Artigiano founder to open craft beer and sourdough pizza concept

The first Base & Barley is scheduled to open on Exeter's Longbrook Street next month with a second site in Cardiff currently being finalised. 

Hill, who has invested £300k in transforming an empty unit into the 150-cover restaurant in Exeter, said he had spent a long time 'tweaking' the concept which will serve sourdough pizza cooked in specially decorated ovens alongside specially selected craft beers, wine and cocktails and is confident it would work in multiple locations. 

He said: "We want to offer an alternative to tired pizza chains and poor quality takeaways and kick some life into the sector. We will spend some time ensuring we have our offering just right after opening, and then hope to replicate the launch in key cities around the UK in 2016/17."

Hill, who already operates five sites under the Artigiano brand - in London, Reading, Exeter and two in Cardiff - has begun talks with a number of joint venture partner investors to aid expansion for both Base & Barley and Artigiano. 

Plans to open two more Artigiano's, the coffee shop-by-day and wine bar-by-night concept - in Chelmsford and Cambridge - next year are already in place.