Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chris Hill. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Chris, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I was laid off from teaching during the pandemic and started making pizza at home for family and friends. Eventually, I became obsessed with the science behind the dough process and my pizza started improving. Meanwhile, I was having trouble finding a teaching job again, so I started selling pizzas out of my house and then at local farmer’s markets. I quickly began to realize that our region of New Jersey, where it’s less populated and more rural, there is an absence of artisanal pizza. In order to have higher quality pizza and toppings, you’d have to head east towards New York City. I wanted to craft elevated pizza that isn’t always accessible in my region of New Jersey, and that slowly became my purpose. When you visit our site, you’ll see the heading “Elevated Pizza, Highlighting Local and Seasonal Ingredients’. We use a blend of artisan flours in our dough, including whole wheat that’s grown and milled 30 minutes from where I live. We also offer seasonal pies throughout the year featuring local corn, pears, peaches, summer squash, apples, & even butternut squash.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My wife and I have traveled the world for the last 5-7 years eating and learning all about pizza. From Portland, Oregon to Sorrento, Italy, and everywhere in between, we have dedicated our time to become educated in what makes really great pizza. In speaking to and meeting some of the leading experts and Pizzaiolos in the industry, they all agree on one thing: Pizza must be made with the finest and freshest ingredients, by people who simply care.
Through our adventures, we began to realize that where we live in Sussex County and in the surrounding areas, we’re seriously lacking artisanal pizza. In order to access quality pizza in the past, you’d have to head east towards New York City. At A Slice of New Jersey, we are looking to change that narrative, as we strive everyday to make hand-crafted, high quality pizza accessible in this region of New Jersey, while sourcing local and seasonal ingredients. From the flour used to the toppings added, we ensure that your pizza is made with quality and most importantly, love.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Adaptability, dedication & commitment
Regardless of your career, avoid becoming stagnant and complacent. I am always observing and evolving to better our product. Every time someone tries our pizza, I want it to be better than the last time. Whether its the customer experience, dough, texture, topping combinations, etc., it has to be better. I always tell anyone who is looking to get into the hospitality/restaurant business, that is so much more than cooking for people; It’s sourcing ingredients, responding to emails, submitting permits, paying event fees, loading/unloading the truck constantly, & so much more. You really have to love what you do and be dedicated, or else people will notice and your craft immediately loses credibility and appeal to others. I always joke that I am unapologetically obsessed with pizza and what comes with it, but there is some truth to that. I don’t think I would be where I’m at today if I wasn’t all in, all the time…
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
Always! I’m constantly looking to better our pizza/topping combinations, and so I have always wanted to collaborate with a chef from a different cuisine/background, and implement interesting topping combinations. For example, I’m incredibly interested in Asian cuisine, so I would love to create various Asian-inspired toppings for a pie and offer something more elevated than what the public is accustomed to getting from their local chain pizzerias. I have done a few pies in the past with dough that’s infused with craft beer from local breweries that people really enjoyed. The sky really is the limit, especially with pizza, because at the end of the day, its just a blank canvas, awaiting to be topped.
Currently, though, we partner with local farms throughout the year and use their produce on our pizza. It’s been super successful so far and I love to experiment with unconventional toppings.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://asliceofnewjersey.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asliceofnewjersey
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asliceofnewjersey
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
