So, lockdown 3.0 sees us go back (again) to home delivery options. As well as Hello Fresh continuing, we’re still getting takeaway/delivery once a week.
Sometimes, this is a restaurant at home kit – we’ve had a few so far, including some delicious options over Christmas (Nibble NQ, can you do that breakfast box again please, it was amazing!). But January is back to reality. Away from the special one offs,’ we’re saving the pennies a bit. I mean, the weeks between your last pay in December and your pay pack in January always bite.
So rather than fancy restaurant boxes, it’s standard takeaway fare. I say standard, but that’s doing Bakehouse 32 a bit of a disservice, more on that later. For now, let me introduce you.
Back in early 2020, the restaurant formerly known as Samir’s closed. It was a loss to us in Stretford, we don’t have that many restaurants to begin with, so we feel any loss a little keenly. Thankfully, in stepped Bakehouse 32, initially under a different name, promising delicious sourdough pizzas, gluten free options, baked goods – all the delicious doughy things.
Unfortunately, as we all know, the Pandemic happened and then some. But they worked their socks off. Visited suppliers including Caudswell’s Mill in Rowsley, and Glinwell in St Albans to talk produce. Refurbished the site, got ready for us. In late November, they opened for collections.
And promptly sold out.
Oh yes, Stretford was ready for proper pizza. So sell outs were repeated over the last few weeks. They started doing deliveries, and were added to Shocal App – a great app serving Stretford, Urmston, Flixton and Chorlton.
And finally, the first week of January, we decided to dip our toes in, and order. We were rather glad we did.
Of course, we over ordered. And I’d be sorry, but I’m not. I love their take on garlic bread, garlicky, cheesy and with little melted pools of pesto to add a little something something.
The dough is crisp, but soft and chewy. Plenty of holes in the crumb and great flavour. Let’s get to the pizza.
The pepperoni with hot honey had the husband raising an eyebrow, until he tasted it. Much like a good spicy sausage like Nduja works beautifully with that sweetness, so does this pepperoni. It’s rich and firm, you can taste the quality, and the sweetness just cuts through the fattiness and contrasts with the spicy flavour.
Perhaps my favourite was the Coppa ham and wild mushroom. The mushrooms were soft and earthy – none of this all texture, no flavour you can get from some standard white mushies. Add in the salty crisp ham, and the pungent basil just plucked and laid on top… This is bloody good pizza.
It’s worth mentioning (for next time, yes husband of mine?) that they also have a selection of beers available and should you still need something after all that dough, proper ice cream too. The latter is most certainly on the next time list (the beer is if we run out, though I’m not putting bets on that right now).
Overall? Stretford now has an absolutely banging pizza place. Roll on vaccines and ‘normality’. I want to sit inside, drink beer and eat pizza with my loved ones, until I’ve no more room in my tum.