product, service and overall atmosphere.

Platinum awards will only be given if one or more restaurants is exceptional. Judging will initially involve entries being assessed on the material submitted and those short-listed will be asked to provide a voucher for a meal for two which will be used by ‘mystery shoppers’ who will report on the restaurant from a customer’s perspective– a copy of their reports will be available to entrants after the awards are presented, on request.

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

THE ITALIAN RESTAURANT PLATINUM AND GOLD AWARDS These awards aim to identify the best in genuine Italian restaurants in the UK. To this end they will be presented to specialist restaurants where the food served is rooted at the heart of Italian cuisine and which offers a genuine taste of Italy and experience.

Judging: Those judging these awards will be looking for restaurants (whether independent or chains) which set a standard for others to follow. Judges will be focusing particularly on standards in terms of menu choice, food quality, service and the ambiance of the restaurants that enter.

Platinum awards will only be given if one or more restaurants is exceptional. Judging will initially involve entries being assessed on the material submitted and those short-listed will be asked to provide a voucher for a meal for two which will be used by ‘mystery shoppers’ who will report on the restaurant or chain from a customer’s perspective. A copy of their reports will be available to entrants after the awards are presented, on request.

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

JUST-EAT INDEPENDENT PIZZA DELIVERY STORE AWARD This award aims to recognise the independent operators who are successfully driving their businesses in the delivery/takeaway sector.

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

What to send in: Entries will be initially assessed on the material submitted, which should include a brief note saying why you think the business should be considered for an award, a copy of the menu and photographs showing the business premises, the preparation areas (with preparation underway). Entrants should also outline any marketing/promotion initiatives undertaken in the last year as well as details of their success. All those short-listed in this category will also be asked to provide a voucher for a meal for two which will be used by independent judges who will order a delivery and report on it from a customer’s perspective a copy of their reports will be available to entrants after the awards are presented, on request.

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papa industry awards 2015 PIZZA DELIVERY CHAIN AWARD This award aims to recognise the chain operators who are successfully driving the delivery/takeaway sector.

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

What to send in: Details of the overall performance of the business in the last year will be required. Those short-listed will also be asked to provide a voucher for a meal for two which will be used by the ‘mystery shoppers’, who will order a delivery and report on it from a customer’s perspective. A copy of their reports will be available to entrants after the awards are presented, on request.

Judging: The judges will consider data on volume and value growth, promotional activity, innovation and general category development.

CHILLED SUPERMARKET PIZZA RETAILER AWARD This award aims to acknowledge those retailers who are actively driving the chilled pizza sector of the market. All retailers are automatically considered for this award.

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

Judging: The judges will consider data on volume and value growth, promotional activity, innovation and general category development.

FROZEN SUPERMARKET PIZZA RETAILER AWARD This award aims to recognise those supermarkets who are actively driving the frozen pizza sector of the market. All retailers are automatically considered for this award.

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

Judging: The judges will consider data on volume and value growth, promotional activity, innovation and general category development.

PASTA RETAILER AWARD This award aims to recognise those supermarkets which are actively driving sales of pasta. All retailers are automatically considered for this award.

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

Judging: The judges will consider data on volume and value growth, promotional activity, innovation and general category development.

CONVENIENCE STORE PIZZA RETAILER AWARD This award aims to recognise those convenience store retailers who are actively driving the convenience pizza sector of the market. All retailers are automatically considered for this award.

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

MANUFACTURED PIZZA PRODUCT AWARD This award aims to encourage new product development in the pizza market by rewarding those who are striving to develop the market through innovation and recipe development. This category is open to any product launched within the 12 month period leading up to the closing date of 1st September 2015 and which is still on sale at the time of judging. Products short-listed for

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this award will be presented to a panel of judges for sampling.

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

INNOVATIVE FOOD TO GO AWARD This award will recognise the dynamic and expansive role played by businesses with Italian food at their core who bring authentic Italian cuisine to the ever growing food to go market. This category is open to any business or division that has begun offering Italian Food To Go since 1 September 2014.

Judging: Details of the launch and product range of the business in the last year will be required, highlighting how the offering brings in a new market. Those short-listed will also be asked to provide a voucher for a meal for two which will be used by the ‘mystery shoppers’ who will visit/order a delivery meal and report on it from a customer’s perspective - a copy of their reports will be available to entrants after the awards are presented, on request.

MANUFACTURED PASTA PRODUCT AWARD This award aims to encourage new product development in the pasta market by rewarding those who are striving to develop the market through innovation and recipe development. This category is open to any product launched within the 12 month period leading up to the closing date of 1st September 2015 and which is still on sale at the time of judging. Products short-listed for this award will be presented to a panel of judges for sampling.

Two separate awards will be

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

NEW PRODUCT OR INGREDIENT AWARD This award aims to recognise those suppliers who are developing/sourcing new equipment, products and ingredients for use by manufacturers or restaurant/delivery businesses.

The judges will be looking for innovative ideas which can positively benefit the market.

What to send in: Entries should state details of the products being entered and explain the benefits they offer to the manufacturer/restaurant etc.

Those short-listed in this category may be invited to submit samples (or make presentations) for judging in the Autumn.

THE PIZZA AND PASTA MARKETING AWARD This award is aims to recognise successful marketing and promotional initiatives by businesses operating in the UK pizza, pasta and Italian food industry. This award is open to all those involved in the market, including suppliers.

What to send in: Entries should provide details of the marketing/promotional activities undertaken with, where appropriate, examples of marketing/promotional material.

Details should also be provided to show the results of the activity.

Judging: The judges will consider the material supplied. and the success of the Campaign.

THE AWARD QUALIFYING PERIOD IS: 1 September 2014 to 31 August, 2015.

AWARDS CLOSING DATE : 1st Sepember 2015.

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Enter now and it could be you!

WIN

!

0 0 ÂŁ5 Calling all UK pizza chefs. Put your pizza making skills on display and enter this fantastic competition for the chance to become Pizza Chef of the Year 2015.

PIZZA CHEF of the year 2015

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pizza chef of the year 2015 he Pizza Chef of the Year competition offers participants the chance to receive considerable publicity and prestige for them and their business, by winning a regional category and ultimately the overall title of Pizza Chef of the Year. In addition, there’s ample opportunity to network with colleagues and suppliers in the industry, test their creativity and innovation and showcase the preeminent pizzas on their menu.

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THE COMPETITION Contestants are required to design a pizza recipe around a specific sponsor’s product in four of the five competition categories, with a ‘free style’ choice in the Kuk’d category.

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

Entries can be made into all five categories (up to two in each) but entrants must enter at least two of the categories.

The sponsor’s product must be used in the relevant category, together with other ingredients of the contestant’s choice. Pizzas will be judged on taste, presentation, commercial viability and innovative use of the sponsor’s product.

Harvey & Brockless Roasted Red Pepper Pizza Chef of the Year These Roasted Red Pepper Strips come from the sunny plains of Almeria in southern Spain. The peppers are handpicked by the farmers that grow them in the greenhouses that surround where they are processed. From the peppers being picked, to being fire roasting in a traditional oven, to processed and then being packed by hand, it is a matter of just a few hours.

The peppers are in their natural juices and can be stored in an ambient temperature for several months. They are a fantastic accompaniment to a huge range of dishes adding a sweet colourful addition that reflects the hot climate in which they are grown.

www.papa.org.uk

Whitworth Bros Vivo Flour Pizza Chef of the Year Whitworth Bros Vivo Italian Style Pizza flour are again the sponsor of the ‘margherita style’ pizza, which will be judged ‘blind’ by the judging panel VIVO, Italian Style Pizza Flour is made from high protein hard wheats and is milled to give a flour that will produce a firm, strong dough. Suitable for all types of bases – will produce thin and crispy, or crisp crust and a chewy crumb for that authentic Italian pizza taste.

SuperTops Pizza Chef of the Year SuperTops is the market leading and longest established brand of ingredient ranges on offer to the professional caterer. Developed to provide consistent high quality, without excessive fatting/cookng out, each topping is designed for use in high temperature ovens.

A one-stop shop for all your meat ingredients includes pepperoni, salami, ham, pork, bacon, beef, meatballs and chicken. Contestants will be required to produce a pizza with either or both of the following meats from the SuperTops range: Supertops Premium Spicy Beef chunks Premium beef, carefully blended with spices for a hot and spicy kick. Delicious on pizzas, nachos and jacket potatoes. Free flowing IQF for easy portion control.

Supertops Diced Chorizo Spicy Spanish inspired cured pork sausage seasoned with paprika.

Delicious for pizza, salads and pasta. Free flowing for easy portion control.

Galbani Mozzarella Cucina Pizza Chef of the Year The Galbani group is the Italian leader in the dairy produce market and one of the top manufacturers in the cured meats market; it sells more than 300 products in 50 different Countries.

The Galbani Mozzarella range for cooking is recommended for hot usage due to the lower moisture content compared to the variants in brine which makes it the perfect cheese for grilling or baking while still maintaining that taste and texture of mozzarella that consumers expect.

Contestants will be required to produce a pizza to showcase the Galbani Mozzarella Cucina Balls (12 x 125g).

the free samples of the sponsors’ products by 15th June 2015.

Sample products will be delivered to you throughout late July and early August.

Completed entry forms should be submitted by post, or email, stating: The name of the pizza, a list of ingredients, method and a short description of the pizza, a selling price and the market aimed at (e.g. delivery, restaurant etc) where the pizza would be sold.

CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES 31st August 2015

Kukd.com Pizza of the Year Kukd is a new online and mobile takeaway ordering and table reservations services company, which will be launching in autumn 2015. Kukd is made up of the newest and brightest sparks from the fields of technology, IT, design and marketing.

This award aims to recognise the best creative pizza in terms of design and/or taste. Get your creative juices flowing and think outside the box. We are excited to see designs and look forward to sharing them on our social media pages #papakukd. Good luck!

JUDGING Initial entries will be selected by a panel of judges to go forward into one of five regional heats, where the contestant will be invited to make their pizzas in front of a judging panel.

The category winners, from each heat, will go forward to compete in the final, which will take place on Thursday, 12th November, at the Lancaster London Hotel, Hyde Park.

The winners of each category and the Overall Pizza Chef of the Year Award winner will be announced at the Awards Dinner, on the evening of 12th November, and will receive a cheque for £500, a trophy, plus considerable publicity. Individual category winners will also receive trophies.

HOW TO ENTER: Please send your name, full address and post code and telephone number to Pam Sainsbury at pam@papa.org.uk, or telephone on 01291 636341, for entry forms and to receive

WHERE WILL ALL THIS BE HAPPENING? We have five regional heats across the country. Our journey to find the Pizza Chef of the Year begins in September and culminates in the grand final in November.

Join us at: Scotland Heat 10.30am, Monday 19th October La Favorita, 325 Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH7 5HR Northern Heat 11am, Tuesday, 20th October Stateside Foods Ltd, 31-34 Great Bank Road, Wingate Industrial Park, Westhoughton, Bolton BL5 3XU Midlands Heat 11am, Wednesday 21st October Portobello Restaurant, 17-19 High Street, Aldridge, Walsall, W. Mids WS9 8LX South West Heat 12pm, Monday 26th October Il Michelangelo Restaurant, 50a Knightstone Road, WestonSuper-Mare BS23 2BE South East Heat 11am, Thursday 29th October Equipline, Ashley House, Ashley Road, Uxbridge UB8 2GA

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pasta chef 2015

Will you be Pasta Chef of the Year 2015?

WIN

£500! his year we’re delighted to launch the brand new competition – the Pasta Chef of the Year. Following on from the success of the Pizza Chef of the Year which has been in operation now for 10 years, we’ll be starting the hunt for the best pasta chefs across the UK. The new competition will be held in conjunction with the existing pizza chef quest, taking in five regional heats and a grand final. We’ve teamed up with pasta manufacturer Keck to create a competition with three categories.

