GROTE
PIZZA PRODUCTION
advancements are particularly evident is in pizza ovens, which are essential to producing high volumes of pizzas quickly and consistently.
One technology that has revolutionised large-scale pizza production is the conveyor belt oven. These ovens use a continuously moving belt to move pizzas through a series of heating elements, ensuring even cooking and consistent quality. Conveyor belt ovens can produce hundreds of pizzas per hour, making them ideal for high- volume production environments. Another innovation in pizza ovens is the wood-fired
oven. While wood-fired ovens have been used for centuries to produce traditional Neapolitan-style pizzas, modern wood-fired ovens have been designed to meet the demands of large-scale production. These ovens use wood as a fuel source, which imparts a distinctive flavour to the pizzas. However, they require skilled operators to maintain the fire and ensure that the pizzas cook evenly, making them better suited to artisanal pizza production rather than high-volume commercial production.
Advancements in technology have also led to the development of more energy-efficient pizza ovens. These ovens use less energy to produce the same number of pizzas as traditional ovens, reducing the environmental impact and saving businesses money on energy costs. Some ovens use advanced insulation materials and digital controls to maintain consistent temperatures and reduce heat loss. One notable example of an advanced pizza oven is the
TurboChef Fire. This oven uses a combination of convection, radiant, and microwave heating technologies to cook pizzas in just 90 seconds. The oven is also energy-efficient, using only 14 kilowatts of power compared to the 25-30 kilowatts used by traditional ovens. CEO of Grote, Bob Grote explains the reasoning for increased automation as a food processing trend: “As manufacturers struggle to find labour, automation is coming to the forefront as a solution to help address this challenge. The lack of available labour is going to push automation as a solution. Processors need to follow the dollar, and if automation can enable more output, it should be a priority.
46 Kennedy’s Bakery Production April/May 2023
“Of course, there’s been talk of more automation for years
– Europe is ahead of the U.S. here – but the perfect storm formed by the labour shortage, inflation and supply chain issues is bringing this to the top of the list for many in the food processing industry.” He continues: “Investing in food contact robotics has
come of age. While the market recognised the opportunity years ago, the food processing industry wasn’t ready. Now that they can’t find the people to stock their line, automation can be one solution to help. As a result, processors may find the need to buy automation solutions sooner than they’d planned. Keep in mind, automation doesn’t result in layoffs, as it won’t be replacing anyone. It will simply be there to help fill in the gaps where human labour isn’t available. Using robotics can also mean more sanitary conditions.”
“The perfect storm formed by the labour shortage, inflation and supply chain issues is bringing [automation] to the top of the list for many in the food processing industry”
Dough mixing and forming technology In addition to advancements in pizza ovens, large-scale pizza production has also benefited from improvements in dough mixing and forming technology. Some manufacturers have developed dough mixers that can mix and knead large volumes of dough in a fraction of the time it would take to do so manually. These machines can also be programmed to produce different types of dough, allowing for more versatility in pizza production.
Pizza forming technology has also advanced, with machines that can press and stretch dough into the desired
bakeryproduction.co.uk
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