Gozney is the brand that democratised proper pizza, and it's now one of the most recognisable names in outdoor cooking. The product range pairs serious performance with genuinely considered industrial design, and behind it all is founder Tom Gozney, whose obsession with craft extends well beyond cheese, tomato and sourdough.
From Japanese eyewear and vintage military jackets to Apple, streetwear and analogue tech, Tom's influences reveal a broader design philosophy rooted in longevity, tactility and human connection rather than novelty for novelty's sake.
Ahead of our latest competition with Gozney and Tonester, we caught up with him to talk about the thinking behind the brand, the products he's most proud of, the objects he considers perfect, and why, in an increasingly connected world, he has absolutely no interest in building a pizza oven that talks to your phone.
What do you feel is Gozney's USP?
I started Gozney to share the experience of live-fire cooking and the power it holds in bringing people together. When I launched in 2010, if you wanted a pizza oven you would have to import one from Italy or build it yourself – that needed to change.
We are a design-led, premium brand focused on changing the way the world cooks outdoors through our inspired aesthetic, pro-grade performance and ease of use. We’ve distilled all that knowledge from our commercial offerings into a product range that is built to last, offers unparalleled performance and acts as a centrepiece for any outdoor space or social occasion.
We want to make live fire cooking accessible to all, from home cooks to chefs, and that is reflected within our product range – from our latest entry-level oven, Arc Lite (RRP £349.99), designed for smaller spaces, all the way to our pinnacle oven Dome Gen 2.
We’re widely recognised for being one of the highest-quality brands in the market. Our designs have not only captured the hearts (and stomachs) of home cooks, chefs and design enthusiasts, including familiar names such as LeBron James, Margot Robbie, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Matty Matheson and Jason Statham, but have also amassed a number of awards including a Red Dot Design Award, iF Design Award and a special mention in TIME Best Inventions.
We are always pushing the boundaries of the category and design to continue to innovate and improve the experience for our customers.
What does good design mean to you?
To me, good design is something that meets a genuine need. It solves a problem. Enhances an experience. Enriches people’s lives.
And it’s all in the details. A seamless experience from the moment you add it to your basket. From the unboxing experience to the moment you fire it up. And then how it holds up five, ten years later.
Good design holds the power to shape experience and even culture.
Who or what outside of food influences you most?
Streetwear, footwear, Apple.
How they approach design. Design that goes beyond function and individual experience – it shapes culture. There’s an obsessive attention to detail, and a clarity of vision, that elevates the entire experience.
What object do you consider to be perfect?
A pair of tinted glasses, handmade in Japan, by a brand called Akoni. My wife bought them for me, and honestly, they're some of the most beautifully crafted things I own. When I wear them, it doesn't feel like I'm wearing glasses. It feels like I'm wearing a piece of art. Every detail is considered. That's my definition of perfect – something made by hand, with that much care, that you feel every time you pick it up.
How does an idea become a Gozney product?
Good question. There’s no one rule. Most of my ideas are sparked by and focused on the experience – how can I elevate it or make it more accessible?
I lead product ideation alongside our Director of New Product Innovation, Ryan Breeze, who takes my initial concepts, thinking and sketches and helps me build them out using consumer insights and the latest in engineering and design. From there, our New Product Development team brings it to life.
It’s a meticulous process – typically taking a couple of years – but that’s what it can take to create something that genuinely pushes the boundaries of the category.
Our upcoming collaboration with cult paint brand Tonester came from our shared obsession with craft. Tony obsesses over paint in the same way I obsess over our products. When you meet someone working at that level, doing something together just feels inevitable. Two brands obsessed with their products and their consumers coming together to enrich people’s lives. Gozney creates emotional moments around fire, Tony creates them through how a space feels. Different worlds, but the same intent – to create something that people feel, not just use.
Which current product in the range feels closest to Gozney's DNA for you?
It’s got to be our pinnacle oven, Dome Gen 2. It’s the purest expression of what Gozney stands for.
In 2021, the launch of the original Dome redefined the pizza oven category, capturing the hearts (and stomachs) of designers, chefs and pizza enthusiasts alike, including familiar faces such as Margot Robbie, Matty Matheson, LeBron James and Jay-Z. Dome looked, performed and innovated like nothing else on the market, reshaping outdoor cooking culture forever. Garnering a number of critically acclaimed awards including TIME Best Inventions and a Red Dot Design Award.
Five years on, we’ve introduced the next evolution: the Dome Gen 2 Series – our biggest and most versatile ovens yet, marking a new era of live-fire cooking.
Shaped by four years of innovation and input from Gozney’s global chef community, the new series gives home cooks unmatched control and flexibility to go beyond pizza with confidence. Engineered for chefs and refined for home use, it brings restaurant-grade performance to the garden, making cooking with fire intuitive, powerful and endlessly rewarding.
Beyond its performance, Dome Gen 2 holds the power to act as a centrepiece for any outdoor space, a feature that naturally draws the eye thanks to its inspired aesthetic and when lit brings people together.
Where do you see Gozney in 10 years?
In 10 years’ time I see Gozney being a global outdoor cooking brand that has continued to shape outdoor cooking culture through its groundbreaking designs and by expanding into new cooking verticals.
Favourite piece of clothing you own and why?
A vintage army jacket I found in a flea market in Japan. One of my most cherished things. It gets less use now the sun's out, but I love it. There's a history in it you just can't manufacture. It's earned every mark it's got.
One current design trend you love?
Analog turntables and vinyl. And honestly, anything analog right now. It's a connected, human experience. You're present, you're in the moment, instead of pushing a button and having twenty-five million songs at your fingertips. I love convenience as much as anyone, but there's something deeply nostalgic and relaxing about it. The world's become so frictionless, so optimised. Everything's a button press now, and that quietly makes me sad. I use the technology where it earns its place in my work, but I don't want it replacing the parts of life that are meant to be felt.
And one you don't?
Anything that erodes human connection. Physical products with connectivity and AI baked in, when they were made for a human experience in the first place. I find that genuinely boring. Everything has an app now, everything's being integrated. I couldn't be further from it. It's why no Gozney product connects to an app, and none of them ever will be controlled by one. That was never the point, and I never want it to be.
In a world moving this fast, I'm a massive proponent of people meeting people on a human level. Touch, tactility, the appreciation for craft. Anything made by hand. Going back to human-made, not optimised. That's what I lean into.