The Pasta and Sauce category will be broken into two categories, one using a range of short cut pasta (Rigatoni & XXL Fusilli) and the second using a range of long cut pasta (Spaghetti & Pappardelle). Each category will require chefs to design a dish to showcase one of a range of Keck pasta shapes in each category.

The Filled Pasta category will see chefs design a new dish using a choice of two from the Keck range of filled pastas, either Tortelli Porcini or Ravioli 5 cheese.

In both categories, chefs must create a unique dish or an innovative re-imagining of a classic dish. Judges will be specifically looking to see how

T

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the dish showcases the pasta chosen along with the commercial viability, overall composition, flavour and appeal. Please note that ‘Al Forno’ dishes will be very difficult to produce due to time and oven restrictions at the competitions.

To enter Free samples of Keck pasta will be sent from UK distributors, Food Team to entrants for experimentation and design.

Please forward your name, full postal address, email address and telephone number to: pam@papa.org.uk by 15th June 2015 to receive your sample products in July.

Completed recipes should be emailed to pam@papa.org.uk by 31st August 2015.

Entries can be made into both categories (up to two in each) and entrants must also enter the Pizza Chef of the Year.

The heats There will be five regional heats across the country starting in early October in Scotland before moving on to Bolton, London, the Midlands and South West.

Judging Written entries will be selected by a panel of judges to go forward into one of five regional heats. In these live events, entrants will prepare their pasta dishes for judging and each of the three category winners will go forward to compete in the final on 12th November 2015 at the Lancaster London Hotel, Hyde Park.

sponsored by

Judging in the final will be a panel of experts in the industry led by a celebrity chef. The winners of each category and the overall Pasta Chef of the Year Award winner will be announced at the Awards Dinner, on the evening of 12th November 2015, and will receive a trophy, considerable publicity and the kudos that this competition confers. The overall Pasta Chef of the Year will also receive a cheque for £500.

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www.papa.org.uk

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Why you should opt in for Assurance In November 2014, the Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association finalised a Primary Authority Partnership with Slough Borough Council which will transform the way members of the Association deal with enforcement agencies in the future. Here, we explain how the scheme will work and why it could have major benefits for everyone.

In partnership Every year thousands of food businesses across the UK are visited by Environmental Health and Trading Standards officers to check that they are doing everything correctly and not putting the public at risk.

While most of these visits are straightforward, every now and then businesses find themselves being challenged on their practices. Interpretation of law is not always consistent between local authorities. For those with multiple sites across the UK, this variance can cause major problems. Even for smaller businesses this can cause unnecessary cost.

To address this, the Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association has formed a partnership with Slough Borough Council with the aim of helping members across the UK to get consistent and reliable advice. The partnership, which has the approval of the Government’s Better Regulation Delivery Office (BRDO) (part of the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills), will in future be issuing formal assured advice on compliance and interpretation of the law which, if followed, will offer members protection from enforcing authorities.

In essence this means members will have one point of contact for assured advice and guidance specific to the industry.

What is Assured Advice?

Assured Advice is advice provided by the Association’s Primary Authority Partner, Slough

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Borough Council, which comes with an assurance that it will be respected by other regulators across the country to prevent inconsistent interpretation of the law. This means that guidance on issues directly affecting member businesses, and covered by the partnership, can be dealt with consistently across the UK so that everyone is treated the same.

It also means that, provided members correctly follow the guidance, enforcement officers everywhere (including environmental health and trading standards) have to respect for the partnership’s interpretation of legislation and if an enforcing authority disagrees with it, they have to take this up with Slough Borough Council and the Association, not with the member. Thus members are protected and can simply hand the issue over for the partners to deal with, saving themselves the hassle of arguing their case.

How does it work?

On issues that specifically affect the sandwich industry – such as the new EC labelling regulations the Association will draw up Assured Advice jointly with Slough Borough Council. Once this guidance has been issued, and provided that members follow it, they can be confident they are compliant and protected from challenge.

Members can also ask the Association to take up issues and

provide Assured Advice through the partnership. As long as the issue is one that affects a significant proportion of members, the Association can take it up through the partnership for assured advice to be produced.

What does Assured Advice cover?

In future members will benefit from receiving tailored sector advice on a wide range of areas, including food safety and food standards. One of the first pieces of advice to be covered will be the new EC food labelling requirements, which includes advice on how to deal with the new allergen requirements.

How to join the scheme The scheme is only open to all members of the Association. To take advantage of the Assured Advice and gain the protection of

You can find out more about the scheme by contacting PAPA director Jim Winship at jim@papa.org.uk

the coordinated primary authority partnership, members simply complete a straightforward on-line form.

There is absolutely no cost involved in signing up to the partnership, as it is included within membership. However, there may be a cost involved if the Association takes up a specific issue on behalf of a member but those involved will always be notified of any costs in advance.

Members can either sign up to all areas of the partnership, which means that they are automatically included in any assured advice issued (a copy will be automatically sent to all those involved), or they can opt-in to adopt specific areas advice, such as labelling. In such cases the member will only be protected when following advice in this specific area.

Those signing up to all areas of the partnership will also be involved in consultation on new guidelines being drawn up under the scheme.

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For many, the secrets to successful pizza-making reside in Naples, but as we outline here, some of the skills and advice on offer can be found far closer to home.

Pan’Artisan’s Chris Dickinson (far left) overseeing a ‘hands on dough’ workshop.

Pizza

skills

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pizza making The spirit of Naples Flatbreads – of which pizza is a variant - have been eaten the world over for thousands of years, but there is no disputing the origins of the Italian variety.

It was in the sixteenth century in Naples that the country’s flatbread was first referred to as ‘pizza’.

As one story has it, to honour the Queen Consort of Italy, Margherita of Savoy, a pizzaiolo called Raffaele Esposito created the Margherita pizza, which was garnished with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil to represent the Tricolore of Italy.

What is hotly debated, however, is whether or not a non-Neapolitan can create a truly authentic pizza as in 2009 this variant was granted the “traditional speciality guaranteed” (TSG) status by the European Union, and the stipulations for making the proper pie, ‘Pizza Margherita’ are strict.

Pizza Napolitana TSG is round with a variable diameter not exceeding 35cm, a raised rim, and is garnished and baked in the oven. The centre is 0.4cm thick with a tolerance of plus or minus 10%, and the rim is one to two centimetres thick. The overall pizza must be “tender, elastic and easily foldable into four,” according to the Official

Journal of the European Union.

Indeed, the documents prescribe the specific way in which a Neapolitan pizza must be garnished, right down to the “spiralling motion” used to spread the tomato sauce!

“After our first ‘Pizza Pilgrimage’ in 2011, we try and go back to Naples at least twice a year,” says Thom Elliot of London-based artisan pizza outlet, Pizza Pilgrims. “We were out there in April, and our head chef went out there in May. “Pizza is a skill that you can never truly 100% master - there are always new tips, tricks, skills and hacks that you can learn.

The way to learn them is by working with, talking to, or even just observing, great pizza chefs doing their thing. And one thing is for certain, there is no city on earth with a higher concentration of super passionate, super talented pizzas chefs than Naples!

“You can certainly learn a great deal about pizza without ever visiting, but in my opinion you will definitely be a better pizza chef after a couple of days visiting the city's finest pizza establishments - no question at all.”

But is it really necessary to make the pilgrimage?

According to Pan’Artisan, an award-winning, specialist

‘Hands on dough’ workshops for PAPA members To demonstrate just how simple it can be to produce that authentic Neapolitan pizza, Pan’Artisan are extending an exclusive offer to PAPA members to attend one of Chris Dickinson’s ‘Hands on Dough’ workshops.

Chris, Pan’Artisan’s NPD director, hosts the workshops throughout the year. Operators from any sector of the industry can attend and, following a tour of the factory facility, will literally be able to get hands on with the dough balls, learning different stretching techniques, all about the dough balls and the ingredients that can make a difference to them. You will then go on to top, cook and eat the fruits of your labours!

There are only six places available (date to be confirmed) so in the first instance, please send an email of interest with ‘Hands on Dough workshop’ in the subject line and include your name, business name and daytime contact number to enquiries@panartisan.com (the first six names chosen at random will be contacted to arrange a suitable date for attendance, and the closing date for applications is 30 June 2015. This offer is open to PAPA members only).

www.papa.org.uk

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pizza making supplier of frozen, full and part baked, hand-finished dough balls, pizza bases and speciality breads for foodservice, the Margherita is indeed still by far the most popular choice among consumers, but fortunately, there are some very easy steps to consider in order to make your own, authentic version, without the need to travel to Naples.

For starters, consider your oven, they advise. There are many types available, all of which will do a perfectly good job. Pizza oven types are mainly wood fired stone, gas fired stone, electric stone, conveyor or deck, but there are alternatives (combination-ovens - using microwave and convection - will cook a stone baked pizza in 90 seconds to a very high quality standard and convection ovens with a round stone insert will also offer a perfectly good finished product, claim Pan’Artsian).

When it comes to dough, if you have the time, skill, equipment and space, by all means make your own, suggest Pan’Artisan, but if not, consider buying in a frozen dough ball in which all of the timeconsuming, labour intensive work has been done for you, and enabling you to achieve a consistent end product of a guaranteed quality.

“You will generate less waste, yet still have the freedom to personalise your pizza to produce your own signature shape and topping varieties,” says Pan’Artisan’s Chris Dickinson. “Our range of dough balls come in a variety of sizes from 170g to 795g to suit most requirements, and includes a sourdough dough ball for added choice and to keep you on trend.

“We will also make a recipe bespoke to your business.

Taking advantage of the developments in food technology, we can produce a dough ball to assist operators with the handling of the product and to achieve different finishes. Dough can be made by using different type of flours to produce a different flavour profile or ‘crust crispness’.

“Relaxants can be used to

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assist novice operators produce a hand stretched pizza easily and there are many different methods of stretching, some of which are easier than others.

Pan’Artisan also has a dedicated facility for training, or will come out to site to train the correct method for stretching for the dough ball being used, to suit the operator’s requirements.

“Then there are the American hot presses which can be used to stretch dough that has been made using a completely different dough technology.

This will result in the ‘thick’ or ‘deep pan’ type of pizza that is popular in many takeaways, but strictly speaking, this isn’t Neapolitan pizza, but that’s a whole different story!”

Q&A With Rob Owen (executive development chef at Creed Foodservice, who have recently worked with Mike Huysinga, owner of the Exmouth Arms pub in Cheltenham, to help them prepare for the unveiling of a menu using their new woodfired pizza oven).

Based on your recent experience of helping a pub to add pizza to their menu, how can a company such as Creed (via its executive chef) help with such skills?

Creed would first invest time in understanding the customer’s business, their existing offering and why they wanted to introduce pizza to the menu.

While pizza ovens are increasingly popular at the moment as they add theatre to a casual dining environment and offer operators speed and ease of service, it’s unlikely to be a solution for every business. It has to fit.

When developing pizza menu solutions for customers’ menus, the range of pizza toppings that we offer as well as an understanding of the marketplace has proven beneficial to customers. I’ve also found that depending on the customer offering, the

traditional pizza can be adapted with creative twists to take advantage of the latest trends and day parts, such as breakfast pizza and dessert pizza. As a

light lunch offering, pizza with a salad option is increasingly popular.

Toppings are usually the focus of the menu development

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pizza making

how to use the product to get the best results. For example, in our range, we have various preformed options, from a Hobbs House Bakery dough ball to Country Range dough balls, both with their own benefits to operators and end users.

Depending on the skill set and objectives of the customer, we would encourage them to add their own twist or finish to a pre-formed product. This might be herbs for example, a stuffed crust, or adding a tomato flavour to the dough itself.

process, but we have helped customers to find the right dough base too - cooking off the different dough solutions available and demonstrating

www.papa.org.uk

What are the essential pizzamaking skills, top tips and ‘secrets to success’, in your opinion, when making pizza from scratch?

You definitely need to have patience when proving the pizza dough and ensure the pizza oven is at the correct temperature of 380-400oC. For best results, the timing of the pizza in the oven is also critical for a consistently great product – as little as 15 seconds could make all the difference between having the perfect pizza and burning it!

