Grant Batty Named ‘UK’s Best Home Pizza Chef’ by Bake-Off Winner In National Pizzaiolo Showdown

 

Passionate home baker and long time lover of Cotswold Flour, Grant Batty, has been named the UK’s Best Home Pizza Chef 2024 in a national contest, beating pizza enthusiasts from across the nation.

The competition, hosted by firewood brand, Love Logs, had nearly 400 entries via social media, with 5 finalists chosen via public vote to compete against last year’s winner (also a Cotswold Flour favourite) Scott Deley in the live final held in Gloucestershire on the 23^rd of June.

Grant, a self-taught home cook, filmmaker, and amateur pizzaiolo from Cornwall, began his journey into pizza making in 2018 when he got his first pizza oven. "I quickly became obsessed with perfecting my sourdough technique," he shared. As a passionate advocate for great food and local produce, Grant’s recipes are known for being wholesome family favourites full of flavour.

In preparation for the competition, Grant had to adapt his usual dough process, which typically lasts between 3-5 days, to fit the 24-hour on-site requirement. "The weeks leading up to the competition involved practising the dough over and over, perfecting it," he said.

His determination paid off, as he was the first-ever finalist to use sourdough in the competition, a move the judges described as "risky". Grant always feeds his starter with Matthews Cotswold Flour - a combination of Organic Strong White and Organic Dark Rye. He also loves our Cotswold Pizza Flour, and has recently sent us a fantastic Tandoori Peppers & Jalapeno Pizza Recipe too. 

The Competition

The competition spanned two days. On Saturday, the finalists prepared their dough, while Sunday saw the intense final cook-off. Each contestant had 20 minutes to cook two pizzas: a classic Neapolitan Margherita and their signature “Doughstopper” for the panel which included the 2021 Bake-Off winner Giuseppe Dell’Anno (pictured top of the page, on the right) and Italian restauranteur, Jack La Smorfia.

Grant’s Margherita featured locally and sustainably sourced ingredients, including basil grown by his eight-year-old son, Cornish sea salt, British flour, and Mozzarella from Somerset. His “Doughstopper” pizza showcased harissa chicken, sweet peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and a unique sourdough crumb topping. "I wanted to show off sourdough, so I baked a loaf, roughly chopped it and cooked it with garlic, olive oil, rosemary, red onion, and pistachio," he explained.

Giuseppe said he was ‘obsessed’ with Grant’s sourdough crumbs and described his flavours as ‘mouthwatering’.

Giuseppe Dell’Anno, Bake Off winner & Head Judge said: “Picking winners among this lot was truly challenging!!! They all proved to be exceptionally skilled pizza chefs, with outstanding technical knowledge. Grant’s pizza was perfectly executed and a delight on the palate: it’s incredible that he managed to control sourdough in a frantic and stressful competition environment!”

Winning Moment

Grant described the moment he was announced as the winner as surreal. "Making pizza at home has become such an important part of my life, and to be recognised by the judges, who are very experienced, I was over the moon," he said. Sharing the victory with his two boys was an emotional moment. “I FaceTimed them on the way home and they both screamed and laughed, they couldn’t believe it, it’s a moment I’ll never forget”.

Future Plans and Continued Passion

Grant runs his video production company, PixelRain, full-time but follows his passion for pizza on the weekends. He plans to celebrate his victory by hosting several home pizza parties. “We'll throw a few home pizza parties to celebrate," he said. As a part-time ambassador for pizza oven brand Ooni, Grant has been inspiring others with his pizza creations for several years.

Darina Garland, Ooni Co-founder & Co-CEO said:

"We're so proud of Grant's win! From the moment we met him, his absolute passion for the craft of pizza shone through. His showcasing of awesome ingredients, getting the family involved, an obsession with dough and inspiring others to have a go really embodies what home pizza-making is all about. Yay Grant!"

He regularly shares recipes and tips on his Instagram (@grantbatty) and website (www.grantbatty.co.uk).

Love Logs invites the winner back to defend their title each year, so Grant will return to compete with a new group of finalists in 2025. Want a chance at the title? Follow @planetfriendlyfirewood or visit www.love-logs.com to find out how to enter in 2025.