Commuter, day-tripper, Brighton local or tourist: we’ve all been to Brighton Station and fancied something quick and easy to eat in order to see us through the rest of our onward journey. This is where Kindlewood Pizza fits in perfectly.
An off-shoot of the award-winning Cafe Coho, Kindlewood Pizza has been a long-time coming for James Wilson, the manager. A nine-month process saw James and the team renovate a vintage 1969 Citroen H van into a gorgeous mobile pizzeria, complete with Bushman wood-fired oven and state-of-the-art coffee machine. Weighing more than three tonnes, the van is parked on the forecourt of Brighton station daily, serving freshly cooked pizzas for brunch, lunch and dinner.
‘Woody’ sits on the Brighton Station forecourt.
With a sterling team on-board, including highly-trained pizza chefs, Kindlewood stands out as a rustic and charming bottle-green pizza van. James’s research led him across Brighton and London, taking influence from a range of Italian pizzerias and restaurants. Working from a simple, yet expandable menu, the Kindlewood pizzas are 10” Neapolitan thin bases with a range of toppings.
The dough is prepped beforehand on the Queens Road Cafe Coho site and stored ready for use on-board Kindlewood’s bespoke dough fridge. Each pizza takes a mere 90 seconds from order to eating – an offering that James and the team really push as the perfect “grab and go” option.
The menu itself ranges from classic Margherita with buffalo mozzarella and basil, to a spicy sounding Kindlewood Fire with Spanish chorizo and fresh chilli. Pizza prices start at an exceptionally affordable £5.50. Kindlewood also serve up a vegetarian option and a rocket, balsamic and parmesan salad – great as a side dish or on its own.
Kindlewood Blue Pizza
Lucky enough to try the Kindlewood Blue with buffalo mozzarella, smoked pancetta, Brighton Blue and rosemary, I was treated to a great combination of flavours. Dripping with a thin layer of tomato sauce and melted mozzarella, I found that the smokey pancetta worked well against the creamy, rich blue cheese and pine-like rosemary. The choice of thinner Neapolitan base made for a lighter pizza and it was easy to see how these 10” meals are a fantastic option for a quick, post-work dinner or pre-train journey snack.
With a menu that can be easily adapted to include daily or weekly specials and lunch-time offers, Kindlewood pizza is a welcomed addition to the street food scene we’ve seen sweeping across the city. Retaining some of Cafe Coho’s rustic charm is a strong point for Kindlewood, coupled with the ability to use the Queens Road branch as a sit-down restaurant for evening pizza eaters.
I predict Kindlewood will go far this summer and kudos to James and the team for finding a gap in the market and successfully setting up a new, respectable Brighton business.
Kindlewood Pizza, Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XP
Words by Claire Beveridge
Originally printed in the Brighton & Hove Independent 20th June 2014
The post Review – Kindlewood Pizza appeared first on Places I Eat Brighton.