Anarchy in the pizza world has arrived in Nottingham as Pizza Punks gets ready to open its largest restaurant in the UK. The 180-seater restaurant in Fletcher Gate is number eight for the company, which also has sites in cities including Liverpool, Newcastle and Belfast. And in terms of location - right by the tram stops - it couldn't be better in terms of footfall.
The company prides itself on San Franciscan handmade sourdough pizzas. The sourdough culture started in the USA, then it went to Glasgow, Belfast and every other site with a Pizza Punks site and now it has travelled from Liverpool to Nottingham
Unlimited toppings mean you can have all the elements you like, from the norm to weird and wonderful concoctions. If you want to be rebellious you can have anchovies, roast potatoes and pineapple - who are we to judge? In all, there's 35 different toppings to choose from, with one set price, of £12.
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The choices start with the sauce. As well as the traditional tomato, diners can choose a white sauce with crème fraiche and double cream or BBQ. Under 'protein' are toppings of anchovies, black pudding, lemon and herb chicken and pepperoni. The 'punk' section has defiant flavours of beef shin ragu, caramelised pineapple, sriracha caramel pork belly and garlic and rosemary roast potatoes.
There's just as much variety for veggies with artichoke, courgette, goat's cheese, jalapenos, olives and capers and vegan alternatives including BBQ pulled jackfruit, 'nduja and Tuscan sausage. As tempting as it may be to overload your personalised pizza with dozens of toppings, staff pointed out it's not recommended as it doesn't really do anything in terms of flavour.
Louise McCabe, head of operations, said: "Our whole unique selling point is come in and order a pizza that suits you without having to go through the rigmarole of hold the anchovies or can I add mushrooms, as simple as that. It's about freedom of choice, about choosing what you want, and now we've added that to pasta as well.
"Everything we make on site is fresh, all day, every day. The executive chef has a saying 'there are no packets at Pizza Punks'. Everything is made in-house so when we do an Hawaiian pizza, the pork we use is pulled ham hock which is caramelised with sugar and rum and the pineapple is fresh, that we caramelise as well, so it's not just like a tin of pineapple and a packet of ham. It's all about quality of product and quality of experience.
"Usually when we first open because it's choose what you like on the pizza with no limits everyone goes wild - every pizza will have about 12 toppings on it. Next time they visit they don't do it again. You will have few that come in and say I will have all the toppings and we have just under 40."
As well as the DIY pizzas there is a range of classics including margherita, salami, mushroom and cheeseburger which comes with everything you'd find on a burger. Starters include a garlic cheese bomb with hot honey (and a vegan version) mac 'n' cheese and chicken wings.
Pizzas take three minutes to cook. Executive chef Garry Rae said: "It's one of the biggest pizza ovens in the UK. We can do about 14 pizzas in there plus four garlic breads and half a dozen cheese bombs."
The new restaurant, which has created nearly 40 jobs, is based in the former Two Seasons streetwear and skate shop. Step through the glass doors to the 40-seater bar area where as well as the usual drinks, craft cocktails with tricks such as bubbles and fire are served with names such as Dead Punks' Society and Blue Monday.
The first Pizza Punks was opened in Glasgow in 2016 by founder Brad Stevens, who was aggrieved by going to pizza chains and having to stump up extra for additional toppings. So what makes Nottingham such an appealing location?
Louise said: "Speaking on the owner's behalf, I'd say he had a company previous to Pizza Punks, where he had other decision makers who would look where to open based on facts and figures, and stats and spreadsheets and not really getting a feel of the city and that did not work out for whatever reason.
"One of his main philosophies now is let's go to cities that we enjoy going to. We are a Glaswegian company - everyone knows we like a bit of banter so it's about going to cities that have that personality as well and that's certainly what we see here.
The decor consists of neon lights, cool graffiti artwork, monochrome brick tiles and a stripped-back aesthetic. As well as tables for two and four there are two long wooden benches for big groups.
Monday November 21 is launch day but ahead of the official opening Pizza Punks is looking for pizza tasters to sample the new restaurant this weekend (Saturday November 19 and Sunday November 20) with half-price pizza and pasta dishes.
The restaurant will open on Saturday at noon and will open everyday from 12pm until 10pm except Friday and Saturday when the bar stays open until 1am. There's a late night pizza deal with one pizza and four drinks for £25 and a new series of Kill the Bills deals which are "a triumphant protest against the scandalous cost of living crisis."
To be a pizza taster this weekend sign at pizzapunks.co.uk/nottingham-preview/
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