In a high-street first, PizzaExpress has teamed up with Valentine Warner, one of the UK’s best loved TV cooks, to bring the intimate experience of a chef’s table to the 21st Century diner alongside two limited edition pizzas.
PizzaExpress’ chef’s table will see Valentine apply his adventurous streak right before your eyes, creating a duo of new pizzas for the restaurant; The Puttanesca and The Fennel & Salami pizzas.
Rarely experienced by even the most dedicated of food lovers, the chef’s table is the epitome of exclusive dining. Seated in the kitchen – the heart of a restaurant – a chef’s table sees the head chef unravel the menu and ingredients within. For the first time, every table in PizzaExpress will be able to have their very own chef’s table in the palm of their hands with Valentine.
Fennel & Salami pizza
His Fennel & Salami pizza brings one of Valentine’s favourite ingredients to the foreground. Working with award-winning artisan charcuterie Trealy Farm, unique, deliciously soft fennel salami has been created. He combines fennel seeds with chilli flakes, mozzarella and PizzaExpress’ classic passata sauce, finishing the pizza off with grana padano, rocket and finely sliced fresh fennel tossed in lemon oil and lemon zest. Valentine’s Puttanesca pizza is in homage to his favourite Italian pasta sauce. It is an intense, punchy pizza; a combination of salty marinated anchovies, capers and green and black olives combined with a kick of fresh chillies, lemon oil, lemon zest, garlic oil and fresh oregano.
Valentine is the latest guest chef to bring his simmering style to the PizzaExpress menu, following in the footsteps of Theo Randall and Francesco Mazzei*.
Speaking about the partnership, Valentine says: “I’ve been going to PizzaExpress all my life and even worked there as a waiter during my student days. I’m really proud of the two pizzas we’ve created and am excited to see them on the menu of my favourite pizza place.”
Antenor Siqueira, Development Chef at PizzaExpress says: “Valentine is such a burst of energy and inspiration. We’ve loved working with him to bring these knock-out pizzas to the menu.”