Archetech Issue 35 2018 | Page 94

piZZa oven supplies pizza ovens, Wood bUrning ovens, bread ovens, call them what you may, but there is no doubt they are becoming more and more fashionable as people look towards entertaining at home more. Not a new idea by any mean, ovens that burn wood and store heat go back thousands of years. Every continent has their own version of a woodfired oven, with the Italians and Ancient Greeks being responsible for the main development of standard design. Nick Riley, MD of Pizza Oven Supplies Limited, story begins around six years ago he was asked if he could build a pizza oven like what Jamie Oliver was cooking on in his television programme. “I trawled youtube and Google for ideas, then, eBay and Amazon for pizza oven materials. Mmm, so confusing, the information contradicted itself and the prices varied so much.” Then he contacted the local pottery business’s in his home Stoke on Trent. And that was the Eureka moment. “Stoke had been building pottery kilns for centuries” All the knowledge and materials were right on his doorstep.” The design he developed obviously works as after four years in business, he has over 600 customers, with three of them being premiership footballers. He uses what is called kiln furniture in the manufacture of his pizza ovens, this is what the famous pottery manufactures sit their ware on while it is fired. It is used once, then discarded. “We crush this down and mix it with our secret mixture of other ingredients which include perlite for insulation” Re using what are top quality materials enables Pizza Oven Supplies to keep their costs low. All the worry of wood oven design that Architects, garden designers, landscapers, builders and the general public would usually come across have been removed. Pre-designed kits with all the bricks pre-cut save valuable time on not only designing but relaying those designs to tradesmen. “Cutting over 500 bricks in someone’s garden can raise lots of safety issues, not to mention the neighbours” “Full and detailed instructions are available and I’m there for any questions you may have.” Nick states. Brian Mellor @ Harthill Cookery School comments We have a beautiful oven thanks to Nick & Sam. Not only does it look great...it cooks beautifully too which is pretty important. Our tutors and guests love it as it comes up to temperature easily and holds the retained heat, great to be outside with friends working with the oven.”