Forza Win Supperclub

Put together Aperol Spritz, wood-oven pizza, a rooftop and you will get one of the coolest events in London this summer: the Forza Win Supperclub by Pizza Pilgrims.

I have already written about the Pizza Pilgrims here when I attended their tasting events back in March, and here when I met them again at Stock Market. I am a fan of both their pizza and their enthusiasm, in fact I regularly stop at their Berwick Street Market stall whenever I’m in the area for work; even if I don’t have time to eat pizza, I still stop by to say hello and have a chat that always puts me in a good mood.

The founding pilgrims, Thom and James Elliot, took a chance by leaving their jobs to sell Neapolitan-style pizza in London, using a wood oven built inside a van; thanks to good business planning and lots of dedication, the hard work has so far paid off.

While one of the pilgrims, Louis, was busy making pizza out of the van in the other side of town, Thom & James ran the Forza Win supperclub, together with new partner Bash.

The £25 ticket to Forza Win entitles to a three course Italian meal, including a starter, pizza, Aperol Spritz and ice-cream by Gelupo. The event runs only on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until the 30th of September (most dates are already sold out).

I was invited to the opening on 29th June, it was a chilly Friday evening but luckily the weather Gods didn’t send any rain. Arriving around 7pm, straight after work, it was great to be handed a glass of Aperol Spritz while taking in the spectacular views of Canary Wharf, the Shard and Bishopsgate, and peaking down at the buzzing nightlife of Spitalfields.

The Aperol Spritz is a classic Italian cocktail, very popular in Venice, which is usually drank during aperitivo with some snacks.

The spacious Forza Win rooftop, which can host 30 diners, is composed of a bar, a lounge area with benches and Forza Win cushions, a wood oven and a long table (covered for rainy days).

There is no lift to the rooftop and I was slightly out of breath just by climbing the stairs up, imagine carrying the bricks to build a wood oven! That’s were the Pizza Pilgrims cook their Neapolitan style pizza, using San Marzano tomatoes and Fiordilatte cheese.

The toppings can vary: from the classic Marinara and Margherita, to vegetable pizza with courgettes or mushrooms, or the Pizza Pilgrims special with ‘nduja (spicy Calabrian salami). My favourite pizza of the night was a “white” one (no tomato) with mushrooms and ham.

A sorbet was just the perfect way to end the night after the carbs’ feast and too many spritz! There were three flavours to choose from: blood orange, almond and bergamot.

We ate great pizza, as everytime I visit Pizza Pilgrims. The Aperol Spritz was perfectly done and so on trend! The gelato completed the picture of an authentic Italian dinner.

Unfortunately, as I left the supperclub to reach the warmth of my flat, I realised that the only thing really missing was an Italian-style 25-degrees summer night! ;)

Disclaimer: I attended the event for free as a guest of Pizza Pilgrims. All views are my own.