A TEAM of plant-based pizza experts have announced plans to open a second restaurant in the city.

Purezza in St James’s Street, Brighton, proved its popularity when it was named the National Pizza of the Year in 2018.

But now the UK’s first vegan pizzeria plans to take their flavours further west, if only a short distance.

Owners have announced that a new restaurant will open in Western Road this summer.

The Argus:

The venue will be spread across two floors, replacing the now-closed Patisserie Valerie and opening its doors in late August.

It will also allow the company to offer delivery options to Hove and Portslade.

This will be Purezza’s third site. The original St James’s Street venue opened in 2015 and a second pizzeria followed in Camden in 2018.

Then, with demand for its meat-free pizzas booming, the brand tripled the size of its London branch earlier this year.

The Argus:

Tim Barclay, co-founder and co-owner of Purezza said: “This year was always set to be a big year for Purezza and, while the Coronavirus crisis was an unforeseen challenge, it won’t affect our plans. Purezza is a growing brand, but our home has always been Brighton and Hove.

“Before looking at national expansion, we’re proud to be able to give some of our most dedicated customers a brand new beautiful space in Hove to enjoy.”

The Argus:

Purezza specialises in plant-based alternatives to classic Neapolitan pizzas and it is renowned for developing its own range of vegan cheese exclusively for its restaurants.

The company is also in the process of opening a plant-based cheese factory.