The right cheese is critical to achieve an authentic Italian pizza, so fresh, torn buffalo

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pizza making mozzarella is a must for authenticity. Tearing the mozzarella is not only important from a taste point of view, but also for presentation – the torn cheese and gaps for tomato or topping lends itself to authentic pizza presentation. Tomato sauce paste is also key and it’s worth taking the time to create your own sauce from scratch, or find an authentic pre-made sauce. One of my favourites is the GOMO spicy tomato sauce.

When you’re developing your pizza concept, don’t forget to ensure the final product is further enhanced by the presentation when it reaches the table. Think about what you will serve it on, and what you will provide for the consumer to cut into it - consider the impact, experience and ease of eating.

Recently, there has been a move to pizzas served on wooden boards or slate over plates, this not only adds to the impact when the pizza reaches the tables, but also removes the risk of the pizza sliding off the plate when the customer cuts in!

Finishing touches are also essential for authenticity.

Favourites include chilli oil, garlic oil, truffle oil, grated parmesan, and even salad leaves.

What other type of products do Creed also supply/advise on in relation to making pizza?

We recommend semolina for dusting, as well as various pizza base options from pre-formed artisan dough balls and own brand dough solutions, to ingredients to make the dough from scratch. We would also suggest considering various tomato options, from tinned tomatoes to pesto. Fresh vegetables, fresh herbs, speciality meats, as well as artichokes, olives, antipasti and ready cooked meats and fish, smoked salmon, prawns, tuna all have potential.

And your feeling about the view that “you don’t have to go to Naples to learn how to make pizza”?

As mentioned, using fresh buffalo mozzarella and an authentic tomato sauce are two ways of getting an authentic

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Neapolitan pizza, and there are many more imported ingredients available to chefs who seek 100% authenticity.

Let’s not forget that Neapolitan style is ‘pizza utopia’ and can be cost-effective, give a good return on margin and be quick to serve after initial preparation.

However, don’t be afraid to develop your own interpretation and style of pizza for your customer base. In some instances, the other end of the scale to Neapolitan, are square and deep base pizzas, which can be equally as delicious.

Pizza schools “There is very little better than a good, authentic pizza from Naples. Pizza is deceptively simple and, like all things, needs to be made with top quality ingredients and lots of love and

care,” says Jane Mason, director of Virtuous Bread (www.virtuousbread.com).

“In my opinion, the ‘toppings to crust’ ratio has got to be right.

Most people and many restaurants put far too much topping on their pizza - just like they put too much sauce on their pasta! Pizza is about the crust, and pasta is about the noodles.

“Make the best crust you can, top it with a few delicious things and keep the topping minimal.

A smear of tomato sauce if you are using it, and then a light scattering of a couple of other things, but don’t skimp on quality. Pizza is inexpensive and so it should be - the ingredients are simple, but don’t be tempted to skimp on ingredients to improve your margin ever so slightly. You

won’t get repeat customers and you won’t get recommendations. Make the best, charge a fair price and people will travel a long way to buy it.”

The Neapolitan pizza chain, Rossopomodoro, hold their pizza making master classes at one of their restaurants each month where guests can learn the secrets of the perfect pizza from their senior pizza chefs.

During this class, they share the pizzaiuoli secrets and guide customers on how to make a great pizza dough that they can then take home to bake. The class is usually followed by a three course meal, and costs £50 for the meal and class.

The chain recently launched a new spring menu with some new dishes including two speciality Neapolitan pizzas – Broccolella (purple broccoli, cherry tomato, mozzarella, nduja, retailing at £15) and Cornucopia (buffalo ricotta, aubergines, cherry tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, baby spinach, smoked mozzarella and mature ricotta, retailing at £15).

"A trip to Napoli is always worth a visit as it is one of Italy's most beautiful and vibrant cities with wonderful food, but now you can get a good introduction to authentic Neapolitan pizza with our Pizza Making Master Classes here in London and Birrmingham,” says Rossopomodoro’s Mario Romano. “They are all coached by senior pizzaiuolis like myself and during which we share the secrets of authentic Neapolitan pizza."

The Nottinghamshire-based School of Artisan Food (www.schoolofartisanfood.org) runs several bread, and pizzamaking courses, and notably one devoted to wood-fired pizza.

Authentic wood-fired pizza is the ultimate and the original fast food, feel the school, and their professional-level course on this topic is aimed at those wishing to master the art of the pizzaiolo. A comprehensive, hands-on course, it has been developed for existing bakers, chefs, business start-ups and advanced home bakers wishing to learn how to produce

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pizza making Neapolitan style pizzas in a wood-fired oven and commercial stone-based deck ovens.

Baker and tutor, Wayne Caddy, has spent time in Italy learning how to produce ‘vera pizza’ and so is able to share his vast experience as students learn how to create a range of authentic pizzas.

This course covers professional recipes and formulas, the importance of ingredients and raw materials in particular flour types, tomato varieties and cheese selection, as well as pizza bases and different yeasts in dough production. It also looks at professional mixing methods, dividing and scaling, hand shaping and pinning techniques, traditional and contemporary pizza toppings and oven management (from firing of wood-fired ovens to loading and unloading). It takes place at the School of Artisan Food with pizzas baked in professional stone based deck ovens as well as a mobile woodfired oven.

www.papa.org.uk

“Cookery schools are booming and with summer fast approaching, many people are considering their future training and career options,” observes Elia Tavernese of London-based Elia's Pizza School.

Elia's Pizza School (www.eliaspizzaschool.co.uk) was established two years ago by renowned Italian chef, Elia Tavernese, at London's now multi-award winning pizza restaurant, Organica Pizza Company in Camden. He can claim over 35 years’ experience in the industry, calculating that he has probably now prepared more than a million pizzas along the way! In the process, he has come to master several styles of pizza-preparation, including several of his own invention (the soya dough, the wholemeal dough, the beer doug, his famous chocolate dough for dessert pizza and a light and flavourful, naturally fermented sour dough which goes through a 60-hour process to ensure pizza perfection).

With more and more people developing a passion for great

food made, cookery classes are booming across the capital with business-minded amateurs are keen to take their skills to the next level, and Elia Tavernese says that he is aiming to do the same for culinary courses by teaching to a professional standard, thereby bridging the gap between cookery classes and catering college. His school teaches students a complete range of techniques, whatever their starting abilities or aspirations, whether it's simply to make a Margherita pizza or to establish their own successful pizza business.

"Many people come to learn how to make great pizza but soon realise they can turn that passion in to a recession-proof, rewarding and enjoyable career,” says Elia Tavernese.

“In three weeks, we give them the skills, knowledge and contacts to obtain a job in the industry at an affordable price.

We've had students travel from across the UK but also Greece, Lebanon, Australia, India, Algeria, Singapore, and yes, even from Italy."

It's this level of care and professionalism not only towards the standards of its food, but also for the prospects of its students that have made Elia's Pizza School stand out in the industry. Students can master the craft of pizzamaking, but should they choose to do so, they can also learn priceless insider secrets of the trade, including how to successfully open a pizzeria and generate an immediate buzz about their business.

Students also learn the principles of menu-setting, as well as the specifics of costs, revenues and profits for the pizza industry. On completion of their courses, Elia Tavernese even creates a video showcase for each student, demonstrating their skills to pizzeria owners looking for capable pizza chefs, via social media and industryspecific job sites. In this way, Elia Tavernese feels that his pizza school is ensuring that the tradition of authentic Italian pizza has a bright future in this country, and so do its chefs.

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A pizza featuring Galbani mozzarella slices.

More to

mozzarella

Mozzarella cheese is now being supplied in all shapes and sizes due to the fact that it is aimed at different outlets and applications across the Italian food business, and is also increasingly appreciated as a dish in its own right.

Centre stage Previously known as a reliable team player, traditionally cosying up to tomatoes or blanketing pizza margarita, mozzarella has been making an increasingly brazen move into the spotlight that has seen it become highly regarded as food in its own right.

First came Rome’s Obika - a restaurant entirely devoted to the mild, milky stuff. Then this group announced plans to expand in both Europe and the Americas, and now many local restaurants across the world have started milking this trend themselves by introducing unusual shaped mozzarella and its younger version, burrata.

Burrata is essentially a disk of cow’s milk mozzarella, filled with fresh cream and shreds of more mozzarella, tied into a satchel shaped ball. Once cut through, you can experience the creaminess and freshness of this delicacy from Puglia. Shelf life is usually very short and it is best eaten as soon as possible - at room temperature, accompanied by best quality virgin olive oil, sea salt and freshly baked crusty farm bread, a complete dish.

Mozzarella is one of several pasta filata or stretched curd cheeses that originated in Italy.

The name pasta filata refers to a unique plasticising and texturing treatments of the fresh curd in hot water that imparts to the

finished cheese its characteristic fibrous structure and melting properties. Mozzarella cheese is made from standardised cow or buffalo milk.

Buffalo’s milk is second in the world after cow’s milk, being more than 12% of the world’s milk production (Egypt, India and Pakistan together account for about 80% of the world’s total production of buffalo milk, which is then used for making different dairy products including soft and hard cheeses).

Due to high vitamin A, protein, and low cholesterol found in buffalo milk, it can be the preferred species in this type of cheese production with mozzarella cheese produced

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cheese

Burrata – ‘young’ mozzarella is becoming increasing popular.

from buffalo milk being highly prized all over the world.

Artisan pizza boutiques are spreading everywhere, with many adding mozzarella bars to their offerings (some making it inhouse and serving it still warm), observe sector supplier, CQS (www.continentalfood.co.uk).

“Unfamiliar, but authentic, regional Italian ingredients are also helping to jazz up these Italian restaurants’ menus,” says CQS’s Paolo Veneroni, director of sales.

“For example, lardo di colonnata (cured and peppered pork belly), mostarda (fruit preserved in a mustard syrup), burrata (one to watch!), salsa verde (not the Mexican kind), speck (smoked prosciutto), guanciale (cured pork cheeks), and more. Look for more inventive pesto recipes, to drizzle over slices of fresh buffalo mozzarella.

“With the summer round the corner, mozzarella in cherry size balls can be used for spiedini (skewers) along with cherry tomatoes, avocado and any other crunchy vegetable

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you can think of for an attractive and tasty alternative to just serving the very same ingredients on a plate.”

Versatile formats Galbani®, who claim to be Italy’s number one cheese brand, say that offering your customers authentic and delicious Italian cuisine couldn’t be easier these days.

“For restaurants looking to create traditional looking pizzas, operators should be looking for products that have a low moisture content to ensure that the cheese melts evenly and quickly across the pizza,” says senior brand manager, Galbani®, Christopher Pihoue.

“Products such as Galbani® Mozzarella Cucina Balls (12 x 125g), for example, are perfect for designing toppings that are visually appealing as well as delicious.

“The balls can simply be scattered across the base for consistent coverage and an attractive, even melt, which helps to give a smooth flavour to perfectly complement accompanying toppings. The pale colouring and distinctive elastic stretch adds to the authentic Italian experience.

“The product can also be taken straight from the fridge to the prep area with no need to waste time chopping or slicing – just instant, high quality, fresh Italian mozzarella on hand to create the perfect pizza! The mozzarella Cucina is also available in blocks (12 x 1kg or 5 x 400g).”

For outlets looking to create quick, simple and delicious pastas and salads, a mozzarella that gives easy portion control, consistent sizes and simple storage is ideal, suggest Galbani.

Fresh and milky in flavour, their new Galbani Mozzarella Slices are conveniently pre-cut and hugely versatile, say the brand.

Thanks to their round shape, these neat 25g slices lend themselves perfectly to everything

from hot paninis and oven baked dishes such as pizza and pasta through to cold application in sandwiches and salads. It is this versatility that makes them the ideal choice for everyone from cafés, pubs and bars to restaurants and casual dining outlets looking for mozzarella that combines both quality and practicality.

