It takes guts to compete in London’s ever-expanding pizza scene (or, as Broadsheet columnist Jimi Famurewa called it, London’s “sprawling multiverse of pizza”). There seems to be no end to our collective appetite for chewy Neapolitan slices and crispy East Coast-style pies by the likes of Dough Hands – and that’s before we get into the deep dish variety or the growing popularity of New Haven-style “apizza”.
But that’s not stopping Mondo Sando. The hugely popular sandwich concept is throwing its hat in the doughy ring – and it looks like it’ll be bringing something genuinely novel to the scene. The team is calling its creations “oven pizza”, and it’ll be served at Cafe Mondo (the brand’s original standalone site in Camberwell) on Thursday to Saturday evenings.
Functionally, “oven pizza” is pan pizza, a style otherwise known as Detroit, Sicilian or Grandma. It’s rectangular, with a thick, airy crust almost like a focaccia. Owners Jack Macrae and Viggo Blegvad came up with the name “oven pizza” to conjure the comfort and nostalgia of a great homemade pizza – with a touch of square school canteen slices.
Following the theme of nostalgia, the toppings channel British comfort food. The Midlander will pair savoury Lincolnshire sausage with sharp sage-pickled onions, Worcestershire sauce, tomato, fior di latte and shaved pecorino. The Loaded Pepperoni is inspired by the little pepperoncini that comes on a Papa John’s pizza, but with plenty of added pickled-pepper relish. The Mushroom XO Ragu will be a tangy blend of rich ragu with pickled chilli and spring onion. Diners can also expect weekly specials inspired by British comfort food; the team hasn’t ruled out a scotch egg number.
But what of the dough itself? The team has developed a bespoke dough mix, which gets an overnight proof and a long, slow bake. It results in a golden, airy square which is crisp around the edges with a caramelised cheesy crust. At this stage, Mondo will be serving whole pies – but single slices will be available in the near future.
This venture into pizza marks another chapter for the ever-expanding Mondo Sando empire, which started in lockdown and grew into a pub residency, a permanent cafe in Camberwell, and Mondo to Go in Deptford.
Mondo Sando will serve pizza at Cafe Mondo, 42 Peckham Road, SE5 8PX, Thursday to Saturday from 6pm to 9pm. Bookings are now open.
