An international chef who has dished up some meals for celebrities such as Dusty Springfield, Kristen Scott Thomas and Joseph Fiennes has been appointed to Australian pizza maker Eagle Boys Pizza.
Zimbabwe-born Melanie Townsend brings nearly 20 years experience in the UK and South Africa to her new role as Eagle Boys national product development manager. She will be responsible for researching and developing new pizza bases, toppings and side products.
Her first creation is the new Steak Sensations range inspired by Australia’s long love affair with meat. The range combines two Australian favourites – steak and pizza – in three toppings: steak and cheese, garlic steak and mushroom, and smokehouse steak and bacon.
Townsend said “I am obsessed with food and am always researching and trying new things. With this approach I’m keen to develop some signature menu items for Eagle Boys which draw on quality ingredients.
“Australia is such a cultural hub so it can draw on so many international flavours while still being uniquely Australian.
“I also believe that pizzas have genders – with certain toppings appealing to the different taste buds of men and women. But at the end of the day, pizza is a very social food and can help make any meal occasion.”
Eagle Boys CEO Todd Clayton said the success of innovative new pizzas, such as Chicken and Avocado and Mediterranean Meatlovers, had spurred the company to invest in product research and development.
“Melanie has extensive experience in the food industry, both as a chef and as a manager of suppliers, to ensure that our pizzas and products taste great and are of a high quality,” he said.
Eagle Boys Pizza is one of Australia’s largest pizza makers operating more than 230 franchised stores throughout Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, employing more than 4,000 staff and making more than 13 million pizzas a year.
In June 2008, Eagle Boys Pizza was named the nation’s 2008 Supreme Retailer by the National Retail Association and received the Best Franchise award for the second consecutive year.