In particular, Galbani Mozzarella Slices offer an ideal solution for busy Italian restaurants, feel the company. Thanks to their round shape, the neat 25g slices lend themselves to a variety of hot and cold dishes and with their consistent portion sizes outlets can be sure their ingredients will go further, claim Galbani.

Available in a handy, re-sealable 1kg tub and able to be preserved in brine for up to two days once opened, restaurants need only use what they need, thus avoiding any wastage.

Pre-cut slices not only mean that prep time is significantly reduced, but also that portion sizes are consistent – great for outlets looking for make their ingredients go further (more information can be found at www.lactalisfs.co.uk/galbani).

Authentic provenance “The producer, Collebianco has now been working with Harvey & Brockless for 15 years,” reports Nicky Philp, purchasing director at Harvey & Brockless.

“It’s a relationship based on the quality and richness of their pure buffalo milk; I have not found another producer that matches the delicacy of their cheese. They are proud champions of the mozzarella that they produce and their enthusiasm for it is infectious. People in my experience are quickly converted!

“Over the years we have grown a network of loyal customers throughout the UK. If mozzarella makes up a significant part of your menu, then it makes sense to supply the best quality product available.”

Fresh mozzarella in production.

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cheese

50 year tradition Showing just how long mozzarella has been part of the pizza business in the UK is Valerio's which has now been established for 50 years as a specialist manufacturer of pizza toppings from its dedicated dairy and meat plant in Bedfordshire.

The company boasts a unique range of premium Italian cheeses ranging from fresh mozzarella to pizza cheese, to 'ricotta'. All products are produced in a modern, BRC accredited plant, made from UK Farm Assured milk and Red Tractor approved, and the majority of products are made to order, maximising shelf-life and freshness, with order lead times of as little as two days, report the firm.

Their fresh mozzarella range comprises of mozzarella balls, bocconcini, fiordilatte pearls weighing from a gramme upwards

to 20 grammes, and the main uses for their fresh mozzarella include salads, panini, antipasti and more recently on pizza itself as well as in a variety of cooked recipes.

The Valerio pizza cheese range is genuine 100% mozzarella, and is available in block form, grated, shredded or diced formats. It can also be blended to customer requirements (for example, with cheddar or cheese analogue).

Their ricotta is available in either traditional or the more modern homogenised varieties, ranging from 400g to 10kg packs and used predominantly as a pasta filling or in desserts. Valerio’s say that all of their products are made fresh daily and available in a variety of pack sizes to suit individual requirements, and recent additions to the range include low fat and low salt mozzarella and ricotta.

Collebianco buffalo mozzarella is supplied exclusively in the UK by Harvey & Brockless.

Collebianco Mozzarella di Bufala Campana is a semi-soft cheese from the Campania region of southern Italy, and is made from water buffalo milk. Formed into beautiful white, glazed globes, its tactile spheres are characterised by soft, thin layers with a satisfying, springy elasticity, feel Harvey & Brockless.

“Legend has it that the cheese was created by accident in Naples, when a clumsy cheesemaker knocked a bucket of curds into hot water. On trying to recover the curds, they became malleable in his hands – a truly significant moment in cheesemaking!” says Nicky Philp.

“The Collebianco dairy farm was founded in 1986 by the Ambrosca family and is today one of Southern Italy’s leading producers creating authentic Mozzarella di Bufala Campana with DOP status.

“The landscape and weather conditions in the local piana provide the ideal natural

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habitat for placid, grazing water buffalo, and the milk used in Collebianco’s dairy is derived from some of the best buffalo breeding in the region, with an important emphasis placed on providing excellent natural grazing and high standards of welfare.

“Founded on the historical traditions of mozzarella making, the company unites artisan wisdom and time honoured skill with the latest developments in modern technology. We feel that the result is a truly exemplary fresh cheese that is distributed, not only throughout Italy, but exclusively in the UK by Harvey & Brockless.”

Beautiful to display, fresh mozzarella is, of course, the ultimate cheese convenience food, served simply with ripe tomatoes and basil leaves, suggest Harvey & Brockless.

Flavour and format management When it comes to cooking consistently with mozzarella, both flavour and format are the

key factors to consider, according to Dairygold Food Ingredients (DFI).

DFI (UK suppliers of cheese and dairybased ingredients to the food manufacturing and foodservice sectors) supplies mozzarella in a variety of formats, enabling operators to create a wide range of quality cheese-based dishes from the traditional to the luxurious.

“Mozzarella is a staple ingredient for any Italian menu – so getting your offering right is essential,” says Svitlana Binns, customer marketing manager for DFI. “Flavour, of course, is key, and mozzarella should have a mild, delicate, milky taste which complements a wide variety of dishes.

“Equally important, though, is using the right format. At DFI we pride ourselves on the range of formats we offer, which can be aligned to each operator’s requirements. Our formats currently include pearls, slices and blocks, enabling operators to choose a format which will best suit a range of applications.”

In addition, DFI supplies Pizzamelt - a pizza topping developed via extensive research, and which has been designed to deliver high quality results every time, say the firm.

“Consistency is key when it comes to pizza – it’s essential that your pizza offering meets the customer’s expectations every time,” says Svitlana Binns. “Research has shown that the larger grate size upon which Pizzamelt is based helps achieve a more consistent cook, plus excellent taste and browning properties.

It provides a simple and cost effective way to produce mouth-watering pizzas.”

Pizzamelt is available in three variants to suit many applications, from the premium 100% Mozzarella to a Blended Pizza Mix which provides excellent value for money.

DFI also supplies a range of breaded mozzarella dippers, which are ideal for operators to serve as a starter or as part of a sharing platter, point out the company.

“Our advice to Italian food operators is simple: choose quality mozzarella in the right format to suit your application, and your mozzarella dishes will bring customers back time and time again,” adds Svitlana Binns.

Dairygold’s Pizzamelt.

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Pasta Pasta’s past Unlike other ubiquitous Italian products such as pizza and tomato sauce, which have a fairly recent history, pasta may have a much older pedigree, going back hundreds - if not thousands - of years. Unravelling the long and often complex history of this dish we have to look at its origins and some of the myths surrounding it. “Many school children were taught that the Venetian merchant Marco Polo brought back pasta from his journeys in China. Some may have also learnt that Polo's was not a discovery, but rather a rediscovery of a product once popular in Italy among the Etruscans and the Romans. Marco Polo might have done amazing things on his journeys, but bringing pasta to Italy was not one of them: noodles-type pasta were already there

(Image credit: www.gooddelicompany.co.uk)

in Polo's time,� says Paolo Veneroni, director of sales at Continental Quattro Stagioni (www.continental-food.co.uk).

There is indeed evidence of an EtruscanRoman version made from the same durum wheat used to produce modern pasta. It was called "lagane" (the origin of the modern word for lasagne). However, this type of food, first mentioned in the 1st century AD, was not boiled, as it is done today, but possibly oven baked, feel CQS. Ancient lagane had some similarities with modern pasta, but cannot be considered quite the same (Italy had to wait a few centuries for its most popular dish to make a further culinary leap forward).

Like much of southern Italian culture, the Arabic invasions of the eight century heavily influenced the regional cuisine to be found there (think of cous cous - a granular shaped

Nothing says Italy like its food, and nothing says Italian food like pasta. Pasta is an integral part of Italy's food history. Wherever Italians emigrated to, they brought their pasta with them, so much so that today it can now be considered to have become a staple of international cuisine. pasta traditionally made by rubbing the palms of the hands together, while holding a piece of pasta dough). And so today, the presence of Arabic people in the south of the peninsula during the Middle Ages is considered the most likely reason behind the diffusion of pasta.

The modern word "macaroni" derives from the Sicilian term for kneading dough with energy, as early pasta making was often a laborious, day-long process. How these early dishes were served is not truly known, but many Sicilian pasta recipes still include typically Middle Eastern ingredients such as

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pasta raisins and cinnamon which can be seen in original, medieval recipes.

This early pasta was an ideal staple food for Sicily and it quickly spread to the mainland, since durum wheat thrives in Italy's climate. Indeed, Italy is still a major producer of this hard durum wheat, used to make the all-important semolina flour.

By the 1300's dried pasta was very popular for its nutrition and long shelf life, making it ideal for transport. Pasta travelled around the globe during the voyages of discovery a century later. By that time different shapes of pasta had also appeared, and new technology made pasta easier to manufacture. With these innovations pasta truly became a part of Italian life. However, the next big advancement for pasta would not come until the 19th century, when it finally met tomatoes.

Although tomatoes were brought back to Europe shortly after their discovery in the New World, it took a long time for the plant to be considered edible. In fact, as tomatoes are a member of the Nightshade (Solanaceae) family of flowering fruit plants, and many similar plants are highly toxic due to the concentration of alkaloids, rumours of tomatoes being poisonous continued in parts of Europe and its colonies until the mid-19th century. It was not until 1839 that the first pasta recipe with tomatoes was documented.

However, shortly thereafter tomatoes took hold, especially in the south of Italy.

Dried pasta There are roughly 350 to 400 different shapes and varieties of dried pasta in Italy - even more counting regional differences! Shapes range from simple tubes to bow ties (farfalle, which means "butterfly"), to unique shapes like “radiatori” (radiators - yes, really!).

According to Italian food legislation rules, dried pasta must be made with 100% durum semolina flour and water, a practice the majority of high quality pasta makers worldwide have since adhered to. However, there are two other factors in manufacturing dried pasta in Italy that make it typically better than most other countries’ similar products: extrusion (shaping) and drying methods.

Dried pasta, especially the more complex shapes (such as radiatori) are designed for grabbing and holding onto sauces. Dried tube pasta (ziti or penne) often has ridges or slight abrasions on the surface to hold onto the pasta sauce as well. These ridges and bumps are created during the extrusion process, when the pasta is forced through a shaped bronze die and cut to the desired length before drying.

These dies, while expensive and prone to wear are favoured for making the best dried pasta. However, many producers worldwide use plastic moulds as they’re cheaper to manufacture and more durable, but the

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Cook like an Italian Unforketable (www.unforketable.it) is a joint venture between Italian pasta producers Garofalo (www.pastagarofalo.it) and Niko Romito, an Italian Michelin star chef, and claims that it is bringing a new and innovative way for chefs and cooks to be able to learn from an Italian chef at the top of his game when it comes to how to go about cooking authentic Italian cuisine.

The new concept has been created out of a long established collaboration between the two, the desire from both parties to bring an accurate interpretation of traditional Italian cuisine (updated according to the vision of Niko Romito), and at the same time make it accessible to everyone.

Unforketable is an encyclopaedia of videos starring Italian chef, Niko Romito, who has gained three Michelin stars for his amazing cooking abilities. In over 70 video recipes on the Unforketable web site, he shows how to create Italian dishes, which promote the Italian culinary traditions while also adding the techniques, knowledge and passion that have helped him gain three Michelin stars.

The videos have been beautifully produced, and focus on the ingredients and preparation techniques while Niko Romito explains in detail how each dish is prepared, sharing knowledge along with tips and tools used to successfully recreate each dish.

The web site is continuously updated with new video recipes, say Garafalo, with

downside is that pasta being made this way will not have that rustic and rough look, fundamental to holding sauces and giving a better ‘mouthfeel’ experience when eaten.

Once pasta has been cut and shaped, it is then slowly dried through a very traditional method of warm air at a constant temperature. This process ensures there are no cracks and discoloration in the finished product, now ready for packaging.

Accelerating this process permits faster, cheaper, mass production, at the expense of quality Perfect pasta Essentially, all pasta starts out as fresh pasta but some is made to be eaten ‘soft’. Fresh pasta, for example, can be made with slightly different ingredients than the dried variety.

Many northern regions of Italy use allpurpose flour and eggs, while southern Italy usually makes theirs from semolina and water (serving pasta that has been made fresh on the same day shows a great deal of care in preparation and a high level of pride in the household's culinary skills).

base technique recipes such as pastries and sauces being streamed for free, while other videos covering savoury and sweet dishes across a range of ingredients can be bought as single or groups of recipes.

