continuing poor summer, the addition of the oven has added exactly the dimension to our business that we hoped for, but didn’t really expect. And that’s with only running it for approximately 17 hours a week (private bookings are picking up well though). It was still a lot of work from receiving the pallets from you. To sum up; the pre-sales session at your workshop, the manual/booklet you provided and the quick and clear response to any subsequent query have been the ‘over and above’ points that raise the level of service that I’d expect of any other supplier. Those points, plus the fact that the oven itself works brilliantly, looks fantastic and, as a tool, is a pleasure to use as any well-made craft tool should be.

Thanks

We came across Bushman ovens after weeks of researching pizza ovens and contacted Jay, shortly after we arranged a consultation, we debated whether or not it was worth driving the 3 hours to Worcester… it most certainly was!

We arrived with our notes and full of ideas about what we thought we wanted and how we were going to move forward with our plan, in reality, we quickly realised just how little we knew and were going to need our hands held along the way, this came in the form of Jay. If you have a question, Jay always has the answer, you may not always agree initially but he is more often than not right. He has the expertise, he has done the hard work, tried and tested everything from the type of set-up and oven that will work for you down to the cheese you cook with.

Most of our ideas were turned on their head with practical reasons why they wouldn’t work, he has been building ovens, and cooking at private events and festivals for a long time and knows what works and what doesn’t.

Being a couple in our early 50s we were looking for a lifestyle change, fed up with the commute and long hours we wanted to invest our time and energy in ourselves, we knew we didn’t want fixed premises as part of the plan was to take the winters off, we have spent the last 3 winters in Koh Samui (Thailand) and have returned to the UK when the clocks go forward. Following the consultation with Jay we knew that we wanted to buy a mobile Bushman Oven and the compact kitchen was the solution we had been looking for just a few months later we were booked for our first cook on the 1st of June 2018. Although it was a small gathering we were surprisingly nervous on our first cook, we actually forgot pepperoni and basil and had to stop off and pick some up and after a shaky start, we cooked 40 pizzas and were delighted with ourselves!

In our first season, we cooked everywhere and anywhere we could to build up our confidence and our brand, we cooked at local events, food festivals, rugby clubs, college food fayres, a pumpkin pick, a local marathon event (10,000 people) and a few ‘pop ups’.We were booked for a handful of private parties and two weddings in the first year which increased to almost 30 in year two! Now we concentrate on weddings and private events which we prefer because you know exactly how many guests you are catering for and you are paid whether it rains or shines. We still support local food fayres and events to keep our name out there and often pick up bookings when the public sees our set-up and tastes our food. We would have no hesitation in recommending a consultation with Jay, if you are serious then he will listen and guide you and his enthusiasm is infectious. He is always at the end of the phone or texts to answer even the most random or seemingly mundane questions. We are proud of the business we have built in such a short time and without a miniscule of a doubt we know we could not have achieved this without Jay. In our house, he is referred to as our ‘Pizza Guru’.

We run a beautiful 2 AA Rosette restaurant in the Oxfordshire countryside. Whilst we are successful, we have always been perceived as a special occasion venue and never had a big casual dining appeal. For years we wanted to change this perception and become more accessible and increase our revenue – but the more awards we won, the more we were perceived as fine dining only!

Then lockdown happened and we had to rethink our whole business model. After going to see several local suppliers of pizza ovens and not feeling 100% satisfied or confident as to quality and durability, a friend recommended Jay at Bushman Ovens – he said he had bought one 10 years ago and that he and Jay were still friends all this time on! We got in touch with Jay and even after just a 10-minute initial chat, we felt totally inspired and knew he was the right choice for us. The questions he asked us made it very clear that he was a step above the others, that his ovens were top of the range and that he wanted the best option for us as a business, rather than just a quick sale. Jay was upfront about the cost and explained that he is not the cheapest option BUT you are buying so much more than an oven and he was right…We arranged our discovery consultation day and Jay talked us through options for the oven (which he handmakes personally) and also our business plans and what sort of revenue we could expect to achieve. We hardly dared believe it could make such a difference to our sales, especially at such difficult economic times. He then cooked us a delicious pizza and we left excited and confident that Bushman was the right choice. Throughout the design and installation, Jay liaised with us closely and advised us at every step of the way. The after-sales support has been amazing and he is always at the end of the phone, happy to help.

In the two months we have had our Bushman oven, it has paid for itself and our business has been transformed. We have been fully booked every day and, whilst we are still a beautiful 2 AA Rosette restaurant, we now have a huge casual dining following. The pizzas are the best I have ever tasted, with our White Hart Fig, Parma ham and goat’s cheese pizza outselling even our signature slow-roasted pork belly.

We cannot recommend ay highly enough. We got a top-quality pizza oven, with an expert at the end of the phone, business advice and more revenue than we could have dreamed of, worth every penny.

Eventually I not only bought a beautiful oven from him but I asked him to convert my van’s interior which I have to say I could not be more happy with. From the start to the end of the process, he and the team were superb, sharing their experience and knowledge along the way to ensure I got exactly what I need to give my business the best chance of success.

12 months on I have established my business and we now cater for weddings, festivals, fairs, private celebrations and beyond. Even during this period, the after-service has been amazing, with Jay always on hand to answer teething questions and help in any way possible. There is simply no one with his depth of knowledge out there. What he doesn’t know isn’t worth knowing!

If you want the best oven on the market, look no further. It has been the star performer since its launch. If you want this together with a textbook of experience on hand at any time of the day, then I cannot recommend Bushman enough. If you want peace of mind and a return on your investment, then Bushman is the smart choice

I couldn’t have been more wrong! Jay gave me a complete insight into what I should be doing & how I should do it. He changed my mind from having a pizza business at home to having a van built by himself to a standard that is fantastic. This was not a pressure sale at all. It was me wanting to buy a van and start this new adventure.

I went away from the day, thinking I should buy a van built by Jay. I just need to find the money and of course at the time, a van (which at the time, wasn’t very easy).

I managed to find both the money and a van and got that delivered to Jay – then the process started. I had a quote from Jay, and he built the wagon, made a couple of changes including adding a new serving buffet shelf and made an adjustment on the day of collection to security on the main hatch otherwise no other changes. On price on time!

I’ve now been using the van for nearly 8 months and over those eight months I’m very impressed with everything – it is in the right place & everything is correct.

The Bushman oven in the van is absolutely fantastic. It gets up to temperature very quickly and stays at constant temperature and also stays very warm afterwards so I can make bread in the morning or I can put something in the to cook after we come back from a gig. It’s very versatile. It has been absolutely perfect – the size of the oven is great. I can fit in three to four 12-inch pizzas and I’m able to cater for large or small events with the oven.

But that’s not it, what you’ve got to remember is not only has Jay built me a fantastic wagon, he’s given me the advice that I need to streamline my process. He’s also giving me advice on how I should be doing things, what I should do for advertising, and what are my strengths & weaknesses and overall, has been a really good business partner and all of that was included in the price I originally paid.

Jay is an absolutely fantastic mentor. I can only recommend to anyone that is looking to start a pizza business, talk with Jay first. Buy into the pizza family with a bushman oven, a food trailer or a wagon. Feel free to look around, but you won’t find anyone that has got the passion, experience & has knowledge that Jay has, about how things are done and how to build a wagon. You will save money by buying a van with Jay as what you get is perfect.

I am more than happy to give a personal reference for Jay. If anyone feels that you need to talk to me about it then please phone or email me. I am happy to share some of my experience and also talk about Jay and how he has helped my business. Once again, I can only say thank you Jay for all your help and of course, I will still call on your help when needed.