After winning ‘Best Street Food Trader’ at the British Street Food Awards in 2016, then following it up by winning the European Title in Berlin in 2017, Lee Desanges knew he needed to create a permanent fixture for his street food project, and so Baked in Brick was born. An interesting start to life, as a street food stall in the form of a hand-built pizza oven on the back of a classic Mini and a barbeque at the front, this restaurant knows how to be unique, how to be inventive, and how to be stylish.
The menu is nice and simple, with a large selection of pizzas, some small plates, and some loaded fries. A feast for your eyes as much as your stomach, Baked in Brick serves pizzas that combine high-class Italian produce like San Marzano tomatoes and Salarmi Milano, with quality British ingredients like beef shin from Aubrey Allen butcher shop and Lincolnshire poacher shavings.
Those ingredients should give some indication that the cooks at this restaurant like a high-quality pizza. The fundamentals aren’t mucked about with too much, most pizzas feature tomato and mozzarella, however, the ingredients used alongside the basics are all handpicked to provide a gastronomic experience. This means a pizza you may believe you’re familiar with is elevated to a level you aren’t.
Located in the Custard Factory, in Digbeth Birmingham, Baked in Brick does need to be as stylish as it is, luckily it doesn’t have to try very hard. A classic Mini appears to be crashing through the wall, whereas, in fact, it only hangs there. The design is simple, elegant, yet fashionable, with dark walls, white writing, and strong wooden tables. The reputation of the restaurant, garnered through its time as a street food venture – which it does still operate under alongside the restaurant – precedes it.