Wood-fired artisan pizzas with an unusual sourdough base have arrived in Selfridges Birmingham this week with the launch of the Lasan Group’s latest venture, Izza Pizza.

Local chef Aktar Islam, a regular face on BBC’s Saturday Morning Kitchen and Great British Menu, as well as winner of Chanel 4’s Ramsey’s F Word Best Local Restaurant, and his chefs from the successful Lasan Group are bringing what they promise to be, “a quality unseen in the city before”.

Aktar Islam, chief director at Lasan Group, said: “The bases are made with a combination of white and wholemeal flours. The wholemeal adds flavour as well as goodness and creates a lighter and slightly more ready texture than you find in ordinary pizzas.” The sourdough itself is fermented using natural yeasts, ensuring a healthy and natural product. Izza’s wood-fired oven should ensure that the pizzas emerge crisp, with slightly smoky notes.

Pizzas are available from the classic and simple Margherita with tomato, mozzarella and basil to the indulgent Truffle in Paradise, with black truffle, taleggio cheese, chives and white onion.  Aktar added: “With a dish as simple as a pizza, there’s no hiding place. It’s up to the ingredients to do the talking and to tell the story. Our cured meats would stand up on their own as a meat platter at a high-end restaurant”.  Bring on the morcón chorizo, made in Andalusia with pork from Spain’s famous black Iberian pigs.

At their launch we enjoyed their non-tomato base pizza (great for tomato haters like me), plus one of their veggie pizzas. While Izza Pizza comes from the same stable as upmarket Lasan and Fiesta Del Asado, food here won’t break the bank, with a 12″ pizza coming in at between £9 and £12.

Sam Watts, general manager at Selfridges Birmingham, said: “We are thrilled to welcome such a innovative restaurateur who is responsible for opening some of Birmingham’s finest eateries to our house. Izza Pizza has something that will appeal to all of our shoppers and will soon become a Selfridges Foodhall staple”.

Izza Pizza opened on Thursday 6th April and is exclusively available in the Birmingham Selfridges Foodhall. For further information visit www.selfridges.com