New pizza parlour opens in a yurt on the coast

Pizza chef Fred Bambridge at work at the wood-fired oven at Eric's Pizza, which has opened in The Yurt at Drove Orchards at Thornham, near Hunstanton Picture: Chris Bishop (Image: Archant)

Eric Snaith, chef patron at Titchwell Manor and owner of Eric’s Fish and Chips, has added rustic pizzas baked in a wood-fired oven to the menu at Drove Orchards, at nearby Thornham.

“It’s a food I love, it’s a family favourite,” he said. “It’s nice, quick and good value. We wanted to do something with eat in and takeaway.”

Pizzas are simple staples like Margherita (tomato, basil, fior de latte Mozarella), Three Cheeses (Buffalo Mozzarella, Gorgonzola, Mascarpone and chives) and Moccus and Iceni Salamis with charred peppers.

Eric Snaith (left) and his team at Eric's Pizza, which has opened up in The Yurt at Drove Orchards, atThornham, near Hunstanton Picture: Chris Bishop (Image: Archant)

“We wanted the pizza to be fresh and light, we wanted to be a meal but not full of cheese and greasy,” said Mr Snaith. “We haven’t gone full Italian, we wanted to do our own.”

Pizza chef Fred Bambridge earned his dough the classic in the French Alps and Corsica before he pitched up at The Yurt.

“It’s just fresh, Italian food on nice, rustic artisan bread,” he said, stretching the dough and topping it off before sliding it into the oven.

Eric Snaith preparing pizza in The Yurt at Drove Orchards, Thornham, near Hunstanton Picture: Chris Bishop (Image: Archant)

Mr Snaith hopes the new venture will complement Eric’s Fish and Chips next door, which opened five years ago.

“It sits quite well next to the fish and chip shop,” he said. “It’s an absolute world-favourite dish but it’s not always done very well so we wanted to give it as much attention as possible.”

Customers can mix and match orders from either eatery and sit together outside.

Eric Snaith preparing pizza in The Yurt at Drove Orchards, Thornham, near Hunstanton Picture: Chris Bishop (Image: Archant)

Anti pasti offerings include charcuterie from Dingley Dell in Suffolk, as well as Parma.

Mr Snaith said he had been looking to move into The Yurt at Thornham for some time as the first customers of the day trickled in.

“We decided to do this a month before lockdown,” he said. “So we’ve just been concentrating on getting the business through what’s going to be a tough 18 months.

Pizza chef Fred Bambridge at work at the wood-fired oven at Eric's Pizza, which has opened in The Yurt at Drove Orchards at Thornham, near Hunstanton Picture: Chris Bishop (Image: Archant)

“A lot of businesses are doing very well, you just have to be resilient, don’t you.”

Eric Snaith preparing pizza in The Yurt at Drove Orchards, Thornham, near Hunstanton Picture: Chris Bishop (Image: Archant)

Eric Snaith preparing pizza in The Yurt at Drove Orchards, Thornham, near Hunstanton Picture: Chris Bishop (Image: Archant)

Pizza chef Fred Bambridge at work at the wood-fired oven at Eric's Pizza, which has opened in The Yurt at Drove Orchards at Thornham, near Hunstanton Picture: Chris Bishop (Image: Archant)