The Upper Crust of Healthy Pizza
By Tom Boyles

Queensland’s Best Traditional Pizza
Arriva Italian Restaurant , New Farm

Queensland’s Best Gourmet Pizza
Parso’s Piza, Gaven

Other state finalists this year included:

Traditional
Spizico Café Ristorante Pizeria,
Kangaroo Point

Belagio Pizeria & Antipasti , New Farm
(Best Smallgoods Pizza)
Holowa ys Piza, Holloway Bay
Bel Paese, Cairns (Best Cheese Pizza)

Gourmet
Allure Bistro , Brisbane
Sugo Mi, Bulimba (Best Smallgoods Pizza)
1889 Pizeria, Paddington
Vila Romana Trattoria , Cairns

In today’s fast paced environment, fresh and healthy is the catch cry of many and one pizza company stands above the rest in this area. Crust Gourmet Pizza Bars is ahead of the field when it comes to delivering high quality healthier pizza. The Crust motto is simple: “to change the perception of pizza by taking away the guilt factor and bringing enjoyment back to eating takeaway food. All this whilst giving customers healthier options and most of all creating a great tasting product”.

We talked with Peter Augoustis, creative chef at Crust to discuss the method behind the motto. Peter advised that the company’s philosophy is “to provide customers with a unique premium quality product that is fresh and healthy.” To this end, Crust has produced a range of products encompassing not only pizza, but also salads and deserts, all the while adhering to its motto.

The Heart Foundation Tick of approval for Crust pizzas! Pizza is not always perceived as healthy, however Peter and the team at Crust developed six exciting pizzas that have earned the Heart Foundation Tick of approval., This means that the product meets strict nutritional standards to provide a healthier option for customers. No other company has achieved this standard, so Crust can hand on heart say it is providing its customers with a guaranteed healthier product.

In April, Crust was also voted by readers of Slimming & Health magazine to be winner of the Allergy-Free category, and highly commended in the New Healthy Food category respectively in the Slimming & Health Healthy Eating Awards 2009,further establishing Crust’s credentials and commitment to providing healthier options.

Crust has also looked at other ways of improving the efficiency of its operations, from waste recycling to improved packaging. Peter advised that Crust is always looking at ways to help its customers and the environment. An example of its commitment to environmental issues is its decision to use the new Middleby Marshall WOW! Oven, currently the most energy efficient oven on the market. As a result, Crust can now claim the lowest carbon footprint of any pizza chain in the country.

Not only does this innovative oven slash cook times, it also offers reduced running costs, cutting costs by up to 40 percent in some stores. The WOW! Oven cooks a Crust pizza in just under four minutes, increasing production capacity while offering customer’s faster delivery times, which also means increased customer satisfaction. Peter advised that the new Middleby ovens provide a solution to the space and production capacity restrictions encountered by some stores.

“We don’t need double or triple stack ovens with wide belt widths to meet the demands during our peak service times,” Peter said. “The new WOW! Oven range meets our production needs and saves us money and space at the same time. That’s why all our stores will use the new WOW oven. The oven goes into an automatic energy-saving sleep mode when food is not being cooked, then when it senses product on the conveyor, the oven ramps up to full power,” explains Peter.

In fact, the WOW! Oven range has been awarded the GFEN (Gas Foodservice Equipment Network) Product of the Year for 2009. “The prestigious Blue Flame Award is presented annually to a manufacturer who brings to market a gas appliance that highlights outstanding innovation and technology in foodservice equipment,” said Melissa Marks Co-Chair of GFEN.

There has never been a better time to buy a slice of the future. The Federal Government’s 30% Investment Allowance and tax incentives on new equipment are available now. Peter Schampers of QPF advised that “Incentives and finance packages are at levels not seen in my years in the finance industry. Meaning there is no better time to upgrade to new equipment.”

To learn more about Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar franchise opportunities please go to www.crust. com.au or call Peter on 0423 128 904 or +61 2 9700 7517 and to learn more about Spyral, visit www.spyral.com.au/home.html. Spyral Pty Ltd is the exclusive distributor of Middleby Marshall in Australia. For more information on he WOW! Oven you can phone Andrew Morris on 0413703360 or visit www.wowoven.com

Finance and tax incentive information is available from Peter Schampers on (07) 3290-7400 or at www.qpf.com.au.