The sun’s out, so Prosecco anyone? How about a slice of pizza cooked the traditional and authentic Italian way, in a first-class Valoriani wood-fired oven? It’s definitely the hottest trend for outdoor living and, if you are scared of cooking with wood, you can actually opt for a gas-fired pizza oven.
The other key fact to note is that Valoriani’s ovens are known as the Rolls Royces of the pizza oven world, because of their superb materials, design and longevity. That matters. After all, if you buy a pizza oven to show off, you do not want the embarrassment of having to admit that it crumbled away after one summer.
So why should you have a pizza oven – or garden oven – in the first place? Here are some very good. reasons.
1. Cooking outdoors is great for natural entertainers
The experience of owning a pizza oven allows you to chill at the end of a long day, enjoying the unique aroma of a real fire, whilst evoking memories of wonderful Mediterranean holidays. It reconnects you with nature and creates a focal point around which to entertain your guests. You could call it the garden’s kitchen island. Stylish, sophisticated and possibly even unique in your neighbourhood.
The Valoriani Fornino 60 starter oven is both mobile and weatherproof, making it easy-to-use and perfectly able to be left outdoors. It is a truly stylish addition to any garden’s entertaining space, bringing the enthralling element of a real flame to your garden. At its very manageable size, it is the perfect entry point into the world of pizza ovens and wood-fired cooking. One of its claims is that anyone can learn how to use it and create beautiful food – and Valoriani doesn’t band claims around without justification!
2. Build exactly what you want
If you’re an avid outdoor entertainer, or want to add value to your home, a permanent wood-fired pizza oven could be a great investment for you. Basically, you decide how you would like to house the oven, create any feature you desire around the clay dome, which will just slot into whatever ‘home[ you create for it outdoors. The Valoriani team can help you with your plans, or you can buy a Valoriani in kit form and run your own design project. The superb heat-retaining ‘cotto’ clay ovens have been incorporated into all manner of designs, including a Swiss chalet and the Taj Mahal! Whether you want a flamboyant, or a rustic feature, or something in-between, it’s entirely up to you.
3. You can be a pizza oven owner and retain green principles
You may be avidly avoiding single-use plastic and cosmetics with microbeads, but not even realise that many pizza ovens are polluting the air by virtue of not managing carbon emissions in a way that is carbon-neutral. You may also be unaware that you live in a Smoke Control Area – a location where environmental health officers should be wheedling out those homeowners who are adversely affecting the air that is breathed (and fining them or closing their ovens down!)
If you have a Valoriani oven, however, there are no worries relating to inspections, fines or closedown. All Valoriani ovens are carbon-neutral, when used correctly (with the right wood), and all enjoy DEFRA-certification. This is not the case with many other ovens on the market, so beware! Valoriani ovens are made from naturally quarried ‘cotto’ clay from the Valoriani family quarry in Reggello, Tuscany. Cotto clay has better thermal efficiency than normal clay or cement-based products, which means that Valoriani wood-fired ovens retain their heat for longer than rivals and are more fuel-efficient. The ovens are also built to last. Whether it’s a commercial oven being used every day, or a residential model fired up just at weekends, Valoriani guarantees them for at least ten years. This is due to the artisan craftsmanship, generations of family experience and, of course, their unique clay.
4. It’s not all about. pizza
Pizza ovens have been rustling up all manner of foods for centuries. When pizza was invented in Naples, ovens were already cooking many more daily food staples – just as the Fornino 60 can do, if you wish to have this oven gracing your garden. You can cook vegetables, jacket potatoes, a lovely tender seabass or lamb stew, or one of your favourite puds, perhaps? And, if you buy the optional Tuscan Grill to go with it, the oven can even cook food BBQ-style. This means there’s no need to splash out on a barbie, or double-up with both oven and barbecue at a party you are throwing, as the pizza oven can cook BBQ-style dishes for you.
5. You can learn the art of wood-fired cooking – like the stars!
Learning how to cook in a wood-fired oven is huge fun and actually really simple to do. Once you have mastered the skill, you can branch out and increase your repertoire, or just devise really interesting toppings for your wood-fired pizzas that taste phenomenal. And, if you need any reassurance that a Valoriani is the one for you, just take note that top chefs and venues like the River Café have adopted the brand, along with celebrities like David Beckham, Gary Barlow and Gwyneth Paltrow.
All fired up and ready to order the garden accessory that could change your culinary life and social entertaining? Here’s your starting point with the Fornino 60, but if you’re ready to throw yourself into a self-build, or want a bigger oven, just scoot around the site here https://valorianiuk.com