Restaurant Magazine

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FILLING THE GAP. If the market for healthier sandwiches is growing, Renato Sommella and his partner Kate Stewart should do well with their Italian chain Piada.
Piada specialises in piadine, which are traditional yeast-free flatbreads from Italy’s Romagna region. The piadine are made freshly each morning from flour, extra virgin olive oil, water and salt, and are cooked to order on a hot plate (cuocipiada) and filled with various combinations such as buffalo mozzarella, rocket, tomato and pesto; roast ham and fontina cheese; or Italian sausage and spicy greens. Sommella launched Piada two years ago after spotting a gap in the market for a hot, fresh, healthy sandwich.
“Sandwiches always seemed to be cold or warmed up – nobody was cooking a piece of bread from scratch and serving it hot”, says Sommella. “Traditionally piadine are made with lard but we’ve substituted extra virgin olive oil which is much healthier, but gives the same texture”.
So far Piada has proven a big hit with office workers. The BSA is also a fan, naming Piada ‘Independent Sandwich Bar of the Year’ in its 2008 Sammies Award.