Unforketable is not like a traditional cookery lesson, however, where techniques and skills can be forgotten as time goes by. Each video can be streamed to a personal folder on the Unforketable web site for future watching over and over again, meaning that it is like having your own personal teacher at the time you need it and a library of their knowledge at home, say Garafalo.

Unforketable also allows for a flexible learning approach. Whether viewed on a computer or mobile device via the app, it enables you to watch the videos at home or on the move, pause and replay in your own time to learn the skills and recreate the dishes.

‘Watch’, ‘Cook’ and ‘Taste’ are the key words describing Unforketable, whether for enthusiastic home cooks who want to create great Italian dishes for friends and family, or chefs who want to acquire and boost skills and techniques from someone at the top of their profession.

“Fresh pasta is not inherently better than dried pasta, it is just different and is used in different situations,” says Paolo Veneroni.

“Some types of pasta are served only fresh, others only dried and some others can have fresh and dried versions.

“When buying either fresh or dried pasta, look for a well packaged brand that uses the best ingredients such as only semolina flour for dried pasta. The pasta should have a rough surface and should not be too smooth. Remember too, to stay away from mass-produced cheap pasta, you will just be disappointed come cooking time. However, also remember not to overcook your pasta the world’s greatest sauce cannot save mushy pasta.

“It also cannot be stressed enough, but cook pasta until it is al dente, meaning firm to the teeth, yet tender. Many restaurants still cook pasta too long, a minute, minute and a half less of the stated cooking time will give you the authentic Italian dish.”

Another key to perfectly cooked pasta, advise CQS, is to use a large cooking pot and plenty of salted water. This will stop the pasta

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pasta from sticking and will also ensure every inch of pasta will be cooked through.

“Don't forget to add plenty of salt to the cooking water before adding the pasta - it helps the pasta retain its proteins and gluten,” adds Paolo Veneroni. “And when draining, remember to save about a cup of the water in the pot. This starchy water will add a little body to whatever sauce you use.

Finally, never, ever rinse off the pasta in cold water, unless you're making pasta salad.

Washing off all that starch and salt will kill any flavour and nutritional properties your pasta once had.”

When it comes to sauce, it is really up to personal preference unless you are trying to follow a traditional recipe. A good rule is to

remember simple pasta works best with simple sauces while complex shaped pastas are ideal for thicker sauces, explain CQS. “There is no shortage of great pasta and sauce combinations and each is worth trying. However it is important that you use high quality pasta cooked properly to ensure authentic flavour,” says Paolo Veneroni.

To help ensure that food service outlets have access to the best possible dried pasta possible, CQS reports that it is introducing a new range of La Molisana pasta – The Vintage Assortment. Combining production expertise along with the knowledge of skilled pasta makers, La Molisana has been able to create this new ‘Vintage’ range of quality pasta containing more than 15% protein. It includes Fusilloni Superiori, Spaghetti Ruvidi, Rigatoni Divani, Pennoni Rigati, Paccheri Reali, Mezzi Rigatoni, Linguine No.6 and Calamarat Sublim to name but a few.

“Pasta Gragnano” Gragnano, near Naples, in southern Italy is synonymous with Italy’s pasta-making tradition. Although there are not as many pasta companies located there these days, there are still some well-established and expert family-run ones that remain to carry on the strong pasta making tradition, as well as supply the UK Italian food market’s increasing demand for good quality pasta with artisanal credentials.

The Di Martino pasta company, for example, is a third generation family business, the Di Martino family having owned and run their company since 1912, through thick and thin – volcanic eruptions, war and associated political regimes. Their dedication for pasta is as deep as their one hundred years of experience and irrepressible passion for research, craftsmanship and respect for their work, feel the company, and, as a result, the insights and innovations of these three generations of pasta makers means that they have become a very authoritative point of reference in the world market of Gragnano pasta.

Their pasta is made using 100% fine durum wheat semolina, all sourced from Italy, and containing an impressive 14% protein making it 40% more resistant to cooking and highly digestible, claim the firm.

The Di Martino production site is situated in Gragnano at the beginning of the marvellous Sorrento Coast. This ancient town is surrounded by the Lattari mountains close to the sea and here, the sea breeze and the mild climate

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conditions combine to make this particular location perfect for pasta production, where back in the day, pasta would be hung out to dry in the streets to catch the breeze. Thus, because of its five hundred year plus history of the production of high quality durum wheat pasta, Gragnano has become known worldwide as the European Capital of Pasta with PGI status.

PGI stands for Protected Geographical Indication and is the most prestigious award in Europe when it comes to traditional food products, for it serves to protect the authenticity and the strict process of production of Gragnano pasta.

Only the pastas produced in this town according to Gragnano’s ancient certified method - using only the best durum wheat semolina mixed to the local spring water, and following the process of slow extrusion through a bronze die and slow drying at low temperature – can be termed pasta Gragnano. Slow extrusion of the dough through a bronze die gives PGI Gragnano pasta its very rough surface that allows it to retain the sauces, as well as keep all the tasty flavours that convey the nature of the fresh wheat, this ensuring a bond between the pasta and its sauce.

New launches The newly launched Good Deli Company (www.gooddelicompany.co.uk), a subsidiary of Donatantonio, is a supplier of global speciality ingredients and fine foods. With its dedication to sourcing premium ingredients, its pasta, produced in the regions of Italy, is setting out to bring an authentic and quality element to those enjoying it, say the company.

“Dry pasta is a staple in authentic Italian cooking and as it can be stored almost indefinitely, the possibilities and convenience have never been more popular. With certain cooking and eating trends, pasta is now starting to develop into something that everyone can enjoy,” says Lara Bicknell, sales director.

Good Deli Company say that they offer a variety of premium dried pastas to accommodate any caterers menu. Within the Lupetta range, the pasta shapes available currently include Strozzapreti, Spaghetti, Tortiglioni and Fusilli, and all are high protein, bronzed-die pasta, say the firm.

All four of these have a 14% higher protein content than normal pasta meaning that they hold their shape longer when cooking, and as the bronze dies create a porous surface, this allows the pasta to cook evenly giving a good ‘al dente’ texture, as well as absorbing more sauce.

“An array of different options are now starting to pop up all over the catering sectors and consumers are starting to see a lot of changes on the menu to give option to those who enjoy pasta or have dietary requirements.

With this, we are seeing a notable trend in ‘free from’ products across many areas of cooking, especially dried pasta,” observes Lara Bicknell.

Good Deli Company believes in giving the option for caterers and so they offer a range of gluten free dried pastas. Offering lasagne, fusilli, penne and spaghetti gluten-free options, the staple basis of Italian food can still be enjoyed by many. As well as this, many consumers are also starting to switch to ‘wholewheat’ across many products they enjoy and establishments are commonly offering this alternative too (Good Deli Company offers wholewheat penne, fusilli and spaghetti to give chefs and consumers alike the choice of a few options on the menu).

Britain’s gluten-free bakery brand, Mrs Crimble’s, reports that it has created a new range of pasta and sauce in three flavours – Fusilli with a Rich Tomato and Mediterranean Herb Sauce, Fusilli with a Gourmet Mushroom and Cream Sauce and Fusilli with a Cheese and White Wine Sauce.

The pastas will be part of a new family of gluten free products called Gluten Free…and Good For Me which are lower in fat, caloriecounted and designed to provide a quick and delicious balanced meal or a sustaining snack when on the go, say the company.

These tasty pastas have been made with real Italian fusilli, providing a much needed

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pasta

(Image credit: Good Deli Company)

point of provenience on the free from fixture, feel the brand (they also carry an on pack endorsement from England Netball – helping to reinforce the products’ positive nutritional benefits).

The three pastas are the first products available within the free-from world which combine pasta made from corn with a dried sauce – they can be prepared in 10 minutes by adding boiling water and cooking them on a hob or they can be microwaved.

TOP TIPS FOR PASTA CHEF OF THE YEAR COMPETITION 2015 Fully cooked frozen pasta – made from fresh dough Keck Pasta is premium quality pasta made specifically for restaurant chains. In order to make your life in the kitchen as easy as possible, Keck have some top hints and tips to get you started. Keck Pasta is fully cooked from fresh before freezing. Therefore no precooking on the part of the chef is even necessary.

The regeneration of Keck pasta is easy, and the most convenient methods of cooking for the Pasta Chef Competition 2015 are as follows.

1. To put the fully cooked frozen pasta in a pasta cooker in lightly salted water (95°C) - short cut pasta will need 30 seconds only.

- pasta nests will need 75 seconds only.

2. To put the fully cooked frozen pasta directly into a saucepan with your prepared heated sauce.

Other possible alternatives for regeneration include 1. In a microwave - the pasta can be easily reheated in a closed container. Time depends on the type of microwave.

2. In a combi-steamer - it takes about four minutes to regenerate the frozen pasta (just put it into a perforated container).

The filled pasta is pre-cooked as well. For regeneration Keck recommend the following.

1. To heat the filled pasta in boiling salted water for two minutes.

2. To steam the filled pasta in a combisteamer for four minutes.

Many chefs at restaurant chains and pub groups prefer Keck Pasta because it does not stick together as it is lightly coated with vegetable oil, there is no food waste as Pasta is regenerated by portion and no pre-cooking is required, only regeneration, making Keck Pasta a good choice for food service.

Turn to page ? to find out more details about how to enter the competition.

new product

The new ThermaQ Alarm Thermometer from ETI Designed for accuracy and performance at an affordable price, the new ThermaQ hand-held digital alarm thermometer from ETI, provides a range of enhanced features to meet the demands of both industrial and food production users.

Measuring temperature over the range of -99.9 to 299.9 °C with a 0.1 °C resolution or 300 to 1372 °C with a 1 °C resolution, the unit features a large, easy to read LCD display with °C/°F, T1, T2, max/min, open circuit, low battery indication, programmable high/low audible alarm and a user selectable backlight.

The instrument is housed in an ergonomic, ABS case that includes 'Biomaster' additive which reduces bacterial growth. An integrated rubber seal ensures complete water resistance and helps reduce the possibility of damage in harsh environments. Priced at £75 each exclusive of VAT, it is available direct from Electronic Temperature Instruments Ltd (call 01903 202151, or visit www.etiltd.com).

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WHAT'S THE CONNECTION? PAPA'S TENDER SERVICE We've sent business opportunities worth £1000s to our members.

If you're not a member, we haven't sent you any.

JOIN TODAY

tel: 01291 636333 web: www.papa.org.uk June 2015

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Pizza Hut’s re-invigorating refurbishment

Pizza Hut, who embarked upon a £60 million refurbishment and restructuring programme across its UK business secured through private equity investment from Rutland Partners in late 2012, report that some 82 of their 275 stores have now been successfully refurbished.

On track The refurbishment began nearly a year and a half ago, and means that a third of their UK estate has now been refurbished, currently representing 35% of their sales according to their chief finance officer, Adrian Walker, at a ‘progress report’ briefing held at their flagship Pizza Hut store in the Strand, London, recently.

By the end of 2015, Pizza Hut expect to have achieved 50% of their refurbishment programme, equating to over 60% of their sales, with completion anticipated to have taken place by the end 2016.

Upon refurbishment, Pizza Hut report that the store in question can experience a sales lift anywhere between 10 and 40%, depending on the nature, location and profile of the store (their flagship sites, such as the one in the Strand, London, being a particularly popular one with tourists and visiting school children, for example).

Half a million pounds was spent on the refurbishment of the busy Strand site, which opened in February of this year, and has gone on to enjoy 25% sales growth, and 20% volume growth, noted Adrian Walker, who attributed this to new customers, as well as to previous customers

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returning having been attracted by the new look layout. Industry tracker information has also revealed to the high street chain that this particular site, having once been behind its immediate local competition, has now seen positive growth, and gone on to overtake competitor brands in the area.

