23 July 2025
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Oak Fire Pizza known for its wood-fired flavours, is proudly celebrating 10 years in Clonakilty, the flagship location that launched the brand’s journey as Oak Fire Pizza back in 2015.
From its Clonakilty launchpad, Oak Fire Pizza has grown into one of Cork’s most recognisable homegrown food brands. Under the direction of its founders Andrew Loane and business partner Tayfur Turkan, the company now operates nine outlets, employs over 90 staff, and has earned several industry awards along the way.
“It’s been a decade of hard work, creativity, and serious community support,” said Andrew Loane, Founder and Managing Director. “We’ve weathered economic downturns, VAT increases, and COVID, but we’ve never compromised on quality, local ingredients, or the people-first culture that makes this business special.”
From market stall to milestone
Andrew’s journey began during the recession, when he transitioned from the construction industry to food, bringing a portable pizza oven and gazebo to local markets and festivals.
In 2010 Andrew launched The Oak Fire Italian Pizzeria in Skibbereen, and five years later after partnering with friend Tayfur Turkan, they relocated the business to Clonakilty, and rebranded it as Oak Fire Pizza – the name and vision that locals and visitors know today.
Clonakilty was more than just a new location, it was the springboard for Oak Fire Pizza’s success. What began as a single outlet has become a trusted name across Cork, built on fire, flavour, and fierce commitment to community.
With no budget to hire contractors, the duo took on the challenge of building out the new premise. Every element, from tiling and plumbing to flooring and the installation of all kitchen equipment, was completed by them. Even the wood-fired Pavesi oven made the move from Skibbereen.
“In the first few months, it was myself in the kitchen, Tayfur out front, and a couple of part-time helpers in the kitchen”, recalls Andrew. “It was a very small team, 7 day weeks, 15 hour days. We never envisioned that 10 years later we’d be operating nine units around the city and county. The focus was on keeping the standards very high and consistent. The recipes and processes are meticulously precise. Dough batches measured to the gram, timed to the second and proving temperatures maintained to the degree.”
What makes Oak Fire Pizza different?
Oak Fire Pizza has built its reputation on authentic wood-fired techniques, handmade dough, and fresh Irish ingredients, including Clonakilty black pudding, Macroom buffalo mozzarella and locally grown produce. Pizzas are crafted by hand, baked directly on stone in traditional ovens, and prepared using methods that honour Naples-style pizza making.
The business maintains quality across its growing network through a custom-built system for tracking and standardising every element of production, from ingredient sourcing to dough proofing temperatures. Staff training, feedback loops, and weekly operations meetings keep things evolving and improving.
“We’re not driven by corporate investors or profits,” adds Andrew. “We’re driven by a love of local food, of real food, and doing things the right way, even when it’s harder. There is a growing health-consciousness, and demand for higher-quality, transparent, local food. Consumers are becoming more educated about what they eat and are rejecting ultra-processed options in favour of fresh, sustainable ingredients.”
Resilience in challenging times
Oak Fire Pizza has remained adaptable in the face of industry challenges, from skyrocketing utility costs to supply chain disruptions and the return of the 13.5% VAT rate.
During the pandemic, the pizzeria instantly jumped into action and closed off all the restaurant seating areas across all locations and converted their shopfronts into service hatches to keep the wheels turning.
“We scrambled some weeks to source products from multiple suppliers, but we never gave up,” recalls Andrew. “We made it work because our customers and team believed in us.” Andrew adds, “The biggest challenge is staying ahead of everything, keeping things relevant and interesting to keep our customers coming back. Sitting still just isn’t an option.”
Community at the heart
Beyond pizza, Oak Fire is known for its deep involvement in the community. Andrew is a long-time organiser of the Irish Yogurts Clonakilty Street Carnival, where he oversees food vendor coordination and logistics. The business has supported local charities, including record-breaking events and fundraising for the Irish Cancer Society.
“Clonakilty welcomed us with open arms in 2015,” Andrew reflects. “That sense of community and belonging is what motivates us to give back.”
Looking to the future
As Oak Fire Pizza celebrates 10 years, the future is equally ambitious. The team is currently developing new projects across Cork City and even exploring potential national opportunities.
“Continuous improvement is our biggest goal. We’d love to bring a slice of Cork to the rest of the country.” said Andrew. “This milestone isn’t just about pizza. It’s about people, the staff who’ve grown with us, the customers who’ve stuck by us, and the towns that helped build this dream. Here’s to the next 10 years of Oak Fire Pizza!”
This summer, Oak Fire Pizza is celebrating 10 years in Clonakilty with a special new dish: the ‘Clonakilty Breakfast’. This limited-time menu addition features the famous Clonakilty black pudding, sausage, bacon, fior di latte, and a drizzle of hollandaise.
About Oak Fire Pizza
- 2010 – Launches in Skibbereen as The Oak Fire Pizzeria
- 2015 – Clonakilty outlet opens with re-brand to Oak Fire Pizza; upstairs seating follows due to demand
- 2017 – Expands to Bandon
- 2018 – Cork City (Princes Street) restaurant opens
- 2019 – Production unit opens in Lisavaird, Clonakilty
- 2020–2021 – Growth continues with College Road, East Village in Douglas, and Marina Market locations
- 2023 – College Road rebrands as BOXT Pizza; Griolladh partnership launches with two Cork locations