The Gaff in Ellon: Did our pizza, garlic balls and cannolis deliver?

I recently enjoyed a holiday in Italy. More specifically, in Florence and Tuscany.

Whenever I speak about the trip – and yes, this may sound dramatic – it feels as though it was all a dream. The landscapes, museums and architecture were out of this world.

And I cannot emphasise enough how much I fell in love with the food.

Ever since returning home, I’ve found myself craving authentic Italian wood fired pizza more than ever. It called for one thing – a trip to The Gaff in Ellon, of course.

The Gaff in Ellon offers indoor seating, as well as delivery and collection services.

P&J health and wellbeing journalist Andy Morton was happy to join, so we met photographer Kath Flannery at the well-known Bridge Street shop this afternoon.

It has a rustic, homely feel to it with seating inside for diners. However, you can also opt for collection or delivery. To check if you’re within the delivery radius, head to The Gaff website here.

So, did the flavours in our dishes transport me back to Italy? Let’s find out…

Read on to see what dishes we tasted at The Gaff in Ellon, and our ratings for each…

Dish 1: Garlicky, buttery, cheesy, salty balls

First up, the business’ garlicky, buttery, cheesy, salty balls, which are priced at £4.50.

The garlicky, buttery, cheesy, salty balls.

The presentation just about had the three of us drooling. Six uniform, fermented dough balls had been placed around a large pot of tomato dip which I, for one, couldn’t wait to tuck into.

Tossed in a confit garlic, Grana Padano – a cheese originating in the Po Valley, in Northern Italy – and parsley butter, the crisp outer layer was savoury, salty and rich to taste.

We all adored the dough balls, but that tomato dip was the standout for me. It had a mild sweetness, gentle tanginess, and was light and refreshing. Already, I was back on holiday.

Ratings:

Andy: 4/5
Karla: 4/5

Dish 2: Large pizza

Three members of the team, including owner Mike Gaffney, were working away in the open kitchen area throughout our visit.

You can watch your dishes being made at The Gaff in Ellon.

I knew a large pizza (£10) had to be on the cards. They also come in small or extra large.

With so many traditional and creative topping options available – such as wood roasted chicken, pepperoncini (sweet peppers) and anchovies, to name a few – I left it to the experts to choose them. No pressure.

A white base pizza was placed in front of us, which is a style of pizza that does not use tomato sauce. Believe it or not, it was a first for me.

Our toppings included mushrooms and red onions, among other ingredients.

Dry and wet mozzarella, rosemary, red onions (£1), mushrooms (£1) and a creamy post bake ricotta were selected.

The thin, fluffy dough was incredible and boasted smoky, charred and earthy flavours. The melted cheese on top would have made for a perfect pairing in itself.

However, there was a lovely crunch in the mix from the onions, too. And mushrooms just so happen to be my favourite pizza topping. It was meant to be.

Have you tried a pizza from The Gaff in Ellon?

The leftover tomato dip was great for dunking the crispy crusts into.

Ratings:

Andy: 4/5
Karla: 4/5

Dish 3: Bovril pi

The next dish on the agenda was the Bovril pi, a £6 signature small pizza. Mike said it is one of their best sellers at The Gaff.

This pizza featured confit garlic butter, fior di latte mozzarella, a Bovril swirl and crispy fried onions.

Andy was skeptical about the Bovril, but he enjoyed the dish.

“Sounds strange but certainly one of those ‘don’t knock it til you’ve tried it’ dishes,” he added.

Andy was a tad puzzled, to say the least, when the word Bovril came up. But he loved its simplicity with just confit garlic butter, fior di latte mozzarella, a Bovril swirl and crispy fried onions in the mix.

The pair of us acted as though we’d never eaten before…

Also a white base, there was no tomato sauce. However, the meatiness from the Bovril meant it wasn’t needed.

Ratings:

Andy: 4.5/5
Karla: 4/5

Dish 4: Brunch panuozzo with red sauce

Our brunch panuozzo was another looker of a dish and cost £5.50. Essentially, it’s a pizza sandwich.

The brunch panuozzo is essentially a pizza sandwich.

The dough had been folded and stuffed with streaky smoked bacon, sausage, black pudding, red sauce and garlic butter. It’s hefty, filling and flavoursome.

This dish is a prime example of Mike and his team getting creative with their menu. It was great, and turned out to be Andy’s favourite savoury dish.

This £5.50 menu item is perfect for meat lovers.

If you’re after a fair feed and love high-quality, meaty ingredients in/on a pizza, then this will be up your street.

Ratings:

Andy: 4/5
Karla: 4/5

Dish 5: Cannolis

Everything was going down a treat and I began to wonder, how could anything here be topped?

Then came our pudding – cannolis (£4).

I’ll be thinking about these cannolis for weeks.

The portion included two of the Italian pastries, jam-packed with a silky, sweet and smooth ricotta filling. Andy’s was gone in no time.

The tube-shaped pastry shells were initially crisp but melted in the mouth. As for the filling, I would buy that by the jar if The Gaff started selling it.