HOT SAINT PIZZA

After cutting his teeth at Dough Hands, Tom Budakan is launching his own pizza concept (and continuing the tradition of pizza pop-ups in pubs) with Hot Saint Pizza at The Old Queen’s Head in Islington. His NY-style pies are made using high-protein Canadian flour and rye, with the dough being left to ferment for 48 hours, resulting in a light, thin and crispy crust. Toppings-wise, he’s doing a Spicy Hawaiian (with San Marzano tomato, fior di latte, guanciale & smoked ham hock, pineapple, smoked chilli and jalapeños), a Meatball Ricotta (with San Marzano tomato, fior di latte, house meatballs, ricotta and parmesan), and a Vodka Pesto (with vodka sauce, stracciatella, pesto and parmesan). The combos are classic rather than experimental and the ingredients, like the Cobble Lane pepperoni are all top quality – and the pizzas all come with a generous dusting of parmesan too. There are also spicy chicken parm and house meatball pizza sandwiches and banana miso soft serve on the menu but the pizza is the real star; all you need to add is plenty of the garlic ranch.