The duo behind Michelin-starred Lyle’s and Borough Market wine bar and bakery Flor are launching pizza takeaway brand ASAP Pizza this month.
Pizza? We didn’t see that coming…
Nor did we, but it’s said to be borne from James Lowe and John Ogier’s long-standing plans to open a larger bread and pizza-led restaurant, and the necessities and pace of a post-Coronavirus world.
What can we expect?
Described as having a New York style vibe, ASAP Pizza will bring the duo’s take on sourdough pizzas made with heritage British wheat. The menu will feature both red and white based pizzas, with options including a take on a ‘Hawaiian’ (pickled scotch bonnet, red onion, grilled pineapple, cured pig’s cheek), a ‘Prosciutto’ featuring a homemade prosciutto cotto from Gothelney Farm down in Cornwall and the London-centric ‘On and On’ made with green onions, new season garlic, wild garlic, wild marjoram. All pizzas will be customisable with the likes of Cantabrian anchovies, house-made sausage, and smoked mozzarella. There will also be a tight range of small plate dishes including burrata, asparagus and preserved lemon; plus desserts like a classic tiramisu and ice cream sandwiches from east London’s Happy Endings.
Sounds great. Have the pair got strong pizza credentials then?
Not specifically, but Lowe is pretty much a technician in anything he puts his mind to. Nevertheless, they do have a secret weapon in the form of Pam Yung, the New York-based pastry and baker who is providing creative direction. Yung knows her way around a pizza peel and has run pizza pop ups around the world, including cooking at Bonci in Rome, with Massimo Laveglia at L’Industrie Pizzeria in New York, at Montreal’s Le Vin Papillon, and at Tartine Bakery in Seoul.
When can we get our hands on it?
As the name hints, you won’t have to wait long, with ASAP Pizza launching on 10 June. It will operate from the Flor kitchen on Borough Market’s Bedale Street and orders can be placed via Click & Collect and Deliveroo, with delivery available within a radius that includes parts of London Bridge, Southwark, Elephant & Castle, and Kennington.
And if I don’t live near enough?
Be patient. The team is in the process of developing pizza kits able to travel further. For more information head here.
