UK Facility Open
Aug 17, 2004Posted by Forno BravoContact Information
Alf Armstrong
alf@fornobravo.com
44 0798410528 (UK)
James Bairey
james@fornobravo.com
39 333 175 0459 (Italy)
1 800 407 5119 (U.S.)
Forno Bravo Brings Italian Brick Oven Cooking Experience to UK Chefs and Families; Opens UK Facility
Company Partners with Highly Respected UK Oven Builder Alf Armstrong to Make Italian Pizza Ovens Readily Available in Britain
Penrith, Cumbria and San Gimignano, Italy — August 17, 2004. Forno Bravo, a global company that marries old-world cooking traditions with new-world technology, today announced that it has begun importing modular brick ovens from Italy to the UK for both homeowners and restaurants. The company also announced that it is producing of a line of fully assembled portable wood fired ovens for catering parties and events. Forno Bravo UK provides ovens for British homeowners, caterers, restaurants, bakeries and party equipment rental companies. The company’s goal is to bring the joy of authentic Mediterranean wood fired cooking to Britain.
Alf Armstrong, a respected UK expert on brick ovens, and the builder and restorer of many commercial and residential wood fired ovens in Britain, will be heading up the new office. Mr. Armstrong will combine his extensive knowledge of traditional brick ovens, with the newest products and technologies from the Italian oven manufacturers. The Forno Bravo UK office will be responsible for the installation, support and service of all Forno Bravo ovens in Britain, and will offer training and cooking education services.
Additionally, Forno Bravo UK is building a line of transportable wood fired ovens that can bring an authentic Italian restaurant and pizzeria experience to parties, restaurants and caterers throughout Britain. The ovens are set on a trailer, can be delivered to virtually any location, and can be provided either as a basic oven, for a DIY pizza party, or can be provided with a chef, for a fully catered Italian pizza party.
The wood fired masonry oven has been in Britain since prehistoric times, and was perfected nearly 2,000 years ago by the ancient Romans. There are beautifully preserved brick ovens in Pompeii and Herculaneum that if restored, could produce perfect bread today. Medieval brick ovens can be found throughout modern Europe. In Italy, the wood fired oven is nearly as popular as the BBQ, because of its unique ability to cook the world’s best pizza, bread, roasts, grills and vegetable dishes. In Provence, France, the wood fired oven is the backbone of the Summer Kitchen, and in Naples, where Pizza was invented, the brick oven is an integral part of daily life. In Tuscany, a terra cotta or brick oven can be found in the courtyard of virtually every farmhouse, and in the best restaurants.
a^?oeThese wonderful ovens can bring a piece of the Mediterranean back to our homes in Britain,a^?? said Mr. Armstrong, head of Forno Bravo UK. a^?oeI found myself thinking about whether a wood fired oven would be right for the UK, and I quickly concluded that the answer was yes. We are mad about the BBQ in Britain, and the wood fire oven is the perfect compliment to our outdoor grills and the covered patios. There are also country homes where an indoor wood fired oven will fit right in. After an evening of cooking pizza, you can pull the fire forward, and use the oven as a great fireplace.a^??
To make it easy for anyone to own a wood fired oven, Forno Bravo provides a series of innovative products that make it easy to install an oven. By taking advantage of space age thermal and insulation materials, and by providing the parts that make it easy for homeowners to assemble a modular oven, Forno Bravo is working to break down the barriers owning a brick oven.
Forno Bravo sells pre-assembled ovens and modular ovens for both homes and restaurants, as well as a line of portable ovens. The company’s ovens include both handmade brick ovens, built in the traditional freestanding dome shape, and prefabricated ovens made from refractory materials. By providing the choice between a brick oven and prefabricated oven, and between a modular oven and a preassembled oven, the company is making is possible for homeowners and restaurants to find the exact oven they are looking for.
Home oven sizes range from a 31.5a^?? circular cooking surface to a large 45a^?? x 55a^?? oven capable for cooking many pizzas at a time, or a Christmas roast and multiple vegetable platters. Commercial oven sizes range from 48a^?? to 72a^??, and are designed to operate 365 days per year and produce hundreds of pizzas per day.
Practical Details
Forno Bravo modular ovens start at A^?f1,000 for a package that includes the oven chamber, cooking surface, vent and chimney, insulating blanket, steel door, internal BBQ grill and oven tool set.
About Forno Bravo
Forno Bravo imports handcrafted Italian wood fired ovens to the U.S. and the UK. The company has developed relationships with the Italian companies and artisans who produce the world’s finest ovens, in order to bring the pleasure of true wood fired cooking to a new generation of chefs and families around the world. Forno Bravo has offices in Tuscany, Italy; Cumbria, England; and Healdsburg, California. The company’s web site — www.fornobravo.com, is a premier Internet destination for Italian food, cooking, lifestyle and ovens.
