Baker Ashley delivers new pizza kit for home cooks to enjoy in lockdown

Chef/entrepreneur Ashley French loves a good pizza especially one he’s made in his own oven at home. And he’s sampled the best available from pizza experts from Naples to New York.

This experience of the original Italian savoury dish led Ashley (35) to develop a new business at French Village, his family bakery in Belfast, after the Covid-19 lockdown halted sales to restaurants, hotels and canteens here.

“The shuttering of our substantial business in wholesale and catering as well as our restaurants led me to bring forward quickly some new product ideas to expand our retailing activities and thereby help to generate cash to pay the bills,” Ashley explains.

“We still have operating costs to cover, employees to look after and suppliers to pay. And it’s also vitally important for us to maintain a strong presence in a competitive marketplace.

“Our bakery operation was doing really well in all our main categories before the lockdown. We were a major supplier to other food businesses, the restaurants were busy and our catering side had bookings for a host of events including over 100 weddings. I accept, of course, that the lockdown was essential and supported it.

“There just wasn’t any alternative. Drastic measures had to be taken to defeat his terrible bug and save lives.”

Ashley took over the bakery, now based at Montgomery Road in east Belfast, from his father as managing director in 2005. He began his career as a chef specialising

in bread and patisserie and has come up with smart ideas for cash and to safeguard the future growth of the progressive business which employs 280 people.

Among the new ideas is the Fry Pan Pizza Box Kit, the outcome of months of research and product development led by Ashley. The novel kit is aimed at a family of four and also includes illustrated instructions on how to make the delicious pizza at home.

In addition, there’s a video link explaining how best to create an enjoyable and authentic Neapolitan-style pizza quickly and easily at home.

The kit makes four pizzas and is available on call and collect and delivery from the bakery.

“Among the innovations is a unique sourdough bread base that’s fermented for two days for a richer flavour and texture. The kit comprises four French Village sourdough balls, our own recipe pizza sauce, flour, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses as well as peperoni and olive oil for a crisper edge,” Ashley explains.

“People, of course, can add their own choice of toppings.”

Explaining the thinking behind the product, Ashley continues: “While I’ve been working on the development of the new fry pan pizza for many months, the current lockdown and especially the trend towards cooking fresh meals and snacks at home has created a significant market opportunity for a delicious pizza that could be made easily and enjoyed by everyone. It’s the type of pizza I enjoy.

“Our hand stretched pizza can be ready to enjoy in around 10 minutes. Furthermore, it’s an ideal family product which children, in particular, can enjoy helping to make and then eat. We’ve tested the pizza extensively to ensure that it is both easy to make at home and offers outstanding taste. Feedback from everyone we asked to make and experience the pizza has been extremely encouraging.”

Intended as a weekend family fun meal, the pizza kit can be ordered and paid for through the company’s website for collection at the bakery on Friday or for delivery in many parts of Belfast on Saturday. In addition, the kits are available from a number of food retailers such as Canebrake Meats in Lisburn and Coleraine-based Lynas Foods at its outlets across the province.

The bakery has also responded to the lockdown by creating innovative provision and family food boxes for doorstep delivery in Belfast.

“We’ve created food boxes with our own breads, buns and cakes especially for families and individuals who are self-isolating. They’re also ideal for those seeking a

tasty and quality treat for main meals and snacks,” he concludes.

As well as featuring a range of freshly baked goods, such as soda bread, potato farls, wheaten bread, pancakes and brioche baps and cakes, French Village has teamed up with other local producers to include products in the boxes such as buttermilk, milk from Drayne’s Farm, Lisburn and butter from Ballyrashane in Coleraine, tea from Suki Tea Makers, Bailie’s Coffee, both based in Belfast, and free range eggs from Springmount Farm in Castleregh.

The family-owned business opened in 1981 as a producer of artisan breads, cakes and buns. It has established an impressive and successful reputation for creating high quality bakery products or both foodservice and retail. In 2014, it moved to a purpose-built bakery in east Belfast and then diversified into wholesale and catering.

The pizza kits represent another important diversification strengthening its retail options.

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