Having tried an amazingly delicious pizza in Naples, I’ve wondered whether that balanced combination of crunchiness and creaminess can also be found in the UK. That’s precisely what Purezza is striving for.
Lately, we caught up with Rob, who works as the marketing manager at the award-winning plant-based pizzeria—Purezza. He shared with us their inspiring story, essential values and critical motivations. He also talked about the exciting news coming up at the end of this year.
BESU: Could you share how Purezza was founded? Why choose to be a pizzeria, and why vegan?
Rob: Purezza was opened by the husband and wife team, Tim & Stefania Barclay. They both jumped ship from London-based day jobs (in the advertising and law industries, respectively) and moved down to Brighton in 2015 to pursue a passion and open their restaurant.
Tim and Stefi are both passionate vegans; they knew that their restaurant would be too. One of the reasons they picked Brighton was for the bustling vegan scene in the city. As for the cuisine of pizza, partly this is related to Stefi’s heritage as an Italian, but also because they couldn’t find any excellent vegan Italian options. As the adage goes, necessity is the mother of invention, and in this case, the lack of good vegan Italian options led to them opening Purezza.
BESU: Why was it called Purezza, and what does #plantpioneers mean?
Rob: The word ‘purezza’ is Italian for ‘purity’–something that sums up our ethos perfectly. The food we create is pure in its components, using only natural and healthy ingredients, but we also recognise and respect the purity of the tradition of Neapolitan pizza. Furthermore, the idea of purity reflects our values and beliefs as a vegan restaurant–our goal is to craft great food that does not harm people, the planet, and the animals we share it with.
Our central value at Purezza is about being Plant Pioneers. We consistently innovate and iterate on everything we do to make it better daily. This is apparent from the food we create, where our innovation has led to things like our very own plant-based mozzarella that’s completely allergen-free and natural but extends to elements like the service in the restaurant, which we believe (and our customers tell us) is some of the very best in the UK.
BESU: What was the most challenging thing during the past four years?
Rob: The opening of our 2nd restaurant was both the most significant challenge but also one of the most exciting. It only opened in March 2018, and now we’ve settled into London and have made a mark on the vegan dining scene in the city. But before you open a new venue, it’s always a nerve-wracking experience. It’s scary to step out of a city and vegan community where you’re known so well into somewhere completely new. We can’t thank the London community enough for how welcome they’ve made us feel.
BESU: What are the customers usually like? How does Purezza keep being popular?
Rob: Customers vary a lot. We have many younger customers who are vegan and plant-based, but equally older customers who are experimenting with eating less meat or who’ve come along because one of their children has asked to go there. The key to our popularity is that we spare no expense regarding quality. We aim to recreate the very best pizza you’d find in Naples, but here in the UK, and “veganised”. We won National Pizza of the Year in 2018 against some extreme competition, which shows that, vegan or not, we’re about making the most fantastic pizza you’ll ever taste.
BESU: What are Purezza’s plans and resolutions for the next few years and in the long run? What do you think about the prospect of a plant-based lifestyle and the UK industry?
Rob: In the next few years, we plan to open more restaurants across the UK and beyond, including at least one more in London, as it’s such a big and vibrant city. We are currently working on mass-producing our unique own recipe mozzarella, Mozzarella 2.0. We are raising capital to open a factory where we’ll make this en masse to supply our restaurants and retailers. Finally, we have a cookbook in the works too!
BESU: Could you also tell me something about yourself? What motivates you in your life journey?
Rob: I work as the marketing manager at Purezza and love everything about the company. I’m motivated by the change we can make through the power of business. I believe that business is an incredible tool for creating a better society. Through more ethical eating, we can do better for our planet. Providing great food can help people transition to a more plant-based lifestyle, thereby having a lower impact on the world. This motivates me in all of the work I do.
Our recommendations at Purezza:
- Must try: house-made plant-based mozzarella
- Pizza: Parmigiana Party & Couch Potato, which can be made allium-free! The staff are happy to make it with any topping to your liking. :)
- Drinks: Matcha
...and more to explore!
Tips:
Purezza offers 10% off for students!
More offers can be found on their website: http://purezza.co.uk/offers/.
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