Tom Gozney has built a huge international cult following of well-recognised chefs, but Tom's story didn't start as a promising pizza oven pioneer. As a child, he struggled with severe dyslexia and was highly misunderstood—resulting in expulsion from school and being kicked out of college. Told he wouldn’t amount to anything, Tom turned to drugs and alcohol and soon became addicted. At 20, he entered a rehabilitation program in South Africa and emerged a year later unsure of his path forward. This is where we start our conversation, Tom's Last Drink.

Without drugs and alcohol to lean on, Tom struggled with social gatherings. He didn’t find comfort until he decided to build a homemade brick oven in his backyard where he discovered his love for cooking. Upon doing so, he realized that pizza was his way to re-engage with friends and family, who would bring over pizza toppings (rather than drugs and alcohol) and enjoy an evening in the community—uniting in the healing power of good food and great company. This inspired Gozney to create his first oven business, The Stone Bake Oven Company (2010), with the goal of making wood-fired cooking accessible to commercial businesses, and later residential properties with the establishment of the Gozney brand.

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