Make Sure 2022's No. 1 Garden Trend Adds Property Value

Orchard Ovens, the long-established wood-fired oven expert which was the very first oven manufacturer to bring the wood-fired cooking concept to the UK, has declared the outdoor, wood-fired garden oven the hottest 2022 trend in garden living. However, it warns that homeowners must do their homework when buying.

“2022 should be the year in which the barbecue finally exits stage left and bows down to the wood-fired oven,” says Orchard Ovens’ Andrew Manciocchi. “The ever-increasing sophistication of the al fresco diner is one reason; the other is the growth in popularity of outdoor kitchens. These have become desirable additions to the home, increasing leisure space and adding value to a property. 

“To make a statement, an outdoor kitchen has to have a centrepiece and there’s nothing more dramatic or engaging than an authentic, artisan-built wood-fired oven.”

This year’s outdoor garden oven trend will be based on a few years of lockdown experimentation, according to Orchard Ovens. Although not terribly efficient or capable of adding much drama, pellet ovens have lured garden owners into the world of outdoor cookery by means other than charcoal.  

Other garden owners have road-tested a low-quality pizza oven, often UK-built and marketed on the basis of lots of style. Unfortunately, this is backed by little substance, despite some carrying a reasonably hefty price-tag. The swift disintegration of such an oven has proved a financial mistake in many cases. 

When other issues such as poor oven heat retention, dangerously high external surface temperatures of the oven ‘shell’, poor fuel efficiency, and a tight cooking space that makes food and cookware hard-to-manoeuvre, have added to the drawbacks, many owners have been left with much food for thought. However, at least there’s been a lesson learned and the experiment has shown that the ‘dream’ is one that should continue to be sought, if the right oven can be sourced.

“It’s all about the upgrade for many of us in 2022,” says Andrew Manciocchi. This is being interpreted in different ways. Firstly, there are those who want to go wood-fired, but are abandoning their lump of concrete, micro-mesh technology oven, or pellet oven and plumping for a mobile/wheeled or static, artisan-built baby oven, with all the right culinary credentials. Orchard Ovens ‘Fornino by Valoriani’ is ticking this box, whether buyers choose a smaller Fornino 60 or go bigger with a Fornino 75.

“Those with more budget, a greater passion for outdoor entertaining, or a desire to add value to their property, are choosing an artisan-built, wood-fired oven fitted into a bespoke and exclusive garden ‘surround’. This satisfies those wishing to have the fun of designing a unique, personality-filled installation to suit their own aesthetic, or wanting to house an oven in a luxury outdoor kitchen.”

Orchard Ovens’ sales come from homeowners recognising the Anglo-Italian family’s expertise in building garden installations around artisan-built Valoriani ovens – not just for everyday homeowners, but for the rich and famous and discerning Italian cuisine-loving chefs such as Jamie Oliver. 

They are also coming from homeowners who have done their homework and actually examined the build properties of Orchard Ovens’ ‘Valoriani’ range. These ovens are created with top-quality Tuscan refractory clay, which generates a superb cooking environment and retains heat brilliantly – vital if you want to avoid frustration and cooking inconsistency. It also enables overnight slow-cooking of dishes and even the rustling up of breakfast the next morning, using the residual heat still in the oven.

They are also fitted with all the insulation the oven needs to stay warm and which keep cooks safe. With these ovens you do not have to beware a red-hot shell that can cause serious burns.

Homeowners buying from Orchard Ovens want an oven with a verifiable track record and view longevity as essential, because of the investment made in their ‘build’. Without that longevity, the spend on a wood-fired oven can be a serious financial mistake.

Whist the garden ‘pizza’ oven trend is riding high in UK gardens, ‘pizza oven’ is becoming a term shunned by Orchard Ovens, as it tries to help homeowners get things right when it comes to purchasing a wood-fired oven.

“The ‘pizza oven’ space has been taken over by all-style-no-substance manufacturers and halfway-house pellet oven factories,” says Andrew Manciocchi.  “Added property value isn’t about a ‘pizza oven’ per se, as many ovens labelled as this won’t survive one summer. Googling for ‘authentic wood fired oven’ is the starting point for savvy homeowners not wishing to get their fingers burned. From there, it’s about examining the quality of the materials and seeking real evidence of oven longevity.”

To discuss your authentic, artisan-built oven dream, call 01772 250000. More information about the ready-to-go range of Valoriani oven, custom oven builds and self-build DIY oven kits, can be found at www.orchardovens.co.uk  Orchard Ovens is the sole supplier of Valoriani ovens in the UK.

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Editors notes

Valoriani UK is the commercial pizza oven UK arm 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 restaurant owners, hotels, pubs, mobile caterers, pizzerias, takeaways and more.

Orchard Ovens is the sister brand, supplying Valoriani's domestic range of home ovens - for gardens, kitchens and outdoor kitchens. Consequently, Orchard Ovens' home garden ovens (built-into bespoke build designs and mobile (on wheels), and its kitchen ovens, are best in class and the choice of leading chefs and celebrities.