Pizza is on my mind 90% of the time and I think this is only heightened now that I find myself in self-isolation. A well-known pizza chain have reported that in recent weeks they have seen a sales uplift in the weeks since the pandemic broke out showing pizza is selling more than ever.** I personally think the test of a good quality pizza is in the dough, if the crust isn’t thin and crispy then I’m not interested. Here are my 5 steps to create the perfect take-away pizza:
1. Promote your offer
It’s time to get the word out there that you’re the hottest pizzaiolo (pizza chef) around. Whether you have a brand to go out with or not, you need to advertise that you’re open for business. Social media is your best avenue to lead on to generate reach at the moment. Cook up a few in front of the camera and really sell your product to generate some interest! Also why not lean on the rise in community spirit that we’re witnessing, word of mouth is being used to help out local businesses across the UK so invest some time spreading the word through your community contacts.
2. Create your base
Like I said earlier, the proof of a great pizza is all in the base, base, base…and there are loads of great options out there. For example, sourdough is really on-trend at the moment, particularly for those with vegan or gluten free diets! Thin crust is definitely the “in” thing now, so hand stretch it, or roll it out evenly into whatever shape you like…circular is the classic shape but rectangles add quite a rustic feel to it, and pizza squares are common now. The main thing is to not always do the conventional with pizza, the choice is yours to make it stand out!
3. Top your pizzas
Get creative here, a blank pizza canvas is there to be played with. Lap on a decent amount of a rich sauce; tomato, BBQ or a white sauce work a dream, and then get those toppings on. Whatever toppings take your fancy (the pizza purists will hate me here), but throw in a cuisine focussed one like an Indian flavoured option to mix things up. Then finish it off with some great quality mozzarella – don’t be shy with it. Did you know mozzarella is used in pizza for many reasons but one specific reason is that it has the perfect melting point to compliment the baking of a pizza? No, me either until now! Personalisation is also on trend so if you can offer a build it yourself type offer allowing your customer to choose every ingredient they want…that is unless they pick ham and pineapple together! If you are looking for the favourites then we’ve created a bank of recipes to give you a steer.
4. No pizza oven, no worries…here is how to bake pizza without all the gear
So although the professionals will advise that you need a full clay pizza oven to create the perfect pizza, you can actually create really great quality pizza in most ovens. Use pizza pans and screens if you really want to get that perfectly even crispy base going. Our chefs have recently created some advice on this if you’re looking to make pizzas in a standard combination oven or a convection oven.
5. Deliver the finished product
If you think about it, pizza is all about the experience; look to when you’re eating out and you get that first glimpse of your pizza parading towards you in the waiter/waitress’ hands, or when you order in and you get that moment of sheer euphoria as you open the pizza box to view the beautiful round circle that awaits you… it’s all about the theatre! Make sure you get these elements right as this will make sure customers come back time and time again. So think about how you will use pizza boxes, delivery bags and sauces to have in your artillery. If you’re able to offer a full delivery service then slip a note on top of the box offering a discount of their next order to keep you top of mind for when they next order. And don’t be afraid of contact free delivery, the big boys in the delivery market are doing it and it offers peace of mind for your customers and for you. If you do choose to stick with collection only then make sure to sell your offers through to each customer that comes in…getting repeat customers is key!
Sounds as easy as pie right?!
If you’re looking to set pizza delivery up to help boost your numbers in these strange times and you want more advice, then check out our step-by-step guide featuring our very own the Crafty Pizza Co. The Crafty Pizza Co. is our really delicious branded concept that provides you with a quality, craft pizza brand to help sell on to your customers. The brand is great, the solution is all in one place and it can come on one van. Most importantly, the finished pizzas taste incredible!
Sources:
*Technomics, yougov.co.uk, The Telegraph, Paymentsense survey 2017
**The Grocer 2020 – https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/results/city-snapshot-dominos-reports-sales-surge-during-coronavirus-crisis/603401.article
