About Emerald Pizza Academy
Emerald Pizza Academy, hereafter referred to as “Emerald,” is an Irish-based Pizza Chef School that promotes the use of local ingredients in traditional cuisine for a variety of economic and environmental reasons. The Academy was founded in 2017 by Mihai Hogaș, an Italian-trained pizza chef based in Dublin.
Vision
Emerald’s goal is to set young people on a more professional path after graduation, as is necessary for a country with fewer chefs than would be ideal. Emerald hopes that through our efforts we can raise a generation of chefs who are both professionally trained and understand the importance of local ingredients.
In addition, Emerald wants to continue to grow its own team and partnerships to pave the way for a resurgence in the culinary world.
Learn From the Best, an Award-Winning Pizza Academy
We are grateful that our value has been validated by 2 recent awards – 2020 – Pizza Making School of the Year in Ireland and 2021/2022 – Cookery School of the Year in Ireland. Also, it is important to mention that the classes are led by pizza chef Mihai Hogaș – Master Pizza Instructor – who has spent thousands of hours in the kitchen as an Executive Pizza Chef, holds graduation diplomas from prestigious academies in Italy (such as the Pizzaioli Academy, where he was a trainer and examiner) and who, above all, has a great love for his profession.
Why Local Ingredients?
There are many reasons for using local ingredients in our food. One of these reasons is to reduce our carbon footprint, a growing concern in a society that is increasingly aware of the impact our individual lives have on the planet we live on. We also believe that making pizza is an art that requires fresh, local ingredients. As a traditional Italian dish, it requires fresh produce to be prepared exactly as it was intended. That’s why we have arranged with Ireland’s only remaining manual flour mill to supply the flour for our dough. This way, we can trace the ingredients back to their source and be sure that our product is pure.
The Story of the Emerald Pizza Academy
I did not choose this name by chance. I knew this project would be called that when I saw the name of the delivery room where my son was born. Also, the emerald symbolises growth, development, and rebirth. And through our activities, that is exactly what we are doing. We grow wings together, support each other and bring joy to everyone who eats a pizza made from quality ingredients.