A Decade of Passion and Growth for Oak Fire Pizza
Ten years ago, a small pizzeria was born in the heart of West Cork. Today, it has grown into a well-known brand with nine thriving outlets across Cork city and county, employing over 90 people. Oak Fire Pizza, founded by Andrew Loane and Tayfur Turkan, is celebrating its tenth anniversary this month in Clonakilty. The business has become one of Cork’s most recognizable homegrown food brands, earning several industry awards along the way.
The success of Oak Fire Pizza is rooted in its commitment to quality, local ingredients, and community support. The pizzeria has also gained a reputation for using high-quality, handmade pizza with locally sourced products. One of its notable innovations was pioneering Clonakilty black pudding as a mainstream pizza topping.
Andrew Loane, founder and MD of Oak Fire Pizza, acknowledges that the past decade has been a journey filled with hard work, creativity, and strong community backing. “We’ve weathered economic downturns, VAT increases, and the challenges of the pandemic, but we’ve never compromised on quality, local ingredients, or the people-first culture that makes this business special,” he said.
From Construction to Pizzeria
Andrew’s journey into the food industry began during the recession when he transitioned from construction. He brought a portable pizza oven and gazebo to local markets and festivals, laying the foundation for his future business. In 2010, he launched The Oak Fire Italian Pizzeria in Skibbereen. Five years later, after partnering with friend Tayfur Turkan, they relocated the business to Clonakilty and rebranded it as Oak Fire Pizza.
Mr. Loane recalls the early days of operating in Clonakilty. “In the first few months, it was just me in the kitchen, Tayfur out front, and a couple of part-time helpers. It was a very small team, working seven-day weeks and 15-hour days. We never imagined that ten years later we’d be running nine units across the city and county.”
Commitment to Quality and Tradition
The focus from the beginning was on maintaining high standards and consistency. The recipes and processes are meticulously precise, with dough batches measured to the gram, timed to the second, and proving temperatures maintained to the degree. Oak Fire Pizza prides itself on authentic wood-fired techniques, handmade dough, and fresh Irish ingredients, including Clonakilty black pudding, Macroom Buffalo Mozzarella, and locally grown produce.
Pizzas are crafted by hand, baked directly on stone in traditional ovens, and prepared using methods that honor Naples-style pizza making. “We’re not driven by corporate investors or profits,” said Andrew. “We’re driven by a love of local food, real food, and doing things the right way, even when it’s harder.”
Adapting to Challenges
This summer, Oak Fire Pizza is celebrating its tenth anniversary with a special new dish: the ‘Clonakilty Breakfast’. This limited-time menu addition features the famous Clonakilty black pudding, sausage, bacon, fior di latte, and a drizzle of hollandaise.
The pizzeria has remained adaptable in the face of industry challenges, from rising utility costs to supply chain disruptions and the return of the 13.5% VAT rate. During the pandemic, the pizzeria closed off all restaurant seating areas and converted their shopfronts into service hatches to keep operations going.
Andrew emphasized the importance of customer and team support. “We scrambled some weeks to source products from multiple suppliers, but we never gave up. The biggest challenge is staying ahead of everything, keeping things relevant and interesting to keep our customers coming back.”
Community Involvement
Oak Fire Pizza is also deeply involved in the local community. Mr. Loane, who is a long-time organizer of the Irish Yoghurts Clonakilty Street Carnival, believes in giving back. “Clonakilty welcomed us with open arms in 2015. That sense of community and belonging is what motivates us to give back.”
As Oak Fire Pizza celebrates ten years, the future looks equally ambitious. The team is currently developing new projects across Cork city and exploring potential national opportunities. Andrew said they would “love” to bring a slice of Cork to the rest of the country. “Continuous improvement is our biggest goal. We’d love to bring a slice of Cork to the rest of the country.”
“This milestone isn’t just about pizza. It’s about people, the staff who’ve grown with us, the customers who’ve stuck by us, and the towns that helped build this dream.”
