Pembroke, Ont. pizzeria receives national recognition
Joe Ward has been perfecting his pizza craft for decades.
Now, Joe's Family Pizzeria in Pembroke, Ont. is being recognized outside of the Ottawa Valley.
"We actually won second best pizzeria in Canada by Canadian Pizza Magazine, so shout out to them, we appreciate it," says Ward, president and CEO of the local pizzeria. The restaurant received that award in May, but that is just the tip of the slice.
This month, Joe's was named to have the best take-home pizza kit in Canada by Canadian Pizza Magazine.
"There's other products out there and we came up with our own, and it's our product," says Ward's wife Natacha, owner of Joe's Family Pizzeria. "It's something that we put our heart and soul into."
The restaurant has been making the pizza kits for years, but the popularity took off during the pandemic, with the kits now available in 30 different grocery stores across eastern Ontario and Quebec.
"A lot of pizza kit products, you have to make your own dough," says Joe. "This, the dough is ready for you to go. You can toss it up in the air and stretch it and have fun with the kids. Especially through the pandemic it was a family experience."
The owners says there is no secret to the ingredients behind the award winning pizza kits, just the house-made dough, sauce, cheese, and pepperoni. They say it's the extra love and care baked in that makes the difference.
"I like to say it starts in the heart. It's the service, it's the family, this is home, and it goes from there," says Natacha. "Then of course it has to be the dough and lots of cheese and everything."
"Everybody loves the pizza, everybody locally loves the pizza, but now we can share that love with people outside of Pembroke and Petawawa," adds Joe.
On top of the previously mentioned awards, Joe's also touts to have the best pizza in all of the valley.
With the best pizzeria named by Canadian Pizza Magazine located in Slave Lake, Alta., Ward says they can say with confident reasoning that makes them the best pizza around.
Ward credits the personal touch that is still available to those who stop into the restaurant to pick up their order.
"People want to know the people making their food, they want to know the owners," says the lifelong pizza maker. "They don't want to come in and hear '6-43!'. They want to chat with you; they don't want to just hear an order number."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
One dead after potential wrong way crash on Highway 401 in Milton: OPP
One person is dead and another is in life-threatening condition after a driver was travelling in the wrong direction on Highway 401 in Milton Sunday, according to police.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Trudeau 'absolutely' best person to lead the Liberals in next election: LeBlanc insists
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc insists he's not planning a leadership campaign to head the Liberal party, should current leader and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resign, seemingly quashing rumours he's planning to make a move for his boss' job.
opinion You don't need to be an influencer to earn income from social media
How legitimate are claims by some content creators that the average person can earn passive income from social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram? Personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says it's quite possible, if you're willing to put in the initial time and effort.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
'The Fall Guy' gives Hollywood a muted summer kickoff with a US$28.5M opening
"The Fall Guy," the Ryan Gosling-led, action-comedy ode to stunt performers, opened below expectations with US$28.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday, providing a lukewarm start to a summer movie season that's very much to be determined for Hollywood.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.
William Shatner says he would consider 'Star Trek' return: 'Here comes Captain Kirk!'
The Montreal-born actor, famed for his portrayal of Captain Kirk in "Star Trek," says he is open to reprising the iconic role in the sci-fi franchise as long as the storytelling is stellar.
Hamas says latest ceasefire talks have ended. Israel vows military operation in 'very near future'
The latest round of Gaza cease-fire talks ended in Cairo after "in-depth and serious discussions,"{ the Hamas militant group said Sunday, reiterating key demands that Israel again rejected.