Phatbreads at Maltby Street

Phatbreads is one of the newest kids on the Maltby block. Nestled in the heart of Bermondsey, Maltby Street market oozes charm, an electric vibe and offers so much in the way of food variety that it's a struggle to cope with the choice. And now these guys have arrived. It just gets better.

Urban-edgy flatbread pizza company, Phatbreads was started in late 2013 by Dixie Innes, a finalist on Channel 4's The Taste and former chef at E5 Bakehouse. Phatbreads has quickly become one of the main attractions at the market, not least because each Saturday and Sunday Dixie and her crew pitch up towing a wood-fired oven bought on eBay that Dixie's boyfriend, Will, “blinged-up”, gifted with a set wheels and christened the ‘Phatmobile'. The rustic simplicity and deliberate informality of the food and indeed the whole set-up is bang on trend right now. It's all so achingly-cool, it hurts. I grabbed Dixie for a few minutes at the end of a busy day to quiz her a little more (just what she needed!). LoveFoodLoveDrink: So, why flatbreads? What's so special about them? Dixie Innes: Everyone loves bread and flatbreads are a vehicle for loads of different flavours, that's what I love about them. LFLD: Where or who do you get your inspiration from? DI: Moro. I think what Sam and Sam do there is amazing. LFLD: What flavours are going down well with the punters at the moment? DI: I think it would have to be my take on a Turkish pizza. I pile on slow roasted spiced lamb with cinnamon, tomato sauce, pine nuts, homemade yoghurt and herbs. Other recipes proving popular include the ‘Super Spinach' and for my customers with a sweet tooth the ‘Nutty Chocolicious' is a dream. Think roasted hazelnuts, warm spices and my own Phat take on homemade Nutella. LFLD: In terms of menu, you keep it small but do it well. Does it change regularly? DI: I work hard throughout the week to come up with new toppings and combinations such as ‘Goat, Beet and Choke', which is a mix of garlic butter, roasted Jerusalem artichoke, goats cheese, candied beetroot and rocket. LFLD: And something that people are becoming more interested in these days, where do you source your ingredients? DI: I try and source the absolute best. My flour comes from Shipton Mill, and I buy produce from fellow Maltby traders wherever possible. The cheeses, meats, eggs, herbs and salad I use all come from these guys around me. As if the flavours weren't enough, Phatbreads provides entertainment in the form of a touch of street food theatre. Your order comes together before your very eyes, starting as a ball of sourdough (made from their very own starter...called Phatima, of course!) and finishing as a crisp, hot and generously-topped pizza, complete with those little wood-fired eccentricities you get. The fire in the oven roars like a blast furnace and the pizzas take just minutes to cook, which is handy as orders come in thick and fast throughout the day or until the dough runs out! The Phatmobile can be found at Maltby Street Market every Saturday 9am-4pm and Sunday 11am-4pm. Maltby Street Market, Maltby Street, London. SE1 3PA www.phatbreads.co.uk twitter.com/phatbreads