It was a flurry of flour, cheese, sauce and toppings as 16 pizza makers from across Malaysia came together to vie for the coveted winning spots in the Domino’s Pizza Fastest Pizza Maker competition held today at The Weld, Kuala Lumpur.
Abdillah Abdul Shukor, Domino’s Pizza’s Country Operations Manager, emerged as champion by making three pizzas in 1 minute 33 seconds. He took home RM 1,000 in cash. Full-time pizza maker Fadzwanli Bin Mohd was the first runner-up with a time of 1 minute 36 seconds. He won RM 500. Second runner-up Zuliskandariah Bin Khalid, District Manager, took home RM 300.
Organized to recognize the expertise and time management skills of Domino’s pizza makers globally, the winner will represent Malaysia at the Asia Pacific level of the competition.
Shamsul Amree, Senior General Manager, Operations, Domino’s Pizza Malaysia and Singapore, said, “This competition is unique to Domino’s and a great platform to witness the talent of our pizza makers who are usually behind the scenes. Pizza making at Domino’s is truly a craft that requires technique and practice to be able to create a perfect 10-point pizza made from hand-stretched dough. This is certainly no cookie-cutter process and we are very proud to have such expert pizza makers here in Malaysia.”
“All our pizza makers must master two important characteristics: speed and quality. We do not compromise on either. Time is a crucial factor for Domino’s Pizza because as the pizza delivery expert, we must deliver within 30 minutes. We are also committed to delivering pizzas that meet the quality expectations of customers.”
“While I do not deny technology and sophisticated procedures play a part in our delivery promise, in the end, it boils down to the skills-set of our pizza makers. Domino’s prides itself on its people rejoicing in delivering excellence. We do not want to be seen as normal because normal will not help us become No. 1.”
Embracing the company’s philosophy of smart hustle, Domino’s Pizza has been holding the Fastest Pizza Maker competition once every two years since 1998 to laud pizza makers who best exemplify qualities that enable the safe and timely delivery that the company prides itself on. The competition is open to all pizza makers at Domino’s Pizza.
This year’s competition saw participants making three types of large pizzas, namely Beef Pepperoni, Mushroom, and Plain Cheese. While participants showed off their enviable skills at creating a perfect 10-point pizza, it was clear that speedy completion was an equal motivator.
He said, “Pizza making is in our blood. We are committed to making great pizzas from our heart for our customers. With Domino’s celebrating 20 years in Malaysia this year, it gives us an opportunity to honor our pizza makers’ passion on a bigger scale. The best of the best in the country have competed here today and we believe our winner will do us proud at the Asia Pacific level, and hopefully even break the current record!”
Champion Abdillah shared: “It’s been some time since I last joined the fastest pizza maker competition. I decided to join this year to motivate my team members to show that if I can do it, they too can do it. I am really glad that I made it this far as we take great pride in working at Domino’s Pizza Malaysia. I will continue to do my best for the company.”
According to Shamsul, the pizzas in today’s competition were judged according to three criteria, namely dough & saucing, portioning and placement of toppings. In addition, the judges used calibrated digital scales to determine each pizza’s actual weight. This year’s panel of judges was led by Ms. Uzma Ilyas Chaudhry, Training and Standards Consultant, Domino’s Pizza Asia Pacific.
He concluded, “This year’s competition involved a different method of assessment in keeping with our stringent 10-point rule for making the ideal Domino’s pizza that our customers love. When we make pizza for customers at our stores, each pizza goes through quality checks by the Oven Tender to ensure only a perfect 10-point pizza is served. Our pizza makers will have to remake the pizza if it does not meet our product satisfaction requirements. The same exacting standards were applied in the competition today.”
Apart from the contestants, members of the media were also given a chance to try their hand at making pizzas the Domino’s way.