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The past year has been incredibly exciting for us. We recently launched VPK Foodservice, a dedicated production business with a new facility in Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex. It supplies artisan, par-baked Detroit pizza bases and Italian-style sandwich breads to restaurants, pizzerias, pubs, stadiums and operators across the UK. 

Everything we produce is inspired by the same principles on which we built Village Pizza Kitchen – artisan methods, exceptional ingredients and an unwavering commitment to quality. Having spent years operating a busy takeaway, restaurant, events business and stadium concessions ourselves, we understand customer challenges because we’ve faced them too. 

Our ambition isn’t to become the biggest manufacturer. We want to become the most trusted partner for operators looking to serve exceptional pizza without compromising on consistency or quality, whether they’re feeding thousands of fans in a stadium or guests in an independent restaurant. 

In terms of breads and bases, what trends are you seeing? 

When we introduced Detroit-style pizza at Brighton & Hove Albion’s Amex Stadium in 2024, it was still a relatively new and unfamiliar concept for many. Since then, we’ve seen growing awareness and interest, as more operators look beyond traditional Neapolitan, embracing regional styles that offer something different.

What’s exciting is that Detroit isn’t just visually distinctive – it’s well suited to high-footfall, fast-service environments. It delivers a premium, handcrafted product, alongside consistency reduced waste and the ability to maintain quality during busy trading periods. In today’s hospitality market – where speed, labour efficiency and consistency are all critical – those operational benefits are becoming just as important as the flavour itself. 

We’re seeing a similar trend across artisan breads. Operators want authenticity, versatility and a point of difference. One of our foodservice customers recently asked us to develop a traditional schiacciata bread for premium Italian sandwiches, reflecting the growing demand for bakery products that work across multiple dayparts and help businesses broaden their offer. 

We’re always looking beyond today’s trends and asking what the next opportunity might be for UK foodservice. That curiosity took us to Rome to research authentic Pizza al Taglio. While it’s still relatively niche in the UK, we believe it has many of the qualities hospitality businesses are increasingly looking for – authenticity, versatility, excellent holding characteristics and the ability to deliver premium quality in high-footfall environments. 

Overall, I think the market is moving towards regional Italian products with a genuine story behind them. Customers are becoming adventurous and discerning, while businesses are looking for exceptional flavour, craftsmanship and improved operational efficiency.

Are ingredients evolving when developing breads and bases? 

Absolutely. Ingredients matter more than ever – but it’s not always about using something unusual or fashionable. 

We’re seeing greater appreciation for high-quality flours, longer fermentation and carefully selected ingredients that improve both flavour and texture. Consumers are educated about food, so operators are responding accordingly. 

For us, it’s often about what we don’t add. We focus on developing products through process rather than relying on additives or shortcuts. Time, fermentation and quality ingredients create breads and pizza bases with better flavour, structure and performance. 

How important are the terms artisan and premium in the modern market? 

Incredibly so, but only if they’re genuine. The words ‘artisan’ and ‘premium’ have become widely used, so consumers are looking beyond the label and asking whether the product actually delivers on its promise. 

To us, artisan isn't about marketing; it's about the decisions you make every day. It’s investing in better ingredients, using traditional techniques where they genuinely improve the product, and refusing to compromise on quality simply to reduce costs.

Premium doesn't necessarily mean expensive. It means offering customers a product that’s worth paying for because the quality is evident from the very first bite. As an independent, what are the major challenges you face? 

Like most independents, there are rising costs across ingredients, labour and energy, while customers remain understandably price conscious. 

One of the biggest challenges is competing with large-scale manufacturers that benefit from significant economies of scale. However, independents also have advantages. We can innovate more quickly, listen closely to customers and continually refine our products based on real-world feedback. 

We also have to maintain quality while growing. As demand increases, it’s essential that every product leaving our facility reflects the standards we’ve built our reputation on. That’s something we’re absolutely committed to. 

What does the future hold? 

We’re feeling optimistic. Our focus is on growing VPK Foodservice sustainably, while continuing to develop innovative artisan pizza and bakery products for the hospitality sector. We’re investing in NPD, expanding our customer base and building long-term relationships with distributors and operators who share our values. 

We’re still at the beginning of our journey but excited about what’s ahead. We’ll continue listening, investing in innovation and developing products that help hospitality businesses deliver exceptional food with greater consistency and efficiency.

There’s an incredible sense of pride in the VPK Foodservice journey, evolving from real operational experience rather than theory. Everything we develop is inspired by the challenges we’ve encountered while running our award-winning restaurant, catering events and high-volume stadium operations. 

That hands-on experience gives us a unique perspective. We develop products with operators in mind, continually refining them through practical testing and customer feedback to ensure they meet the demands of modern hospitality. 

Our ambition is simple: to help more hospitality businesses serve exceptional pizza products and artisan, Italian-style sandwich breads with greater consistency, efficiency and confidence, while staying true to the craftsmanship and quality that inspired Village Pizza Kitchen from the very beginning.