A welcoming, sharing theme The redesigned restaurants offer guests a more open and inviting dining space, feel Pizza Hut, benefitting from enhanced lighting schemes and bolder external facades which all signal the new dining experience. Bolder lighting, and booths, are just two design aspects that have already proved popular, with positive feedback from customers, report the brand’s management team.

The refurbishment programme centres not only around distinctive new décor aimed at making the brand a welcoming, fun and visuallyappealing place in which to be – there are pictures of people enjoying their Pizza Huts meals on the walls, for instance - but a new ‘open’ bar area and menu too. The pizza serving and making area is also more visible with a hatch area.

The menu now features chef’s

specials pizzas such as Philly Cheese Steak, mocktails, innovative desserts and new sides for people to share and enjoy, as well as new serving styles too (pizzas served with pizza cutters and taking centre-stage on special frames which lift them clear of the table, for example). At the same time, the brand says that it has been careful to retain ‘old favourites’ (the ice cream factory and free salad remain).

Desserts include warm cookie dough and ice cream, and there are speciality drinks, as well as a self-service soft drinks hub allowing guests to refill drinks at their leisure. The brand new menu’s sides include ribs, wings and fries, as well as various dipping sauces – all aimed to appeal to a wide range of customer tastes, as well as the sharing trend.

Pizza Hut also revealed that they have been optimising their table layouts – in some cases cutting down on the number of tables if, for example, it becomes transparent that a table for six only ever tends to seat two, and so can be used more frequently by two people than by a less frequent group of six, say.

In addition, they have also been utilising social media, both when it comes to their customer

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profile feedback, and as a motivational and Pizza Hut community-focused tool for their members of staff (called Yammer), who are encouraged to come up with menu ideas, as well as enter the chain’s yearly pizza making competition, with the winning flavours then having the chance to showcase on the menu itself.

Their Strand restaurant is a very busy one, one of their top five performing stores in the country, revealed Henry Birts, Pizza Hut’s deputy MD, and they had chosen it to be refurbishment number 64 because it was representative in terms of demographics – a strong leisure site with plenty of competition – and so would provide a good opportunity for them to learn from the process.

“We are not a central Londonbased brand,” said Henry Birts,“but genuinely national and so we do things from a national perspective.

Our restaurants in Wales, Scotland and the South West are just as

Philly Cheese Steak pizza.

important as our Central London ones.”

Adrian Walker pointed out that before a new look store could start, a lot of work operationally with the managing teams was required behind the scenes.“We have to make sure that the area manager can support the transition,” he said,“and we refurbish one restaurant per area per quarter. We do not cherry-pick sites to do. There are still plenty of ‘jewels in the crown’ to do.”

Future In summarising the future outlook for the brand in the UK, Henry Birts talked about an

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increasingly informal, inclusive and fun environment aimed at giving the customer a positive experience characterised by good service and a good environment.

More than this would be needed, however, he added, emphasising that it was not simply a matter of focusing on design, but that an important part of the journey was to now focus on the reliability of delivery.

“Pizza Hut is a durable, successful 40-year old brand, which relies on operational excellence and execution,” said Henry Birts.“You are only as good as your last shift, and you need to be consistent today, tomorrow and the day after that. This will continue to determine the success. We are delighted with where we are, but there is strong competition from younger players out there, and this and our customers keeps us on our toes.”

The sky was the limit, however, and this was only the start of the journey, felt Henry Birts.

“Looking forward, there are still two thirds of the stores to do, so we still have and exciting and improving programme ahead of us to pursue,” he added.

Menu development was a very important aspect of their plans as tastes evolved in vibrant stores, but at the same time they also needed to leverage their technology - such as the enhancement of the overall Pizza Hut dining experience through the use of social media.

They were, he acknowledged, compared to their competitors and newer concepts, perhaps still early on in the journey of catering for the pre-family millennial generation, although it was no coincidence that their store setup now featured a young and vibrant bar area.

Finally, the most important aspect to their continued success, felt Henry Birts, would be the empowering of their staff so as to help take the brand even further through their passion for the products, creativity and ideas. This would mean ensuring that they had the right equipment and tools for the job in what Henry Birts felt was likely to be the most exciting, but most challenging, part of business in the future, given the issue of staff retention in the hospitality sector.

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Pizza making on the Edge Just over eight weeks in and the Sunshine Pizza Oven is showing all the signs of becoming a thriving little business. Here, its coproprietor, Danyel Cox, looks back through the blur of a hectic few months setting up a mobile pizza concept with his partner, Sarah Lagden.

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community groups and, as a result, waded through the mountains of paperwork with relative ease.

A mobile oven, rather than a static one, was always going to be the way forward for us for reasons of cost and lifestyle. Both of us have travelled extensively, we love being outdoors and the idea of being stuck in one spot appealed to neither of us.

A plan comes together We started looking at ovens online and very soon chose a Dragon oven. We realised they shared the same dialling code as Sarah’s mum, and it turned out they were based two miles down the road from her – one of the many synchronicities that lined our path as we set up the business! And all in all, we have been very happy with the decision to go with Dragon Ovens.

Then we found out about Welbeck’s Artisan School of Food from Yvonne O’Donovan, head of Picture credit - Dan Hall

Aquaponics to pizza My partner Sarah and I were originally looking to set up an aquaponics business, growing micro-vegetables and herbs for restaurants. After some research and visits to existing installations, however, we realised it would be very capital and labour intensive and we would struggle to break even.

In May 2014, we started to see a mobile, wood-fired pizza oven out and about in Sheffield and thought such an oven would be perfect for Sarah’s brother, who had been making pizzas for years.

One evening, after chatting to the owner over a pizza, we realised there and then that a mobile pizza oven would also be a great option for us and from then on we threw ourselves wholeheartedly into making it happen.

Sarah enrolled on a course at Sheffield College on how to set up your own business, we both joined a social media course, and my mum and I both attended an artisan pizza baking day at the School of Artisan Food, Welbeck, Nottinghamshire.

I was already quite familiar with catering. My dad was in the Army Catering Corps for 24 years, my family owned and ran a successful restaurant for many years in Weymouth, and I have worked in various catering establishments in my time. The food side of things held little fear for me and I looked forward to the buzz of it all again.

Sarah worked in the community sector for many years, supporting social enterprises and

business and enterprise at the school (Sarah having rented a cabin in Yvonne’s garden when she moved to Sheffield from the north of Scotland). The pizza making course was very interesting and helpful, mainly for the tactile aspects of dough making – there’s nothing quite like working with dough to get a feel for how it behaves and responds.

Emmanuel Hadjiandreou, who runs the course, has a lifetime of experience as a baker to share with his students. I came away with a much better understanding of the biology and chemistry of dough making, accompanied by an appreciation of the importance of having the correct equipment for the job. Plastic dough scrapers, for example - such a simple yet perfect tool!

When we told the teacher of our social media course - a keen climber - of our new business venture, he remarked on how great it would be to sell pizzas to Stanage Edge.

all the hungry climbers, walkers and cyclists at Stanage. Stanage Edge is a spectacular grit stone escarpment overlooking Hathersage, in the heart of the Peak District, and is famous with climbers throughout the world.

The thought of being based there, only eight miles from our home, appealed no end to Sarah and I, and we were delighted when Chris Pownall at the Peak District National Park told us that the concession for the year for Stanage car park was about to go out to tender. We applied and two weeks later found out that the pitch would be ours for a whole year from April 1st 2015! No more endless filling in of festival applications for us – instead we would be based at Stanage, where we could really learn our craft, instead of having to churn out thousands of pizzas at different festivals just to cover the pitch fees.

Launch Our first day of trading was set for April 1, just before the Easter weekend, and the oven was due at the end of February, leaving us plenty of time to get to grips with the oven and practise making pizzas for friends and at small charity events.

However, the end of February came and went with no sign of the oven. Matt at Dragon Ovens explained that VOSA had

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profile

introduced new regulations and tests for trailers the previous year as well as undertaking an overhaul of their computer systems and that our trailer was stuck in the resulting queue.

www.papa.org.uk

Eventually, the oven was ready to collect on the 25 March, giving us six days to get ready! I had rather inconveniently hit myself in the eye whilst clearing space in the garden and then spent the next

three days braving the wind and rain, wearing an eye patch, lighting small fires in the oven to season it, before it could be brought up to full heat. Meanwhile, Sarah was at home frantically trying to finish off all the other last minute jobs, my mum was perfecting the tomato sauce recipe and brother David drove up for a week to help with the pizza practise!

On the 28 March we got to make the first pizzas in the oven and it was a steep learning curve!

The first base I made, sheltered under our gazebo in the rain, was about the size of a pitta bread and the thickness of a crumpet. But within 48 hours, with plenty of trial and error, the bases were much more respectable, and on April 1st - a very rainy Good Friday - we were ready, by the skin of our teeth, to go and practise setting up the stall and firing up the oven for the first time at its new base at Stanage. We had one customer that afternoon.

The dough recipe we use is basically the same as the in From the Wood-fired Oven by Richard Miscovich, with a little sourdough starter thrown in. The recipe is 65%

hydration, 1.8% salt and 0.2% yeast, which translates as 3kg flour, 1950ml water, 54g salt, and 6g yeast in approximately 50 ml water, with an autolyse at the start when the sourdough is added.

Following discussions with local bakers at the Forge Bakehouse and the Seven Hills Bakery - both graduates of the Welbeck School of Artisan Food - I have gradually extended my mixing, which stands currently at two to three minutes pre-mix, 25–30 minutes autolyse, three minutes at low speed timed from when the salt is added, followed by three and half minutes at medium speed and one minute at low speed again. And all done in a sturdy old 20 quart Hobart mixer.

As luck would have it, my dad had accumulated four mixing bowls for this type of mixer and he donated them to us. Now the cement has been cleaned off them, we have the capacity to mix over 25kg of dough in one session.

Currently this takes about 1 hour 40 minutes but every time a few minutes are shaved off through increasing efficiency, despite extending the mixing time. These longer mixing times result in much

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profile stretchier, stronger dough, which is easier to handle: this is no doubt obvious to a seasoned baker, but all part of our learning experience.

Sarah and I are both committed to good quality and organic food.

We buy our vegetables from a local Community Supported Agriculture scheme and have our own allotment, although it has been rather neglected this spring.

Once we had the idea of the business, it went without saying that we would be using high quality ingredients and organic flour. Frozen dough balls, pregrated mozzarella and the like were never going to be the path for us.

We source our flour through Lembas - a wholefood cooperative in Sheffield - and generally use a combination of strong, white organic flours. The mix always contains at least 35% Gilchester stoneground flour, consisting of a blend of rare breed varieties of wheat and providing a delicious nutty flavour, and a combination of Dove’s Farm Biobake or similar and Shipton Mill No. 4.

Dough making For me, one of the challenges of dough making is to get a consistent dough that performs well over several days, regardless of the weather. I suspect there is no perfect formula, especially as we use cool boxes rather than refrigerators to store the dough in transit and on site. It’s all part of the experience - fascinating in its own right, but infuriating when there is a queue of people waiting and the dough refuses to stretch and tears at the slightest provocation!

I have so much to learn about dough, but this is a good thing as

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it keeps me interested and stimulated. I have worked in chain pub kitchens as a ‘microwave technician’ and I much prefer this way of making food.

One of our many challenges was always going to be stretching the bases and doing it quickly enough to minimise waiting times for customers. We don’t use a dough roller, the main reasons for this being that we don’t want to disturb the tranquillity at Stanage with a generator, and a dough roller would reduce the quality of the bases, producing uniform discs. Also, I have only one hand (my right arm finishes at the elbow). Other than pushing wheelbarrows, being one-handed has never stopped me in life, and now it turns out that my stump makes an excellent dough hanging device!

First the dough is stretched by hand on a wooden board until it’s about six inches across, then hung on my arm and gently pulled and pinched out, with the aid of gravity, until a base of about 12–14” diameter with a cornice around the edge is created. Fine semolina flour – another trick gleaned from the School of Artisan

Food – is used to stop the bases from sticking.

