Sourdough pizza pioneers, Franco Manca, announces a collaboration with the renowned Italian chef, Francesco Mazzei, to create the latest ‘No.8’ addition that will join its much-loved menu.
Francesco’s mouth-watering creation is inspired by the colours of the Italian flag and topped with British mozzarella, Colston Bassett stilton, wilted spinach & roasted hazelnuts, dressed with honey & ‘nduja (an ingredient that Francesco is credited with introducing to the UK, from his hometown in Calabria) on Franco Manca’s signature sourdough. The exclusive no.8 will be available from 29th March for three months at Franco Manca pizzerias across the UK.
Francesco Mazzei spent the early part of his career working in major cities such as Rome and London before going on to open restaurants in the likes of Edinburgh, Milan, and Bangkok. In 2008, Francesco went on to open his first restaurant in London, L’Anima, with a menu inspired by traditional cooking from Calabria, Puglia, Sicily, and Sardinia. He has also been Chef Patron at Sartoria in Mayfair since 2015 as well as Radici, a neighbourhood trattoria in Islington, and Fiume, a riverside restaurant in Battersea.
He has since gone on to release his own cookbook titled Mezzogiorno: Francesco Mazzei Recipes from Southern Italy and became a regular feature on BBC shows including Saturday Kitchen, MasterChef, The James Martin Show and the Italian version of Hell’s Kitchen.
First procured by the pizzeria’s founder, Giuseppe Mascoli, the recipe still honours the ingredients and methods that make the age-old style of Neapolitan pizza unique, delicious and world-renowned. The slow-rising sourdough – made on-site daily and cooked at 450oC for 60 seconds – is unique to Franco Manca, and dates back to the pizzeria’s early days in Brixton Market.
Aflonso Marseglia, Executive Chef at Franco Manca, said:
“Working with Francesco to create our new No.8 menu option has been a dream come true. Francesco’s talent and history within the culinary industry speaks for itself and his delicious new creation is likely to be a favourite amongst our customers. The new No.8 will be available nationwide from the 29th March and we look forward to seeing everyone coming in to give it a try.”
Francesco Mazzei, said:
“Franco Manca and I both share a love for authentic Italian cuisine, so having the opportunity to put my own spin on their wonderful menu was something I just couldn’t turn down. The No.8 pizza embodies all the things I love about southern Italy and I can’t wait to bring a taste of Calabria to restaurants across the UK.”
