Norwich for the win!
I wrote last time about Eric’s Pizza opening in the new Yalm Food Hall in the Royal Arcade in Norwich. I’m delighted to say things are progressing really well. The interiors look fantastic already, and we’ve appointed a great new head chef, Monika Jezewska.
We’ll be offering pasta, pizza and some wood-fired sides such as sweetcorn with husk mayonnaise. It’ll be great to get to know a whole lot of new customers, and it’s so exciting to be part of a new opening – we cannot wait to get started!
Norwich has always been part of my life. I’ve been a big Norwich City fan for years, a season ticket holder since 1990, and my wife Lydia used to work in the city as a solicitor so I used to spend pretty much half my week there. It’s a fantastic city, and the restaurant scene has benefitted from some great independent businesses opening up recently. I’ll let you know an opening date soon.
We’re freezing our assets…
We’ve been busy on other projects too, including one to help all you home pizza-makers out there: frozen dough! The popularity of pizza ovens has increased over the past three year – I’ve got one myself which I love – but it’s easy to lose enthusiasm for making the dough, however much you like the end result. Let us do it for you! Our top-quality dough will soon be available in shop freezer cabinets so that all you have to do is defrost it, fire up the oven, and get creative with your toppings.
We’ll be offering frozen, ready-made pizzas too. Trials in four local shops have gone really well over the past six months so we’re going to roll out with our classic margherita, our popular garlic bread and a pepperoni pizza with hot chilli honey and fresh lime. Find our frozen range under a new brand name Eric's at Home.
Eric's at Home is a venture that works on another important level too. It’s challenging running a hospitality business that’s extremely busy in summer and quieter in winter, and upsetting when you have to let great team-members go, or they move on because there isn’t enough work. I hope this new business will offer our people variety and year-round work, and give them opportunities to train in different areas, developing skills and interests they maybe didn’t realise they had. It’s a win-win.
Winter works
Let’s not forget Titchwell Manor! This winter we’ll be refurbishing Room 3, giving the bar and lounge a fresh new look, and building some new restaurant loos. Interior designer Shaun Clarkson did a great job years ago when we extended the hotel, but now Lydia and I look after the interiors, Lydia of course taking the lead. We enjoy it a lot, and we are both ambitious for Titchwell… there are so many opportunities that I hope we can bring to life.
