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Sometimes, but only sometimes, I find myself having a ‘moment’ with fine food.
There was once a chocolate and orange dessert on the Italian coast that caused a food-based haze, it was that good. My wife remembers that moment because of the team of Olympic rowers who walked in to the restaurant while we ate, but that’s a story for another time.
Then there were some potted shrimps in the Lake District, the subtlety of which still lingers, while a Lancashire onion soup at a certain Ribble Valley restaurant induced a prolonged stare into the middle distance, such was the quality.
And I can now add to that list the pizza at Fell, Berry Lane, Longridge.
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Already a bright light in the Ribble Valley culinary scene, Fell’s new Oh! Pizza brand is of such a high standard that it is sure to be a hit as it heads out around the North West this summer.
The brainchild of head chef Matt Willdigg and co-owners Alex Blamire and Oli Martin, Oh! Pizza makes use of the pizza oven which was already in the restaurant when the trio took over in the autumn of 2022.
And Matt is certainly passionate about the pizzas he creates.
“I go to bed dreaming about pizza,” he told me when we visited. “You have to do what you love and I am really passionate about good pizza.”
And that love of what he does shines through in the standard of food on offer.
My choice from the reasonably priced menu (pizzas between £10-£13) was the hock and pineapple, which used different cheeses, ham hock and, controversially for some, pineapple.
And it was absolutely beautiful, with light and fluffy dough and a fantastic base and texture. I enjoyed it so much so that, at one point, my wife Joanne asked whether any further conversation would be forthcoming during the meal.
I did respond, but only once I’d finished.
Joanne’s choice came from the specials board and was the Baron Bigod and hen of the woods pizza at £16. Mixing Baron Bigod brie with hen of the woods mushrooms, it was testament to the chef’s skill that the pungent cheese did not overpower the overall taste and punch of the pizza.
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For a cheese lover like Jo, it was the perfect choice.
As a side we went for the truffle parmesan fries at £5.50. Crispy and expertly cooked, they were the perfect side as we made our way happily through our main courses.
For pudding, we opted for the Nutella pizza, with banana, marshmallows and cookie crumble.
In this instance our eyes had been bigger than our bellies but, with Nutella being one of our kids’ favourite treats, the fact we only made it halfway through dessert was not an issue and we took home the leftovers for them to fight over.
With Fell established as one of the area’s culinary hotspots and, sitting near the top of Longridge’s Berry Lane, it acts like a gateway to the Ribble Valley’s burgeoning food scene.
But where does the Oh! Pizza brand fit into its offering?
Well, for Matt and Alex the plan now is to strike collaborations with other food and drink businesses and get the brand out on the road, as well as ultimately aiming to cater for functions, weddings and so forth.
With a couple of partnerships already in the place, there will also be regular ‘pizza pop-ups’ at Fell every few months.
Whether it’s at the Longridge restaurant or out on the road, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed by pizza that is oh so good.
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