Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2011 | Page 126

FOOD

New-look

Pizza

Express
When the first Pizza Express opened as
a small restaurant in London’s Waldorf
Street back in 1965, the company
could not possibly have envisaged the
major leap into the 21st century that
has recently taken place with its latest
facility.
The Island’s Pizza Express, which can
be found at 27 Pyle Street, Newport, is
now among nearly 400 outlets which
can offer table bookings and even
payment via an iPhone App.
This latest innovation coincides with
a refurbishment of the Newport Pizza
Express, as acting manager Will Hague
explained. Will said: “We closed for
a week for a revamp, which included
new signs, kitchens improvements and
a general facelift.
“While we were closed Pizza Express
launched the new iPhone App,
which makes us the first company
on the High Street where anyone can
download the App to book a table, and
also pay for the meal with it as well.”
Pizza Express arrived in Newport
seven years ago and the premises has
130 covers, and has opening hours
from 11.30am until 10.0pm. Although
renowned for their vast variety of
pizzas, the restaurant also offers a
range of starters, pastas and salads.

There are nine front-of-house staff
along with eight back-of-house to cater
for customers’ needs at the Newport
branch. The pizza range is extensive
and constantly changing, and Pizza
Express also have a takeaway menu
available.
Will said: “The menu changes every
couple of months, but at the moment
we have at least 20 pizzas available.
But we can still make some of the old
favourites that have been on the menu
since we first opened.”
One of the newest varieties is the
Calabrese Pizza. Francesco Mazzei,
chef of the acclaimed London
restaurant L’Anima and new guest
chef for Pizza Express created an
exclusive Calabrian pizza recipe. The
pizza has a square base and packs a
typical Southern Italian punch with its
carnival of the hottest Italian Calabrese
sausage D.O.P. fresh green chillies,
roquito peppers, spicy soft sausage
called n’duja, watercress dressed with
pesto, fior di latte mozzarella and
oregano.
Pizza Express also held a competition
recently for staff and customers
to create their own pizzas, with
the winner having their pizza on
the menu. Simon Pritchard’s pizza

emerged as the top customer choice.
He beat over 60,000 entries with his
Da Morire – literally meaning ‘a pizza
to die for’ – which comprises a unique
combination of gorgonzola cheese,
caramelised leeks, artichoke, crispy
pancetta and finished off with chilli
oil.
The Pizza Express iPhone App has
been installed in all their restaurants
to ensure the App works everywhere.
A spokesman said: “Having an App
is great news for our customers and
for us. All App functionalities were
developed to make the customer more
flexible, easier and faster. A few of
the App features will also help us save
time and deliver a service that suits
our customers’ needs in and out of our
restaurants.”

Pizza Express
1 Providence Corner, Newport, Isle of Wight PO30 1XB
TEL: [phone]
126

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