The perfect recipe for building your own pizzeria: Already love being a pizza chef, move to a new area that has no pizzeria, and mix in the pandemic lockdown to give you plenty more time on your hands (for making pizza that is). This is what sparked Gracey’s Pizza, a charming Chiswell Green pizzeria that has folks traveling from all over the world just for a slice.
Gracey’s Pizza: From Humble Teachers to Pizza Pros
Grace Surman and James Woodley have always been pizza lovers (honestly though who hasn’t). James was the pizza chef of the duo, using his experience from working in some of London’s most prestigious eateries like the Camberwell Arms and Brunswick House. He harnessed his passion and expertise to cook delicious pizzas for his friends and family.
In fact, early in their days together, James was making the pizzas for a party they were throwing, and guests thought he was a hired caterer!
As the pair moved out of London, they soon came to find out the disappointing reality that there were no pizzeria’s in their new town. Not discouraged, they decided to buy a little gazebo, set it in town, and sell pizzas to locals on Fridays and Saturdays. No advertising. No marketing. Just word of mouth and some good pies.
After a year the gazebo led to a charming little shop in the next village over, and Grace and James began to realize just how much work would need to go into this dream. But that hard work and perseverance needed has only fueled their love for what they are doing and providing.
What Will You Find on Gracey’s Pizza Menu?
Still in the young stages of pizzeria ownership, Grace and James were quickly becoming pros at baking, selling, and scaling. They intentionally keep their style open, often journeying to other pizzerias to find inspiration and different ways to incorporate fun flavors and textures into their pizzas.
Their aim is well baked and crispy crusts, and have an Italian influenced menu stocked by a high-quality Italian wholesaler. They do like to keep that menu open and adventurous, and don’t just stick to Italian styles. For example, they take a great deal of inspiration from American pizza styles, learning from the different cheese blends to offer novel pies.
In fact, Gracey’s Pizza is one of the few in the area offering American inspired pies. The majority of local offerings center around Neapolitan, which they also certainly love and incorporate into their menu.
At the end of the day, Grace and James say they don’t want to confine themselves to one specific style or flavor of cooking. They are artists, making pies born from a world of inspiration and cater to any taste, no matter how global.
Want to Hear More Behind the Story of Gracey’s Pizza?
Gracey’s Pizza is gaining traction, attracting pizza lovers from all over the globe. If you’re interested in hearing more about their early start, the various ways they enjoy cooking and experimenting with all the different pizza varieties, and what their next steps in their adventure are, head over to listen on A Story About Pizza.
Presented by a fellow pizza lover who was raised in her own family’s pizzeria, Erica D’Arcangelo follows the stories of hundreds of other pizza makers, sharing and spreading the love of Italian heritage, food and family, and of course, pizza.
To find out more about Gracey’s Pizza and see how delicious these pies really are, follow them on Instagram.
And next time you’re traveling in the UK, be sure to pop by and tell them how you heard about them! Grace and James love meeting people who come to seek out them and their delicious, unique pizzas!