If you’ve been to Spitalfields Market during your lunch hour, then you’ll notice the constant queue that is positioned outside of Sud Italia. Known for its authentic Neapolitan pizzas with a focus on high-quality ingredients, this spot is a real hit with City go’ers. Ivana Syrota sat down with the Founder and CEO, Silvestro Morlandi, to learn about the story behind Sud Italia, his passion for bringing authentic pizza to the City and what’s in the pipeline for 2025. Read on to find out more.
Q. Why did you decide to open Sud Italia in Spitalfields Market?
A. I came here in 2012 with the idea of starting a food business, but London was expensive. So, I worked as a kitchen porter, then as a sous-chef. The restaurant was very busy, and life there wasn’t good, so I decided to make a change.
I moved to a pizza place in Earl’s Court, where my head chef and I thought about opening a food truck. At first, we wanted to put an oven in a Mini Cooper, but it was too difficult, so we bought a Citroën H1 van and fitted a wood-fired oven inside.
After six months, we went separate ways. I took over the business and started selling at West London markets on Saturdays and Sundays. It was going well, but I wasn’t making much money. So I looked for a permanent spot and came across Spitalfields Market.
The transition wasn’t easy — at market stalls, I was paying £20 a day , but the rent at Spitalfields Market was considerably higher. But I wanted something permanent, and as an Italian pizza chef, it was my dream to bring a piece of Southern Italy to London.
Q. Can you talk us through the menu and any standout dishes?
A. The most popular item on the menu is the Zucca pizza. The base is made with squash and pumpkin. We use blue cheese from France. It’s called Bleu d’Auvergne and Pecorino Sardo di Oppidete is a cheese from Sardinia.
And then we have another pizza that recently became viral on social media, the Pizza Portafoglio. That’s a folded pizza that we sell as a street food item, it’s very common in Naples.
Q. What makes Sud Italia stand out amongst the busy food scene in Spitalfields market?
A. I think because we give an experience to our customers. But it’s not just because of the food, it’s because of everything. If you walk through us, there is Italian music. Most of the music that we play is from the South and we try to give our customers a full experience of South Italy. So that’s why we make the difference, I think.
Q. What are some of the key values you try to implement in your team and work?
A. So, I see this business like my child and I always want the best for it. So I always want people to understand what Sud Italia is about. I try to make sure my team understands this. Even when I am not here, I want them to think about Sud Italia like I do.
Q. How do you make sure your customers have a positive experience?
A. I mean, the only way that we can make them happy is to give them a good product. We can try to be nice, we can try to be polite and we can try to be friendly. But at the end of the day, if we don’t have good pizza, they don’t come back.
So the most important thing is always to have the best quality product. I always believe that when people try something for the first time, they might not know exactly what’s inside, but they feel it. They feel the difference and they can feel when something is made with good ingredients.
Q. As the Founder, what is the most rewarding part of your role?
A. Oh wow, this is a strong question.
I started this business with like £4,000, with a pizza truck making £600 per day. And now, our annual turnover is £1.3m. So that’s really rewarding.
But what I like the most is when I have Italians coming here, and they say, “This is real Italian pizza.” You know, sometimes they tell me, “This reminds me of home.” And for me, that’s the best thing because it means that I did something good. I brought something real to London. Ultimately, this is what makes me happy.
Q. What’s in the pipeline for 2025?
A. We are opening a second location in North London, outside Arsenal Stadium. We’ve been planning it for a while, and we think it’s going to be a great move. We expect it to be as successful as Spitalfields, if not more, because of the location and the footfall. It’s a big opportunity for us, and we’re excited to bring Sud Italia to a new area of London.
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