Wood-fired Pizza Will be the Mainstay of the Staycation Says Valoriani

Pubs, cafés, restaurants and other venues wanting to take advantage of a few more freedoms from April 12 and the biggest ‘staycation’ year yet for the UK, are being encouraged to follow the lead of others and turn to a Valoriani wood-fired oven as their mainstay of the staycation.

Valoriani UK saw a variety of businesses invest in a Valoriani wood-fired oven during 2020’s lockdowns, with strong business sales resulting, whether through takeaway services, garden-dining (when allowed) or through mobile catering and innovative spin-offs such as home-delivery pizza making kits.

Whilst taking the initial gamble entailed financial outlay at a difficult and uncertain time, the excellent margins available on pizza have quickly helped to offset this.  

Additionally, for those offering a takeaway or home delivery option, it enabled the business to retain an income stream by providing one of the nation’s favourite foods.  It also not only kept them in touch with their customers but extended their reach, serving people who could become their dine-in customers in a post-Covid era.

Having this means of income generation was important for venues such as the Panton Arms on Anglesey, where a Valoriani Igloo 140 pizza oven linked to a newly installed takeaway hatch, from where customers could collect pizza during lockdown.  Additionally, the oven fed hundreds of people who frequented the pub garden over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

The landlord of the pub, Ed Griffiths, had looked at other supposed catering-grade pizza ovens but recognised that nothing else matched the quality and build of the Valoriani oven.  The menu now offers regular pizza topping choices, plus more extravagant ones such as ‘Mountain Goat’, brimming with local goat’s cheese, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes.

Valoriani catering-sector ovens come as both mobile and built-in options, whether the built-in installation is indoors or outdoors.  They can be part of a pub kitchen, situated in a front-of-house area for ‘food theatre’ entertainment when eat-in diners return to the hospitality sector, or located outside, either on wheels, on a suitable base, or as part of a bespoke garden build with a surround of the venue’s choice.

Those wishing to offer a takeaway option now, could go for a Fornino 75 oven, testing the water and appetite for pizza amongst customers, rather than plunging straight into purchasing a bigger commercial oven.  This makes sense for a café, farm shop or smaller venue that is not quite sure whether pizza could help achieve new financial goals. These ovens are ready-to-go and can start bringing in money fast.  

They are also ideal for a venue wanting a gluten-free cooking environment, with many using a smaller Fornino 60 for such a purpose.

Others may wish to make a wood-fired oven installation part of a wider refurbishment, knowing it is a good means of future-proofing the business, should further viruses and lockdown scenarios arise in the coming years.

“With more people than ever holidaying in the UK this year, much talk of savings accumulation due to families having had no holiday, days out or petrol expenses, and a psychological need to indulge in little treats after such a tough time, venues have an opportunity to make 2021 the year they capitalise on the many business benefits of wood-fired pizza and the drama that surrounds its cooking process,” says Valoriani UK’s Andrew Manciocchi.  

“Venues should be starting to think positively and assessing where to build up quick profit margins again and there is no better starting place than pizza.  

“If a venue goes for a ready-to-go Fornino 75, they could have a takeaway option up and running almost immediately.  An oven installation will take a little longer but will be an excellent investment, evidenced as soon as the profit payback starts to materialise.  With a Valoriani oven typically lasting well over 10 years, even when operating in a heavy commercial environment, there is a huge amount of payback to be earned from one of our ovens and, even a top-end build can see the pure profit emerging within just a few years, once the initial investment has been repaid.

“Let’s not forget that we are likely to be deprived of our trips to the Mediterranean for much, if not all, of the year.  Venues can instead create the feel of the Mediterranean – its flames, aromas and authentic tastes – from within their own pub gardens or on their terraces.  All they need to remember is that good business practice lies in buying an oven that will last.”

To explore all of the Valoriani UK commercial oven options, please call 01772 250000.  More information is available at www.valorianiuk.com 

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Editors notes

Valoriani UK is the UK arm of Valoriani, based in Reggello, Tuscany - the manufacturer of Italy's hugely respected Valoriani pizza ovens, known as the Rolls Royce 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. Consequently, Valoriani's home garden ovens (built-in and mobile) and kitchen ovens, and its range of restaurant and mobile/street-food ovens are best in class and the choice of leading chefs and celebrities.