Organic Pizza by Gallo Lea, Ecobold Blog

Organic Pizza by Gallo Lea

Have you ever thought of making organic pizza? I honestly haven't until coming across Gallo Lea who make the ideal kits for you to make your own pizza and enjoy meals with your friends and family. We interviewed the founders Tom Gallo and Susan Devitt, find out what makes them unique and different than any other pizza out there:

Tell us a little bit about your background and the story of Gallo Lea.
I've been a vegetarian for over 15 years, and always interested in nutrition and staying active...biking and rock climbing were interests that brought Tom and I together, first as friends, eventually married in 2008. At that time both of us were employed. One year later when the economy really crashed Tom lost his job as a ceramics engineer (materials science/chemistry sort of thing: translates well to cooking and engineering!) and I lost my biggest client. (they were part of the building industry. I'm a graphic designer).

We live in Asheville, NC a beautiful town were everyone wants to live, but there are few jobs. Definitely no jobs for a ceramics engineer, and if you through a quarter, you hit a designer. We didn't want to leave our home so we began the search for creating a business. While doing so, Tom frequented the kitchen to make pizza...he had a personal mission to make a great whole wheat pizza crust. Our friends were always coming over for the 'extra' pizzas Tom was making, they kept telling him to open a restaurant, the best pizza around! On a lark we took a summer class together: How to Start A Food Biz. From that, and Tom's pizza crust endeavor, it turned into us brainstorming how to make it into a unique business. A mix of excitement and fear kept us moving forward until it evolved into the Pizza Kit.

What did you want to be when you were a kid?
There was no doubt, from the time I can remember I wanted to be an artist. Art is what I've always done, and always will do. I bring that to the table with GalloLea Organics.

Why is organic food so important and what are some bad ingredients we can find in conventional pizza/pasta products?
Such a big question, impossible to answer here. The capsule answer: Organic food is more sustainable and ethical for our planet, in the bigger picture. As for the rundown of what's in other pizzas? I don't have any on hand, but I'm certain they have too many ingredients I can't pronounce, undoubtably some adulterated version of corn and or soy as well. Here's what our pizza is: fresh ingredients. Not frozen. This means It doesn't require an infastructure to do the 'instant freeze process' or keep it frozen throughout the process of production, delivery, grocery space, going home and staying in the freezer till you cook it. It tastes, and is, homemade fresh pizza. Only it takes a half hour to make because people just have busy lives and GalloLea is the shortcut.

It's also, for me, a re-education of what a lot of people think of as 'bad for you' or junk food. Our pizza is healthy, put healthy ingredients on i and you have a healthy meal.

What are your top 3 best sellers?
We only have the Whole Wheat Pizza Kit, Gluten Free Pizza Kit and Low Sodium Whole wheat Pizza Kit. They all sell really well, but the best selling is the original whole wheat Pizza Kit.

If you could live in any place of the world, where would it be?
I've been to a lot of places, and when I come home to Asheville I feel like I'm going on vacation. It's an amazing place to live and I don't want to live anywhere else.

Where do you see the organic business going?
It's growing. I worry about industrial organic. Organic is so much bigger and more mainstream than10 years ago, I have hope.

What's the biggest lesson you learned while starting Gallo Lea?
It costs 20 times in energy, money and time than you imagine to start a business. The growth is very 'organic', as in learning constantly, using new information and being flexible.

What's a natural/non-toxic product you could never live without?
Is this a trick question? Is it water?

What's a common question you get when people find out what you do?
Where did we come up with the idea. Did we come up with it all on our own? (yes). and I don't know that it's so much a question, but people perk up and say 'oh fun!' Everyone loves pizza, and the idea of a make-it-at-home pizza kit is appealing: food is communion, the pizza kit is fun.

If there is one thing/thought/idea that you could pass on to the next generation, what would it be?
Live a simple life focusing on relationships. Life is short, stay in the moment. Even when you're doing the dishes.

Gallo Lea makes three different pizza kits: low sodium, gluten free and wheat pizza. Also find all kinds of recipes, just make sure to invite great friends and family (and us!) over.