Ryon Ishfaq - Behind the Apron

I had the absolute pleasure of spending some time with Ryon talking all things ‘Slice ‘n Brew’ which opened back in October 2022. Having worked in places like Delilah and Baresca the ultimate vision was to have something of his own.

So when Covid hit, Ryon started a pop up out of his home kitchen in Sherwood (following some encouragement from Marcus Cooks). Pizza’s from home, soon became an overnight success which led to being a Tuesday regular at the Junkyard which saw him make Tuesday’s the new Friday’s in no time.

The next logical step was to open a spot of his own. So when a café closed down in Trinity Square, it was a no brainer for Ryon to take a punt. The renovation, inspired by the pizza places of New York, took only 5 weeks & they opened their doors to the Nottingham crowds with only £30 in their bank account.

Good news, there was no shortage of customers and location wise, which he said was at first a bit questionable, was the best decision that he could have made. Turns out that the most successful Pizza Pilgrim joints are corner plots in London too so he really did strike gold. More recently having had the Food Review Club in -  Slice ‘n Brew is now a destination restaurant with people making the journey to visit from far and wide. There is a wealth of pizza competition out there, Baba Dough being where Ryon would choose to go when not eating at his place – so the fact that Slice ‘n Brew is on everyone’s lips is no easy feat.

Read on to hear more from Ryon and also some breaking news on his new venture coming in 2025!!

Q&A

What was your earliest cooking/food memory?

My Mum didn’t do much cooking so my first food memory has to be my Grandma’s mutton soup. I remember I must have been about 6 years old, it’s pretty fiery so that’s probably why that sticks out. She moved to England in ’58, having been born in Jamaica she didn’t embrace the English food with too much enthusiasm, so she made sure that she still brought Jamaican cooking back into our lives. My first cooking memory was making milk bread at primary school though but that wasn’t where my passion grew, that came later and now I probably think of myself as more of a professional eater first before I’m a chef. Which is funny because I wasn’t a huge foodie child and took whatever I was given. I remember eating spaghetti with ketchup at one point which obviously I wouldn’t touch now!

What's your favourite pizza?

It has to be a plain margherita pizza. You can really tell if a place is going to be good by their cheese and tomato offering. We make ours with San Marzano tomatoes, a blend of fior di latte & buffalo mozzarella – a nice combination of creaminess & meltiness. Then there’s the 30 years old DOP Parmigiano Reggiano – some people find it too cheesy, but I don’t think there’s such a thing.

What's your go to comfort food?

No surprises, its got to be pizza. I remember being little and going to The Pizza Place which is where Gusto is now. I remember cheese and tomato being my go to favourite and the smell whilst it was cooking was something else.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

As chef’s go I remember looking up to and being inspired by Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations. New York has been a huge inspiration when it comes to pizza where their pizza by the slice is the equivalent of our whole pizza. I feel like you tend to draw inspiration from places you’ve eaten and I think you need to be a bit of a musician, you may be inspired by what you hear out there but then you make it your own, similarly I tend to draw on what I’ve enjoyed and put it together to make it mine. Instagram is also somewhere I find a lot of inspiration from.

What are your favourite ingredients to work with and which would you send to Room 101?

I have to have an aged DOP Parmigiano Reggiano in my fridge, I have a supplier who brings me an amazing one. Tomato ketchup belongs in room 101 though, I may have been given spaghetti and ketchup as a child but I don’t have fond memories of it!  

What's your favourite kitchen hack/tip?

I find that home cooks don’t tend to use enough fresh herbs and opt for dried herbs instead which is one easy way to improve flavours.  I also recommend using loads of butter when cooking. And finally, lemon juice to finish a dish, gives it that little bit of acid which makes a massive difference – it really elevates things from regular cooking to chef cooking. Ah and Maldon sea salt!

Have you had any kitchen fails?

I made pizza dough completely wrong and inedible (last week in fact but it is very rare) I experimented with a different recipe, but it just didn’t work. Biggest one though was for a pop up – I took delivery of a bag of gluten free flour by accident, which meant I was putting a hole through every pizza I tried to make. We buy in our gluten free bases now, but we need to know ahead of time if people want that.

If you could host a dinner party for any guest who would they be and what would you cook for them?

It would have to be Forest Legend - Brian Clough. I would love to sit and listen to him and take some managerial tips. I would cook a cote du boeuf with chips, watercress salad and bearnaise sauce, finishing it with a pint of beer.

Where would you eat your death row meal and what dish would you have?

It might just have to be roast beef from Bread and Lard Island in West Bridgford. Nothing beats a good old Sunday dinner, especially when the beef is served pink. It’s criminal when people have their meat well done or even worse when they ask you if you want it pink but then it comes out well done. The Bread and Lard’s name comes from the 70’s / 80’s when people bought expensive houses in Bridgford but then they could only afford to eat bread and lard - which is a great name!

What is the thing you're most proud of?

I am super proud of what we’ve managed to achieve considering we started out with £30 in the business bank account but we’ve reinvested every penny and being able to help people have a decent living too has been really important. The team is great and I really wanted a culture where there’s no ego’s, people can make decisions and have a sense of ownership and control, if they have suggestions then they will be heard -and I get a lot of suggestions!

Where are your top go-to places in Notts?

It’s got to be Kushi-Ya, closely followed by Mesa and you can’t beat the soft serve at Mollis! If we’re talking outside of Notts then its got to be Trullo in London where I had the best steak, a T-bone with marsala soaked mushrooms , rocket and parmesan salad.

What's in store next?

Well I have a baby on the way in 2 months! But aside from that milestone -  I have my sights set on the next venture! I’m planning on opening up an Italian tapas place in a city centre location which is yet to be decided and I have a name but I’m afraid that’s under wraps for the time being! The premise will be that it’s a totally different concept from Slice ‘n Brew , similar to the likes of Padella in London – essentially quick service pasta with great wine, somewhere that’s accessible to all and not stuffy. Hopefully coming to Nottingham in 2025!

Any advice for your younger self?

That’s a deep question! (Takes some time to think it over) I guess - just chill out. I was a bit too focused when I was younger. In my early career I felt the pressure to climb the ladder quickly, which I put myself under as opposed to it coming from anyone else. I may seem more chilled now but I wasn’t always, I remember feeling like you should be in a certain place and if you weren’t then you were failing.

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