Flour and Ash

Scouring Trip Adviser last night after suggesting a trip to the newly opened pizza place Flour and Ash (on Cheltenham Road, by The Arches) i was dismayed to see what the internet has done to people. Two bit “reviewers” trashing a new place within the first 5 days because they all fancy themselves the next Jay Rayner. I don’t do this for a living or because i think i am an authority on food and drink, i just want people who have a little spending money to spend it in places i rate or on recipes i enjoy, nothing more. I also want to congratulate the owners for not having a meltdown and approaching these neggy nellies with nothing short of professionalism.

Saying that the three shonky reviews on that damned website did not put me and my friends off on going for an early dinner, we craved pizza and we wanted something that wasn’t far away. At the restaurant i was greeted with a smile and we were sat at one of the picnic benches by the door, perfect for three! After some deliberation we decided we would each choose one and share. We went for the ox cheek ragu, the aubergine and pickled ewes cheese and the ham and artichoke. Within what felt like minutes, our conversation about their lovely wood oven was interrupted by our order arriving. The toppings were generous, the sourdough base nicely charred and the flavour combinations, some of which i would have never ordered anywhere else, were well matched. The overall favourite was the ragu but i was championing the aubergine, i had never thought to essentially put baba ganoush on a pizza but i will certainly be doing it in the future.

We couldn’t leave without trying the ice creams and sorbet (classic glutton behaviour for me where i was still eating pizza but gazing hungrily at the desert board on the wall) and each went for the dark chocolate ice cream, the coconut sorbet and the rum and raisin ice cream. The waitress had confessed that the chocolate ice cream was her favourite and i can see why, a large scoop of intense, smooth dessert was shared around and it was agreed it was by far the best choice (FYI combine the coconut and chocolate for an ice cream Bounty!).

I would definitely head here again, for three drinks, three pizza and three deserts we paid just shy of £17 each and what some people may gripe as lack of size i say the quality is what you are paying for. If you want a pizza the size of a tractor wheel you know where Dominos is.

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