Since originally writing this article, we have enjoyed Fat Toni’s with friends and family on plenty of occasions.
Honestly, I think you’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t like pizza. Not everyone likes the same style, the same base or the same flavours; but almost everyone enjoys pizza in one form or another.
Pizza in the UK is dominated by restaurants chains, delivery franchises, or your local takeaway joint that also does kebabs, fried chicken and whatever else. Most takeaway or delivery seems to be thick crust pizzas that cook on a ‘conveyer belt’ oven, with restaurants offering more traditional stone baked pizzas, but lacking in size or a decent takeaway service.
Then comes Fat Toni’s.
Stone baked. Thin sourdough base. Sit in restaurant and takeaway too. All the pros, none of the cons.
We had heard only good things about Fat Toni’s original takeaway/delivery location in Stroud, so we were excited at the launch of their Cheltenham restaurant, which is a bit closer to Eats HQ.
The Cheltenham location opted for a more traditional sit down pizzeria, but offered takeaway from the door. Since the Coronavirus outbreak, Fat Toni’s Cheltenham expanded to include local delivery too!
They offer two sizes of base. The regular pizza is the size of a normal plate, great for one person. The large is a whopping 20”, nearly 3 times the size of a regular pizza. So of course we always opt for the large.
The base is a perfect mix of crispy and chewy, with a delicious resonance of sourdough flavour.
The first time we visited, we split the pizza half and half with the toppings. One side with the aptly named ‘Noah’s Arc’, featuring pepperoni, chorizo, chicken, prosciutto, meatballs and caramelised onion (although we swapped the chicken for olives). We balanced this out with the vegetarian ‘Alice in Wonderland’ on the other side, featuring chopped tomatoes, asparagus and wild mushrooms.
The toppings are a much higher quality than you will usually find at a pizza takeaway, Great toppings too. The vegetarian option was also great, and it’s great to have veggie options that are actually as tasty as they should be!
In subsequent visits/orders we’ve tried a lot of the options on the menu, and I can say every single one has hit the mark. This includes the ‘Napoletana’, a classic favourite with anchovies, capers and olives, as well as the ‘Tutto Carne’ with pepperoni, chorizo, salami, frankfurters, prosciutto cotto ham and speck smoked ham. The whole hog…
Also, if you like a bit of heat, you have to add the ‘Dante’s Inferno Level 4 Chilli Jam’ as an extra.
That seems to be one of their shining lights as a pizza joint, that they offer such a great range of pizza choices, accommodating various intolerances and dietary requirements. From a plethora of veggie options, to vegan and lactose free options, to gluten-free bases - albeit not celiac as cooked in same oven as regular pizza. Fat Toni's try their best to help everyone be able to enjoy delicious pizza.
The first time around, we ate as much of the massive pizza as we could stomach, but were bested by a final slice each. So, straight into the fridge for the final takeaway pizza test; how good are the leftover slices the next day at lunch? ... or breakfast if you're really keen. The answer was the best leftover pizza I’ve ever had. The chewy crust holds up incredibly well and the sourdough flavour gives it the right notes for a sandwich replacement at lunch! Since then, family and friends don't seem to let the pizza get that far and we struggle to find any leftovers to save.
We said before that we would definitely be back again, "not just in an attempt to avoid the usual chains, but because we need to give our friends and family the chance to experience this pizza too". We have been back again, and again, and again…. so many times that I’ve lost count.
If you get the chance, do yourself a favour and try a Fat Toni’s pizza.