Well received Over the last eight weeks of serving wood-fired pizza at Stanage, as well as weekly or fortnightly pitches at a pub, a café and a climbing wall, and a few local festivals in Sheffield, we have received many compliments on our pizza bases, for their crisp and chewy texture and full flavour.

With the lengthened mixing time, the right environmental conditions and a pinch of good luck, these bases are beautifully thin and surprisingly strong handy when at Stanage, as it’s often more than a little breezy!

Baking pizza in a wood-fired oven, which gets up to 450oC, really brings out the taste and this only takes between one and half to two minutes when it is up to temperature. We serve customers of many different nationalities out in the National Park, including Italians. One group of Italians, who have started eating regularly with us when we’re parked up in front of our local café, sing our pizzas’ praises, which is heartening to hear.

We’ve been running the business for just over eight weeks now and, thanks to our growing team of helpers, we’re getting pretty good at turning out delicious high quality pizzas in next to no time. Goat’s cheese, wild garlic and pine nuts is our current seasonal special, and this season’s asparagus has featured on the menu too.

It’s certainly proving to be very hard work. Our home looks like a storage unit, the loading and unloading of the van seems never ending and sometimes we’re washing up until one in the morning, but it’s also extremely satisfying. The contented, friendly customers, the happy landlords, the spectacular view of Stanage Edge, the fresh air (with the odd waft of wood smoke) and the call of curlews, cuckoos and snipe more than outweigh the blown out days and the wasted dough due to bad weather.

Knowing that we use authentic ingredients - fresh mozzarella, and basil grown in the Peak District, for example - also adds to the sense that we are doing things properly and not just making a quick buck.

Practically every day we get more bookings and enquiries, including film shoots, private parties, festivals and pubs, and we are about to start preparing for a week at the Sheffield International Documentary Festival.

The initial rush of setting up has passed, the period of exhaustion has been overcome and we are now hopefully moving into the steady day-to-day running of our business. There will doubtless be further ups and downs and challenges on the way, but right now we are both happy where we are.

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italian regions

Puglia Get to know

Down the tacco d’Italia (heel of Italy) lies the undiscovered gastronomic region of Puglia - a stunning stretch of land nestled between the blue hues of the Adriatic and Ionian seas. With villages perched on limestone sea cliffs, quaint fishing towns with cobbled streets and silver-green olives groves, it’s been the culinary secret of the Pugliese for centuries. Now, having been featured on television and in recent book launches, it is gradually coming to fore to offer new ‘food for thought’.

New books Rich in olive oil, seafood and wine, Puglia is steeped in history with the Greek, Byzantines, Turks, Venetians and the Spanish having left their indelible marks on the landscape, culture and, of course, the cuisine - the subject of two new recently-launched books about the region, as well as the inspiration for Pulia (a freshly-launched southern Italian deli concept that has opened in London).

Sharing Puglia is chef Luca Lorusso’s homage to his family’s home-cooked recipes that have shaped his career. Alongside food writer Vivienne Polak, he brings you dishes from the kitchens of Puglia that celebrates their uncomplicated and deeply satisfying, nutritious tradition of eating.

Luca Lorusso was born in Corato in Puglia, where his family lived on the edge of town in a house which backed onto fields abundant

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Torta soffice all'arancia (soft orange tart) from Foggia

with olive trees, tomato plants and fruit trees.

Luca’s love of cooking comes from his ‘mamma,’ he says, who cooked meals for his large family using local and seasonal produce and who encouraged him to see cooking and food as a means to bring together family and friends. Luca Lorusso now lives in Melbourne, Australia, where he runs a restaurant serving food inspired by Puglia. Running a restaurant is very different from cooking for family and friends, he feels, but the essence is the same use quality ingredients, simple and effective cooking methods, and lots of love and passion.

Vivienne Polak says that she has always had a passion and interest in food and entertaining, as well as a great love for travel, having spent much of her life visiting new places with family and friends in tow. Her interest in discovering and preserving familial and traditional recipes has brought her to the treasure trove that is the cuisine of Puglia, a place she fell in love with on her first visit to the region.

Typical Puglian dishes featured in the duo’s book includes warm crostata di albicocche (apricot tart), as well as tasty snacks of carciofi fritti (fried artichokes) and bite-size pieces of foccacia Barese for dipping in rich Puglian olive oil before a meal.

Orata alla griglia con peperoni (grilled snapper with peppers) makes a great addition to a summer BBQ, suggests the book or, for when a quick and simple mid-week supper is in order, there’s the ear-shaped pasta which reigns supreme as the signature dish of Puglia - orecchiette con cime di rape.

A slow-roasted maiale al forno con le mele (roast pork with apples) is the perfect lazy Sunday lunch, suggest the authors, and no

meal would be complete without an indulgent slice of torte alla nocciola (chocolate hazelnut cake) or the addictivelygood biscotti al pistacchio (pistachio biscuits) that can be dipped into hot coffee or sweet, fragrant tea.

Sharing Puglia records some ancient dishes, as well as some of Luca Lorusso’s favourite family stories and secret recipes, enabling the reader to discover another side of regional Italian cooking with Luca transforming the rustic peasant food of the south with his own interpretation of cucina povera - ‘cuisine of the poor’ – so as to highlight the best that Puglia has to offer.

Pasta e pomodori al forno (pasta and tomato bake) from Taranto.

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italian regions Puglia (the third book in The Silver Spoon's popular regional series) also sets out to shed light on the Italian region that has so far been a best-kept culinary secret and travel destination for foodie tourists in the know.

This book features more than 50 authentic, easy-to-prepare recipes from both Puglia as well as the neighbouring region of Basilicata, providing a fascinating study of the history and culinary heritage of these two southern regions.

The art of cooking is a proud tradition in Puglia and Basilicata. Local cooks have an inherent ability to coax deeply authentic flavours from the local abundance of quality grains, vegetables, wild herbs and game.

'Cucina povera' is the term given there to the honest and often frugal dishes which often use just a few simple ingredients yet create something quite remarkable.

Each chapter examines a single province,

providing a fascinating narrative text of that area and celebrating the key produce and ingredients that are found there (baccalà from Bari, creamy burrata from Andria and ricotta from Brindisa). Also within each chapter are a range of recipes typical to that province. From Foggia there is a recipe for panacotto (bread soup), and from Taranto there is pasta e pomodori al forno (pasta and tomato bake). Also from Foggia is the recipe torta soffice all'arancia (soft orange tart) and chestnut pastries from Potenza.

As well as providing a visual feast with a range of striking photography of the

architecture, landscape, produce and people, this book certainly makes the reader want to visit Puglia and Basilicata.

The Silver Spoon first conceived and published a select group of cooking experts were commissioned to collect hundreds of traditional Italian recipes and make them available for the first time to a wider modern audience. In the process, they updated ingredients, quantities and methods to suit contemporary tastes and customs, while preserving the memory of ancient recipes for future generations (other titles in The Silver Spoon regional cookbook series include Tuscany and Sicily).

Tastes of Puglia Following in the footsteps of recent openings in Milan, Venice, Torino and Florence, a unique new multi-sensory Italian deli concept - Pulia (www.pulia.com/en/) - has launched its first site outside its Italian homeland.

Located near to the food lovers’ paradise that is London’s Borough Market, it specialises in produce from Puglia in the south of Italy, a region known for the quality, authenticity and taste of its food.

The rich soil, the balanced Mediterranean climate and the traditional cooking practices which have been passed down through the generations are the secrets behind the unique Apulian food and cuisine – secrets that can now be shared with UK audiences for the very first time, claim the outlet that features a deli as well as a sit down dining area.

Pulia is a new business venture formed by a group of successful entrepreneurs from Italy and the UK who between them have more than 70 years’ experience in the food, fashion and financial sectors.

UK-based entrepreneur, Georges Tohme, has eight years’ experience in private equity and property investment in the UK, Germany, France, South Africa and the Middle East. His

www.papa.org.uk

background, and his love of traditional regional Italian food, made him a natural fit when the owners of Pulia, Italy who were looking for a partner to launch their first overseas venture.

Michele Lastilla is the founder of Pulia Italy. He has 30 years’ experience in the fashion retail industry, working for brands such as Alberto Aspesi, Hugo Boss, DKNY and Stuart Weitzman. He is currently involved in both fashion and food retail.

Michele Lastilla’s business partner, Mario Rummo, comes from a family with five generations in the food industry.

Previously head of Rummo Pasta - a leading pasta manufacturer in Italy - he was president of the Italian Industrial Pasta Association from 1999 until 2008. Sharing a similar

background, both men decided to put their passion for all things Apulian, in particular its cuisine, to launch the Pulia brand on a global basis through a portfolio of shops and products.

At Pulia, you will find typical Apulian products as focaccia, panzerotti, pizza rustica, different types of parmigiana, burrata and mozzarella cheeses, salads, dried

pastas, olive oils and wine, along with natural organic smoothies and specialist coffees.

These are complemented by a range of traditional Apulian delicacies such as rustici (puff pastry delicacies), crocche di patate (potatoes with a variety of fillings) and pasticciotto (typical custard pie).

Designed to feature a riot of colour, aroma and flavour against a bright, contemporary backdrop enlivened with a series of vivid, handcrafted tiles, the company’s simply and elegantly packaged products are branded “Pulia” (the company having reached agreements with artisan food, wine and olive oil producers in the area), and aside from the retail operation, there is a 30-seater dining area so that customers have the opportunity to eat Pulia’s delicious fare on site.cx

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pizza my world

Pizza My World Just Eat is an online food ordering facility which began in Denmark and arrived back in the UK in 2006, having enjoyed considerable success ever since by enabling local UK delivery restaurants to stand toe-to-toe with the national pizza chains. Lucy Milne is the brand’s UK marketing director. about what’s happening in other areas of the business. I’m always blown away by how much passion for the UK takeaway market the management team have, and it really does trickle down through the business. For my part, it’s time to figure out how all our marketing and internal communications can support the rest of the business.

7.00am 7.00am My kids are doing their best to save the batteries in my alarm clock by waking me up nice and early, as per usual. Once I’ve dressed, fed and watered the brood I send them off to school.

8.30am 8.30am It’s Friday, so I’m driving to Just Eat’s Borehamwood home. We’re sandwiched in between Albert Square and the Big Brother compound – the famous Elstree studios are right next door. Before I arrive, I’ve already had a handsfree chinwag with our head of brand, Vicki, so she’s occasionally treated to hearing me exchange pleasantries with other drivers!

5.30pm 5.30pm

9.00am 9.00am You’ll find me in Borehamwood everyday apart from Tuesday, when I head to our group offices next to the Old Bailey in London. I normally try to keep the first hour free to talk project updates and get to grips with any developments from the takeaway world that might be of interest to us, or to our restaurant partners.

10.00am m 10.00a Time for some marketing chitchat - the department’s very informal weekly update in the internal design studio. Today, the social networking team have been updating us on the public’s great reaction to our ‘mini fist pump truck’, which has been handing out free pizza in high footfall areas. Stunts like this keep the Just Eat brand at the top of people’s minds, reminding them

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about takeaway food being the ultimate small victory!

they’ve been running. Definitely a perk of working at Just Eat!

10.55am m 10.55a

2.30pm 2.30pm

I’ll chat with Paul, head of B2B marketing, after lunch. His team and their colleagues up and down the land have excellent relations with our restaurant partners, helping them do all they can to drive orders. Paul tells me we’ve been making great strides in getting our great new branding out in the high street.

Next week I’ll be in Milton Keynes for our national sales conference.

This is my chance to present the latest campaign work to the sales team and get them excited about what’s coming up now that it’s been established for a few months. So my next hour, I’m catching up with the brand team to establish the highlights and learnings we can share with this audience.

