Cool New Valoriani Pizza Oven Hangin’ Tough at Snowdonia Pizzeria

A Snowdonia pizzeria, serving around 150 pizzas a day on average, knew the third wood-fired oven in which it invested had to be one that could cope with the level of demand. A rise in employee levels from 8 to 37, in just 8 years, signalled the increase in covers that made it essential to source the right oven.  With 12-inch pizza orders sometimes totalling 350 a day, there were few commercial wood-fired ovens that could live up to the requirement.

Luckily, the pizzaiolo at  the Hangin’ Pizzeria at the time – Jan – who has now returned to his native Czechia after eight years, did his research.  Having asked around, one oven name came up and that was Valoriani.  

Jan diligently made further checks, talking to a supplier in Italy, who confirmed that the name ‘Valoriani’ was synonymous with high quality and reliability across Italy.  On that basis, Jan contacted Orchard Ovens, the UK suppliers of Valoriani ovens.

A new commercial Igloo 140 oven was with him surprisingly quickly and installation was efficient and swift.  The oven was in situ by March 5, this year, ahead of the tourism season in Betws-y-Coed, where the Hangin’ Pizzeria has become a much-loved venue on the railway station.

With the influx of tourists wishing to explore Snowdonia, or diverting from Anglesey and the North Wales coast on day trips, about to start, the installation’s timing was spot-on.  And once installed and up and running, Jan could not believe the difference the Valoriani oven made.

“With our previous two pizza ovens, the kitchen was a furnace,” he says.  “Now, with the Valoriani oven, it is the coolest part of the building.  The difference is absolutely crazy.  Heat is not pouring out of the oven continually and working conditions are so much better.  The floor of the oven is brilliant for cooking pizza and there’s a much bigger space to use.  I can’t believe that this wood-fired oven can be so significantly better than the ones we had before.”

Jan noted that the better performance had not just improved cook-quality of the pizzas but also reduced the costs of running the oven.  A true win-win.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating, as they say, and a quick look at HappyCow reviews says it all. Since the Orchard Ovens team installed the oven, there have been comments such as, “The pizza here was one of the best I’ve ever tried”, “the pizza was delicious” and “one of the best vegan pizzas I’ve had since going vegan.”  Just to drive the point home, another customer said, “It was honestly one of the best pizza we’ve ever had.”

More than that though, this brilliant Snowdonian eatery prides itself on authenticity in its food and approach, whether diners are looking for pizza from noon to 8.30pm or breakfast.  With fresh ingredients, palm-free oil products and little touches such as a wide selection of grappas, this is a restaurant that does things the right way.

The Valoriani oven adds to that Mediterranean authenticity, being a true Tuscan oven shaped with materials and skills stretching back generations. There is nothing in the oven’s construction that should not be there, but plenty of the insulation that should be – the reason why the kitchen is now so cool.

Unusual and best-selling pizza choices such as Welsh Rarebit and garlic butter, mozzarella, goats cheese and caramelised onion pizza, with a little rocket for decoration too, will continue to make this eatery a popular destination for the hungry.  With the Valoriani oven powering a full vegan pizza menu besides, there’s every reason to make a bee line for Hangin’ Pizzeria, whether you are wearing a backpack or simply enjoying the Welsh scenery at a gentle pace.

If you would like the same benefits for your pizzeria, please contact Orchard Ovens on 07743 847647.

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Editors notes

Orchard Ovens is the domestic and commercial pizza oven supplier in the UK of Valoriani, based in Reggello, Tuscany - the manufacturer of Italy's hugely respected Valoriani pizza ovens, known as the Maserati of pizza ovens and the kings of clay. These ovens are made from superb refractory clay - cotto clay - found in the family's quarry and unique, thanks to having just the right alumina. This allows Valoriani ovens to heat up quickly and retain heat superbly, bring huge advantages to homeowners, as well as restaurant owners, hotels, pubs, mobile caterers, pizzerias, takeaways and more.

Orchard Ovens supplies some of Britain's best-known restaurants and chefs, whilst it is also a specialist creator of outdoor kitchens and wood-fired oven builds for the rich and famous, as well as everyday homeowners wishing to add value to their home and enjoy an outdoor lifestyle to the full.