Why Are Valoriani Ovens Not Included in Media Reviews?

Why are your Valoriani ovens not featured in media reviews of pizza ovens? This is a question we are often asked.  It’s also something that you really ought to ponder if you are using media reviews of pizza ovens in the UK as the basis of a purchase decision.  Quite simply, many of those reviews will lead you up the garden path. 

The problem is that most people in the UK still do not know what they should be looking for when it comes to a good pizza oven.  And many me-too manufacturers capitalise on that and manage to flatter to deceive.

Pizza oven media reviews and underappreciation of manufacturing quality

Whilst having deep-rooted experience in the world of pizza ovens is priceless, it is remarkably undervalued in this country.  Instead of focusing on track records and longevity, user feedback from people in the know, and production values, the UK way is to concentrate on ovens backed by big marketing budgets. These are often ovens with big price tags that are by no means warranted by the cost of the low-grade materials within them. Frequently, they are also pizza ovens with completely insufficient insulation.

The huge mark-up on these big-marketing-budget ovens makes them easy handouts for media reviews, as the cost to the manufacturer is negligible. That very fact should set alarm bells ringing, along with ‘buyer beware’ alerts.

How pizza oven media reviews work

Due to the way that media reviews operate – with free product (pizza oven) provided in return for a review - media reviewers are actually often reviewing ovens that are not fit for purpose or coming with any of the characteristics of what should be a first-class pizza oven at all.  And we are not talking reviews in local press here, but in top national titles where journalists are seduced by the offer to test an oven but not then able to actually tell their readers about far superior ovens, as they could not be made available for review.

All of the above is why you will not typically find a Valoriani oven included in media reviews in the UK.  The truth is that this is because a Valoriani oven’s price tag, despite not being much higher than that of some other ovens reviewed, reflects production values, not profit.  There is little margin in it, because Valoriani’s pride in its product means that top quality materials and skills are used during the production process.  A Valoriani oven cannot simply be handed out willy-nilly for review by journalists.

The best pizza oven reviews

So if you want to cut through the smoke and mirrors – which you may need to do, as some of the ovens that do feature in media reviews do not even have DEFRA certification to be operated legally in UK back gardens in Smoke Control Area – you need to look to discerning end-users.

These are typically homeowners who knew what they wanted and were not disappointed by what they found.  By that, we mean that these people have either travelled to Italy and the Mediterranean extensively and know what an authentic pizza oven should look like, or were born and raised in Italy, where the Valoriani ‘V’ is an iconic symbol of excellence.

They are also keen home cooks who recognise the difference between something simply turned out on a plate by a pizza oven and a dish perfectly cooked and caressed by a real flame.

They are homeowners who value substance over style and who are astute enough to recognise that not everything that glisters is gold.  

They are purchasers who do their homework, or who have personal assistants and advisers who do that homework for them, because they are A-listers, top-name world footballers, F1 bosses or hugely successful entrepreneurs.

And, often, they are highly skilled chefs working in pizzerias or top eateries, who would not dream of using anything less than a Valoriani oven.  This is why the oven you see on Saturday Kitchen and in Cirio tomato adverts is a Valoriani and supporting James Martin with his cooking exploits.  It is why we fitted a Valoriani oven for Jamie Oliver back in the Noughties.  It’s why the acclaimed River Café has now had two Valoriani ovens.  We could go on.

Upgrade your pizza or woodfired oven

You never look back once you become a Valoriani oven owner, because anything else you consider means settling for something less.  We see this continually with chefs and mobile caterers who have had another brand of oven, upgraded to a Valoriani and immediately appreciated the huge improvement.  There is a true gulf in quality between Valoriani ovens and others on the market.  But until you know, you don’t know.

This gulf does not narrow when it comes to a domestic oven, as the Valoriani family have a worldwide reputation to uphold and would not think of producing lower-grade ovens for the domestic market.  So, as with commercial pizza ovens, all of the components of their domestic pizza ovens are produced in-house, assembled in house, carefully finished by artisans who love their craft, with details even hand-applied.

The positive of not being included in media pizza oven reviews

Ask yourself why a brand that actually invented the pre-fabricated pizza oven is never to be seen in UK media’s pizza oven reviews and it’s almost incredible.  But rather than viewing it as a negative, in the light of what we have said you should see it as a huge positive.  Those who know what they are doing buy a Valoriani oven regardless of what any media reviewer says, because they understand that the reasons it is not included in the review are all the reasons why they should buy it.

This should give you great food for thought but you can always back up what we are saying by finding out yourself what people think of their Valoriani ovens.  Quite simply, homeowners who have one absolutely adore it – as do pizzeria owners and mobile caterers.

If you now see that a media review of a pizza oven is never going to lead you to the very best pizza oven in the UK market, please contact us on 07743 847647.  If you have already started your pizza oven journey and want an upgrade that will bridge the gulf between mediocre and excellent, you know where to come.

Ends

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.