1.05pm m 1.05p Even though it’s the end of the week, Friday always seems like the most rushed day, so no time to stop for lunch, but fortunately someone has ordered in some pizza as part of a workshop

4.00pm 4.00pm We’ve just had our UK management meeting, which takes place every two weeks and is a great way for us to learn

Time to head home. I’ll pop my head into the design studio to say goodnight, where the creative team have been working on some great new B2B work this week. They recently worked on a really funny calendar to go out to all our restaurant partners as a surprise. They’re cooking up a few more innovative treats for later in the year too which we really hope they love! They’ve also just finished designing some cool new pizza boxes, which look fab and will help drive brand engagement even further.

7.49pm m 7.49p I’m lucky to be invited to some really fantastic industry events, such as the British Curry Awards and the PAPAs, so they sometimes keep me busy (and entertained) long into the evening. But tonight I’m free, so can enjoy a bit of down time. My amazing husband will typically cook me dinner (it’s ok, the Don’t Cook campaign is long gone) while I cast one last eye over emails. Then we can settle down on the sofa and finally catch up on this week’s Broadchurch. A definite mini fist pump moment before I’m off to bed!

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index of products 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

Cater-Bake UK South Boundary Road, Knowsley Industrial Park, Merseyside, Liverpool L33 7RR Contact: Mark Hutchings Tel: 0151 548 5818 Fax: 0151 548 5835 www.cater-bake.co.uk sales@cater-bake.co.uk Chefsrange Unit 3&4 Turnpike Close, Lutterworth, Leicestershire LE17 4YB Contact: Tim Charlton Tel: 01455 559969 Fax: 01455 559979 tim@euro-catering.co.uk www.chefsrange.co.uk

REGISTERED SUPPLIERS 999 Pizza Toppings (UK) Ltd. Unit 6, Teakcroft, Fairview Industrial Park, Marsh Way, Rainham, Essex RM13 8UH Contact: Homayoun Aminnia Tel: 01708 558885 Fax: 01708 555022 sales@999pizzatoppings.com Allied Mills Ltd. Sunblest Flour Mill, Port of Tilbury, Tilbury, Essex RM18 7JR Contact: Chris Brown Tel: 01375 363100 Fax: 01375 363199 chris.brown@allied-mills.co.uk www.allied-mills-semolina.co.uk Bakkavor Pizza Forward Drive, Christchurch Avenue, Harrow, Middlesex, HA3 8NT Contact: Soum Ghosal Tel: 0208 4242666 Fax: 0208 4200606 soum.ghosal@bakkavor.co.uk www.bakkavor.co.uk Bel UK Ltd Suite 1, 2nd Floor, 160 London Road, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1BT Contact: Cedric Blanpied Tel: 0333 900 2020 Fax: 01732 467596 cblanpied@groupe-bel.com www.bel-uk.co.uk Benier UK 56 Alston Drive, Bradwell, Abbey, Milton Keynes MK13 9HB Contact: David Marsh Tel: 01908 312333 Fax: 01908 311481 www.benier.co.uk sales@benier.co.uk C.Carnevale Ltd Carnevale House, Blundell St, London N7 9BN Contact: Mr C Carnevale Tel: 0207 607 8777 Fax: 0207 607 8774

www.papa.org.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 www.mcstechproducts.co.uk

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

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

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

Eurilait Ltd Leighton Lane Industrial Estate, Leighton Lane, Evercreech BA4 6LQ Contact: Paul Bates Tel: 01749 838100 / Fax: 01749 831247 paulbates@eurilait co.uk www.eurilait.co.uk Freiberger UK Ltd Broadgate House, Westlode Street, Spalding, Lincolnshire PE11 2AF Contact: Richard Harrow Tel: 01775 767655 01775 767656 richard.harrow@freibergerukltd.co.uk General Mills UK Ltd. Harman House, 1 George Street, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 1QQ Contact: Bianca Coeln Tel: 01895 201246 / Fax: 01895 201101 bianca.coeln@genmills.com www.generalmills.co.uk Glanbia Cheese Ltd 4 Royal Mews, Gadbrook Park, Rudheath, Northwich, Cheshire CW9 7UD Contact: John O’Brien Tel: 01606 810900 / Fax: 01606 48680 johnobrien@glanbiacheese.co.uk

Granarolo UK Ltd. 23 Church Street, Rushden, Northamptonshire NN10 9YU Contact: Anthony Bosco Tel: 0843 1781450 anthony.bosco@granarolo.co.uk www.granarolo.co.uk

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

JDM Food Group Ltd. Monument Road, Bicker, Boston, Lincolnshire PE20 3DJ Contact: Darren Bevan Tel: 01775 822389 darren.bevan@jdmfoodgroup.co.uk www.jdmfoodgroup.co.uk 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

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 Marana Forni di Marana Ferdinando Via Turbina 98, Verona, 37139 Italy Contact: Eleni Olivieri Tel: 0039 0456704503 Fax: 0039 0457156118 elena.commerciale@maranaforni.it

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

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

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index registered suppliers Med Food Wholesale Ltd. 9 Bethune Road, Park Royal, London NW10 6NJ Contact: Jean Marc Nehme Tel: 0208 965 6528 Fax: 0208 961 1359 j-marc@medfoodwholesale.com www.medfoodwholesale.com Minster Fine Foods Ltd. Park View House, 16 South Street, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9LT Contact: Ellyot Doyle Tel: 01778 394333 Fax: 01778 394111 ellyot@minsterfinefoods.co.uk www.minsterfinefoods.co.uk Montana Bakery Limited Blackthorne Road, Poyle Industrial Estate, Colnbrook, Berkshire SL3 0AP Contact: Jonathan Mellows Tel: 01753 760 800 Fax: 01753 760 801 jonathan@montana.bakeries.co.uk Norseland Ltd. 1 Furzeground Way, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB11 1BD Contact: Nicola Gavey Tel: 01935 842800 ngavey@norseland.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 Pasta King (UK) Ltd Plantation House, Milber Trading Estate, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 4SG Contact: Lesley Treeby Tel: 0800 458 7898 Fax: 01626 334481 www.pastaking.co.uk lt@pastaking.co.uk Pizza Plus Foodservice Light Industrial Estate, Liverpool Road, Walmer Bridge, Preston PR4 5HY Tel: 01772 610415 Fax: 01772 617610 Contact: Chris Smith chris@pizzaplusfs.co.uk Portal Foods Ltd. Unit 14 Somerville Court, Banbury Business Park, Adderbury, Banbury, Oxfordshire OX17 3SN Contact: David Page Tel: 0844 9674797 dpage@portalfoods.co.uk

Premier BusinessCare Caton Road, Lansil Way, Lancaster LA1 3PE Contact: Gary Skipworth Tel: 0330 102 6174 gary.skipworth@premierbusinesscare.co.uk www.PremierBusinessCare.co.uk

The Fresh Olive Company 74 Long Drive, Greenford, Middlesex UB6 8LZ Contact: Ali Kirk Tel: 0208 838 9629 Fax: 0208 813 2986 ali@fresholive.com www.fresholive.com

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

TICCO Foods Ltd. Unit B2Y, Skyway 14, Calder Way, Colnbrook, Slough SL3 0BQ Contact: Emma Hallam Tel: 07779 167474 Fax: 01753 689813 emmahallam@ticco.co.uk

Sorrento Express Ltd. Unit 10 Southall Business Park, 142 Johnson Street, Southall, Middlesex UB2 5FD Contact: Alfonso Amitrano Tel: 0208 843 4990 sales@sorrentoexpress.com www.sorrentoexpress.com Southern Salads Limited Units 1 & 2 Cannon Bridge, Cannon Lane Tonbridge, Kent TN1 9RP Contact: Mr Ray Boakes Tel: 01732 362444 Fax: 01732 361919 ray@southernsalads.co.uk www.southernsalads.com

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

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

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Technomic Inc Knowledge Center, 300 S Riverside Plaza Suite 1200, Chicago, Illinois, IL60606 USA Contact: Patrick Noone pnoone@technomic.com Tel: (01) 205 991 1234 Fax: (01) 205 980 3770 www.technomic.com sales@liverpoolwoodpellets.co.uk

0151 236 9181 0151 207 7005

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

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

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

COMPUTING SOLUTIONS Computer Delivery Management Systems Integer Computers Computers/Software Integer Computers

f

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

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

Italian Fruit & Vegetables (in cans) Pathos Continental Foods Ltd.

Dough Preparation Equipment Cater-Bake (UK)

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

Pizza Accessories Pizza Plus Foodservice

Salad Southern Salads

Pizza Making Systems & Equipment Benier (UK) Ltd. Cater-Bake (UK) Chefsrange Cooktek (MCS Technical Products) Jestic Maranaforni Di Marana F. Pizza Direct UK

INSURANCE

DOUGH & PIZZA EQUIPMENT

Pizza Ovens Benier (UK) Ltd. Cater-Bake (UK) Chefsrange Jestic Maranaforni Di Marana F. PD Catering Internatonal Pizza Plus Foodservice

FISH & SEAFOOD Other Fish & Seafood Leathams PLC

FLOUR & BAKERY Concentrates Allied Mills Durum Semolina Allied Mills Carnevale Ltd. Flour Allied Mills Carnevale Ltd. Sorrento Express Ltd. Whitworth Bros. Limited Icings Allied Mills Improvers Allied Mills Premixes (Bread & Cakes)| Allied Mills

FOOD WHOLESALERS

Premier BusinessCare Tasker Insurance Brokers

Italian Meat & Sausages Dawn Farm Foods Donatantonio Ltd. Minster Fine Foods Ltd. Pathos Continental Foods Ltd. TICCO Foods Ltd. Pancetta Carnevale Ltd. Minster Fine Foods Ltd. Pepperoni Carnevale Ltd. Dawn Farm Foods Minster Fine Foods Ltd. Salami Carnevale Ltd. Minster Fine Foods Ltd.

KITCHEN & SERVING EQUIPMENT

OILS & VINEGARS

Bakery Ovens Cater-Bake (UK) Chefsrange

Foods Ltd.

Drinks Systems Carnevale Ltd. Chargrills Chefsrange Displays Chefsrange Food Safety & Hygiene Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd Fryers Chefsrange Jestic Griddles Chefsrange Jestic Holding Ovens Jestic Preparation Counters Chefsrange Refrigeration Chefsrange General Mills UK Ltd. Servicing & Spares Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd.

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

PASTA, POLENTA, GNOCCHI & RICE Gnocchi La Tua Pasta Ltd. Pasta (Dry) Carnevale Ltd. Donatantonio Ltd. Leathams PLC La Tua Pasta Ltd. Minster Fine Foods Ltd. Pasta (Fresh) La Tua Pasta Ltd. Med Food Wholesale Ltd. Pathos Continental Foods Ltd. Ticco Foods Ltd. Rice Pathos Continental Foods Ltd.

Serving Pasta King (UK) Ltd. Bacon Dawn Farm Foods Leathams PLC Minster Fine Foods Ltd. Beef Leathams PLC

FRUIT & VEGETABLES

Chicken & Other Poultry Leathams PLC

Chargrilled Vegetables Carnevale Ltd. Martin Mathew & Co. Ltd. Pathos Continental Foods Ltd. Taste of Sicily Ltd. The Fresh Olive Company

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

Dough Balls Kiren Foods Montana Bakery Pan’Artisan Ltd. Pizza Plus Foodservice Pizza Bases & Crusts Kiren Foods Montana Bakery Pan’Artisan Ltd. Pizza Plus Foodservice Stateside Foods Ltd.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MEAT

Continental Quattro Stagioni Ltd. Leathams PLC Stateside Foods Ltd. TICCO Foods Ltd.

PIZZA DOUGH, BASES & CRUSTS

Ian Kent, Stateside

Richard Harrow , Freiberger

Alan Ribakovs, Whitworths

Cedric Blanpied, Bel UK

Geoff Parsons, Basilico

Ian Ritchie, Dawn Farm Foods

Richard Burgham, Pizza Hut

Maurice Abboudi, Consultant

Andrew Gallagher, Papa John

Matt Simpkin, Just Eat

John O’Brien, Glanbia Cheese

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

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