Flour & Ash is the gem of Cheltenham Road

Flour and Ash, the brainchild of banker-turned-chef Steve Gale, has won a 2016 Good Food Guide Award just 10 months after its opening on Cheltenham Road last October.

Located on one of the longest stretches of independent shops and cafes in Europe, this pizza place with a difference is surrounded by plenty of fine competition, giving their latest accolade as ‘Best Local Gem’ all the more meaning.

Owner Steve is overjoyed at the latest recognition of his labour of love, which he decided to open after years of working as a banker.

“I always wanted to be a chef. I got to 35 and thought, if I don’t do it now I’m never going to do it. I left banking, went to City of Bristol College and also landed a full time job at Harvey Nichols, so I did seven days a week for a year retraining to be a chef.”

Once he took the plunge and completed his course Steve began working as head chef at a friend’s pub, The Victoria Park in Bedminster. From there he worked his way around the Bristol circuit, gaining invaluable experience and cooking in some of the best kitchens in the city.

“The ultimate aim was always to open up my own place. It was just me on my own and I didn’t really want to take out any finance so I was looking for a building that I could afford – not only to rent but also to do up. Eventually I found this place, which was actually in a bit of a state, and did it up myself.”

Handcrafting the bar and laying the floor himself, it’s clear that the restaurant was born out of drive, determination and a real love of food.

“It was a career change of passion. Working to acquire wealth wasn’t really doing it for me but I learned a lot of core business skills that helped it all come together.”

The Flour and Ash menu is by no means extensive – instead it is an example of a signature dish honed to perfection. Using only flour, water and salt, their sourdough bases are left to prove for 72 hours before they are adorned with toppings like chorizo, smoked prosciutto and slow-cooked shoulder of lamb.

“I never thought I’d be doing pizza but the kitchen was really too small to do anything else. I put a big wood oven in because I wanted a bit of theatre in the restaurant – I think people like to see the chefs working.”

Although many restaurants boast locally-sourced produce, Steve gets a lot of his ingredients from the very same road he does business on, including fresh vegetables from local grocers and Bristol-brewed craft beers. Even his accountant is based around the corner, and he puts much of the establishment’s success down to the quality of Bristol suppliers.

Following the Best Pizza award from Bristol Good Food back in June, Flour and Ash’s latest badge of honour will no doubt propel the establishment to even higher heights.

“It’s been great,” says Steve. “I’ve got a great team – we’re a bit of a maverick bunch but I’m so proud of them. It’s amazing what we’ve achieved in such a small amount of time.” 

For more info on Flour and Ash, visit their website or follow them on Twitter.