There’s certainly no shortage of great pizza places in Manchester, but the most common offering normally features the Neapolitan style.
One pizza restaurant looking to do things a bit differently is Nell’s which champions the thinner, crispier counterpart, the New York Style pizza.
Originally operating out of their existing kitchen at Common during lockdown before expanding to a partnership The Beagle at Chorlton, on Barlow Moor Road, the bar opened a further venue this year; one at ‘Manchester’s garden neighbourhood’ Kampus, on Minshull Street.
Speaking to Manchester Evening News, Adam Higgins, co-founder at Capital & Centric said: "Kampus is all about the lush green garden and having the best independent food and drink operators in amongst it.
"Common were one of the first bars in the Northern Quarter and have become a Manchester institution.
"They’re going to be setting the tone for what we’re creating at Kampus: independent, laid-back and for everyone. And the timing couldn’t be better as people start coming back into the city and life gets back to normal."
Serving ‘New York City inspired, Manchester made pizza’, the pizzeria pride themselves on using locally sourced ingredients where possible, supporting other independent businesses.
In a statement to their website, the bar said: "Characterised by a thin, crisp base, and using only the best in British-led ingredients, since joining us in early 2020 it has become a staple of the city centre.
“The best dough, the best ingredients, treated simply with care and attention. Nell’s Pizza dough is slow-fermented over 36 hours to allow for a perfect combination of strength for folding and lightness for enjoyment and uses 100 per cent British organic flour.
“This creates a thin, crisp base – topped with the best sustainable ingredients around, for the best New York style pizza outside of the big apple itself.”
Pizzas are either 14 or 22 inches, with select varieties by the slice, and the options include Northern twists on classic offerings such as the Do You ‘Roni Honey? with Nduja and pepperoni from Cobble Lane and finished with chilli honey, or the Cheese and Onion Pie, charred onions, mozzarella, Lancashire cheese, chives and parmesan.
Vegans and vegetarians are also catered for, with a mushroom pizza topped with roast garlic cashew cream, chilli, mushrooms, marinara sauce and thyme, or the ‘Greens’ featuring seasonal greens, roast garlic cream base, Lancashire cheese and chilli.
These can be paired with a variety of dips, including jalapeno and lime, truffle mayo and garlic and herb ranch dressing.
If you’ve still got room for more, their dessert menu features ice cream sandwiches, ice cream bookended by soft cookies.
Using Cheshire Farm Ice Cream, flavours include Salted Caramel, Red Velvet and Cookies and Cream.
Since launching the venture, the pizzas have won praise for paying homage to the authentic New York style base.
One reviewer said: “If you’re looking for a slightly different pizza to the wonderful Neapolitan style pizzas found isn’t the area, look no further.
“We enjoyed some authentic NY style pizzas which came free with a garlic bread. Fantastic pizzas. Would recommend it.”
Another said: “The absolute best pizza you can get in Manchester (or maybe anywhere). The cheese and onion pie is as good as it gets.”
A third added: “Hands down the best pizza I've had! The base was so authentic. Just what I was looking for!”
At their weekly ‘Sunday Pizza Social’ event, guests can enjoy 90 minutes of bottomless drinks and endless slices, choosing from an extensive selection of flavours, with drink options ranging from prosecco, mimosa and Schofferhofer grapefruit lager.
Jonny Heyes, Common & Co co-founder, said: "Kampus represents to me a development with a sense of purpose, it kind of knows what it's about, what it's for.
"We got the impression that the vision for Kampus would be something we, as an independent operator could get on board with.
"It will be a thoughtfully curated selection of independent businesses as part of a neighbourhood ecosystem, which is nice.
"All it was lacking was a pub (and a pizza shop)."
Nell’s Pizza is located at Common on 39 Edge Street,M4 1HW, at Kampus on Aytoun Street, M1 3GL, or at The Beagle, 456-458 Barlow Moor Rd, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, M21 0BQ.
For more information visit their website here , or follow them on Instagram here and Facebook here.
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