Pizza is now being sold at the world-renowned Selfridges store in London - but it's far removed from the usual high street outlet.
Pizza Pilgrims has opened a new sustainable 108-cover pizzeria on the fourth floor of the posh retailer, which promises to bring a taste of authentic Napoli to the central-London store - even if some of the ingredients might be closer to home.
Guests will enter through a three metre hydroponic basil tunnel, created in partnership with herb supplier Harvest London. As a key ingredient for Neapolitan pizzas, the hydroponic system uses less water and saves over 250,000 air miles for Pizza Pilgrims every year.
Meanwhile, all the pizza dough will be made with only regenerative UK wheat in collaboration with Wild Farmed, a technology developed by Andy Cato of Groove Armada fame. Further locally sourced ingredients will include Fior di Latte mozzarella made in the UK using local milk and a traditional Italian process and sustainable British charcuterie from Cobble Lane Cured.
At the table, the upholstery has been replaced with fully vegan Pinatex, a leather alternative made from pineapples, whilst tabletops have been crafted from reclaimed plastic waste.
Timber floors are from reclaimed wood and the giant wall mural of the bay of Naples has been created from 2,000 recycled glass water bottles.
At the open-style craft beer bar, in partnership with London Brewery Gypsy Hill, drinks will be served from fully reusable kegs, with no single use packaging, whilst the newly formulated wine list features a selection of sustainable wines which are all stored in a cave in the Chiltern Hills.
Guests can expect a menu exclusive to Selfridges, with newcomers including Wild Mushrooms, Truffled Ricotta and Burrata, British Wagyu Beef with Mozzarella and Poponcini Peppers and a Smoked Salmon Everything Bagel Pizza.
Co-founder Thom Elliot said: “The Pizza Pilgrims Selfridges project is our first major step in the direction of creating more sustainable pizzerias. From working with forward thinking food producers who are developing amazing innovations to looking at the way we build with more sustainable materials and recycled furniture - we are excited to learn because there is no other option.”
The new late-night destination will be open until 11.30pm and accessible via a dedicated express lift.
Pizza Pilgrims began operating from a Piaggio van converted into a mobile kitchen in September 2011, after brothers James and Thom Elliot returned from a six-week pilgrimage through Italy on the hunt to discover the true art of pizza making.
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