A Message from Jack

It seems like just yesterday since we set up at Mill on the Brue, in Bruton, with a (mostly) blue Defender, cobbled together with the best bits from 4 old trucks by John, our local Landrover expert. With a small home built stone oven mounted on the back, a few trestle tables and a hand painted sign, Pizzarova was born. Alex and I were reminiscing about the feeling of standing there on day one, worried if anyone was going to turn up and even more worried if they did! A crazy 8 years on, we have 2 bustling pizza shops, a takeaway kitchen from a converted shipping container, been part of many awesome weddings and events and have been lucky enough to do some amazing pop up’s in some of the South West’s best spots. But, the character, purpose and belief that got us there is more evident than ever.

Our pizzas are unrecognisable to the ones we served back on day one, thank god, with each shop keeping 4 x 4 day fermented starters fed and watered, making sourdough fresh on site each day and constantly working to improve the pizza that comes out at the other end. We are still using some of the best local suppliers as we have been from day one and helping to shine a light on the great work they do; Shipton Mill, Brue Valley Farm, Longman Cheese, Radford Mill, Club Cultured and many more. Our specials and giveaways have raised more than £20k for charity, which still remains such a large part of our business to feel like we are giving back.

I’m probably most proud of the fantastic team of people we’ve put together, they’re all incredibly passionate about beautiful sourdough (yes, our WhatsApp groups are incredibly exciting!), using amazing local ingredients and giving brilliant hospitality to those that visit us. We’ll be hosting the first of our annual ‘Rova-fest’s this year, where the whole team will take a trip 20 mins south of Bristol to Nature’s Spectacular, for two days of games, food, drink, music and fun, which they’ve all worked incredibly hard for and I’m really pleased to be putting on for them.

I’m so grateful to each and every one of you who has supported us on our journey so far, stuck with us and let us make it up to you when we’ve made mistakes, visited us on your brightest and darkest days and persuaded your mate who loves dominos to come and try us instead. Without the communities that we sell our pizzas in there can be no Pizzarova and all the things that make us what we are. So from me, Alex and the whole team, thank you. Here’s to the next 8 years and hoping Pizzarova can help be a part of more communities in the years to come.

Jack x