An impromptu visit from family, a Monday evening, and nothing in to feed them with.
It called for some swift thinking and the place that sprang to mind was a new takeaway not far from where we live. I say new; Brandesburton Pizza opened a couple of months back, but we’d not had chance or cause to try the food, although neighbours and acquaintances had raved about it to us.
Luckily we had had a menu – a proper little booklet affair – popped through the letterbox so we could all weigh up the offering. Despite the title, this isn’t just about pizza.
The takeaway also deals in kebabs, burgers and wraps, plus various sides and sundries, salads and a small selection of desserts. There is a kids’ menu, too, with five different meal choices, and some special combination offers (running Monday to Thursday and with some exemptions).
But the biggest majority of the menu is made up of pizza and they, all but one, had delicious sounding titles and descriptions. We all went down the pizza line and it was my job to ring over the order, including the additional bits and bobs we fancied.
(Image: Deborah Hall/Hull Live)
I might have guessed one of our number would plump for the aforementioned “all but one” pizza and I found myself having to ask for a stuffed crust 12-inch Hot ‘n’ Smelly. There’s a sentence you don’t find yourself speaking, or writing, every day.
The rest of the order was straightforward after that … a 14-inch BBQ Calzone; a 12-inch Vegetarian Calzone and a 10-inch “half-and-half” pizza with a split of Tuna Italiano and Greek Style toppings. We went all out with extras of garlic mushrooms, onion rings, potato wedges, French fries and Greek salad, forgetting that, as our order came to over £20, we would also be receiving a free garlic bread with cheese.
The order was read back to me to confirm, with the total cost (£58.20), to be paid either by bank transfer or cash on collection (I agreed the latter) and an order number to quote. I was amazed to hear everything was likely to be ready in ten to 15 minutes.
Twenty minutes later, when I saw how many boxes and bags there were containing our food, and was asked “are you in the car?” (we were on foot) I was very glad to have one of the family with me to carry it all back; I’d never have seen over the pile.
The food covered the dining table, when it was all laid out, and the “sides” of chips and salad, for example, were huge. We tucked in with gusto, swapping bits of each other’s meals and mmm-ing at every bite.
(Image: Deborah Hall/Hull Live)
Everything had stayed hot (especially the Calzone fillings) and the flavours coming through were amazing. I’m glad there was the option to split the toppings on my pizza and I plan to do that again, to be able to sample more from the long list (there are nearly 50) in one sitting.
We made very good inroads into the feast, but we couldn’t manage to eat it all. He of the Hot ‘n’ Smelly pizza – incidentally that’s made up of ham, jalapenos, pepperoni, red onion and garlic – declared it a hit, with plenty of the heat that he likes, and sat back rubbing his stomach, likening it to “an anaconda digesting a deer” – we were all equally stuffed.
Some of the Greek salad, a good helping of French fries and wedges, and all of the free cheesy garlic bread, plus some pots of dip, went home with the family to be enjoyed later. We all thought everything tasted great and was good value for money, with the amount you receive in the portions.
One very small downside for my other half was not being able to get a helping of Bolognese to pour over his BBQ Calzone, which Brandesburton Pizza said they didn’t do, but there is a Bolognese pizza on the menu, so perhaps that’s something we can pick up with them again on another occasion. But he was happy enough with the extra pot of BBQ sauce that came in its stead.
Brandesburton Pizza is at 57 Main Street, Brandesburton, YO25 8RL. It is open seven days a week, 4pm to 11pm. Call 01964 561990.