Enjoy the summer at Village Pizza Kitchen

Village Pizza Kitchen

With summer on the way, Village Pizza Kitchen has now reopened their outside terrace area where they will be serving their full menu of pizzas and pastas, plus some additional lunchtime dishes, including paninis, salads and antipasti platters. As the warmer weather arrives, they will be extending their terrace area to include the space outside the bridal shop, so will have ample seating, along with heaters and blankets for those cooler evenings!

They have also been readying their two converted horseboxes, Little Pizza Kitchen and The Mini Bar for the summer season, with a packed calendar of events planned, including The Great Big Pants Party at Danny House, the St Lawrence Fair and Super Sunday! They do have some availability left, so if you have a private, public or corporate event that needs catering this summer, then get in touch with Jo at Village Pizza Kitchen.

With a busy summer ahead, Village Pizza Kitchen are looking for some extra help, so if you or someone you know is interested in a pizza making position, then please email hello@villagepizzakitchen.com or pop in with a CV.
Professional kitchen and pizza making experience is preferred but not essential as training can be provided. A positive attitude, love of good food and cooking however, are a must! Further information is available at www.villagepizzakitchen.com

Hurst village football for all ages

By Ed Bartram

There comes a time for even the most amateur of football players when they have to think about hanging up their boots, and calling it a day on their park football careers. But head to the football pitches at The Triangle on a Tuesday or Friday evening, and you’ll see that retirement doesn’t need to be in your thirties or forties these days, but a decision which can be delayed well into your eighties, nineties or beyond.

Hurstpierpoint Football Club’s walking football sessions have been growing in popularity over the past year, with enough players for two games each day, primarily aged 50 to 80. What’s more, the group’s first social event was held in November; a quiz night held at Fairfield Rec, which provided more than a couple of laughs for the players, and a chance to showcase their competitive nature away from the pitch. Catering was supplied by the Village Pizza Kitchen, and it is fair to say that the club’s bar was well-utilised that evening too. “It’s great for the club, and the village,” commented Dudley Christensen. “There is football for all ages now; you can play for the Colts from the age of five, through to the men’s team at 16. And now with the walking football sessions there really is no upper limit. We see ourselves as a ‘community club’ before a ‘football club’, and it’s important to acknowledge the social gap that the club fills for so many of us, as well as the physical benefits of playing.”

The door is always open for new people (of all ages) at Hurstpierpoint Football Club, so please contact hello@hurstpierpointfc. co.uk if you would like to get involved.

Hurst High Street's very own Village Pizza Kitchen

Earlier this summer, having been made redundant due to Covid, Jo Malone, along with her husband James trialled a pop-up food delivery service, The Village Kitchen. Following its success, they decided to further develop the concept and to fulfil what they considered to be a gap in the local market for artisan pizza and freshly made pasta dishes by launching the Village Pizza Kitchen at what was previously the Ruby Watts shop on the High Street.

Whilst pizza and pasta of course traditionally originates from Italy, with so much fantastic produce being grown and made here in the UK, Jo and James were passionate about showcasing British ingredients where possible - which is reflected in all of their dishes. The pizzas are handmade using a blend of stoneground wholegrain and 00 flours produced by ancient Cotswolds mills, whilst many of the toppings are from Sussex - including charcuterie from Steyning, cheeses from Balcombe, Brighton and Lewes and chillies from Ashurst.

Whilst most of the ingredients are British, Chef Simonetta Held brings her Italian influence to the dishes. Born near Rome and having been brought up cooking with her Nonnas from Venice and the Amalfi Coast, Simonetta loves nothing more than being in the kitchen cooking up a storm! Simonetta is joined by local chef, James Whittle, who having cut his teeth as an apprentice at The Fig Tree, is an expert when it comes to hand stretching pizzas - having made thousands of pizzas during his time with The Pizza Oven Company.

Since launching at the end of December, the team have been exceedingly busy - serving over 4000 pizzas, as well as pasta dishes, sides and desserts!

The Village Pizza Kitchen is open for takeaway:
12pm to 8:30pm Tuesdays to Thursdays
12pm to 9pm Fridays and Saturdays

Local delivery is currently available weekday lunchtimes, but is due to be extended to evenings over the coming weeks.

Order now on Village Pizza Kitchen Online