In this column, we interview a lot of guys with expense accounts. So it is nice to hear from a humble British ‘Pizza Professional’ who is making waves in London with his foodie hot spot, Sodo Pizza.
Dan opened Sodo last September after leaving a rotten job and realizing his passion was food. He started a pop up restaurant and it was so successful he had friends offering to invest to make the space permanent. “I had always wanted to own a food spot and thought of a pub but they are all tied to breweries. I had the idea of a pizza shop when I was in Berlin and when I came back I teamed up with E5 bake house where we spent several months testing recipes and eventually found what worked,” Dan tells us.
Birch explained that he does use local and organic as much as he can but was honest in explaining, “that isn’t the end all be all – if the quality isn’t good we won’t use it.” He works with guys in Dagenham who have a farming community where he sources his greens. Dan works with the guys at Ginger Pig and Picco Salumi in Islington sourcing local meats.
He took a minute away from the pizza dough to explain his style:
At work I am not very fashionable, it’s all white tees, chef trousers, a big blue apron and clogs!
My wardrobe is geared towards spring and autumn, which is all we really get here in England. SO I have loads of denim from Levis and Lee. I have a Scotch and Soda jacket I got years ago that I cherish. I am also a big fan of 70s vintage and I buy loads of it from charity shops. I bought a pair of Levis 605 for a couple of pounds that I am very excited about.
As for shoes I love my Bally brogues, Jones boots and I have a pair of Barkers for smarter occasions. All of them I found at charity shops so they are mildly worn in.
My favorite suit is from The Saville Row company. I get really great shirts from a friend of mine, Tom Penfound, who is a big model but also started his own shirting line.
As for shades I love my 80s Carrera sunglasses I found at a thrift shop in Texas and for a watch I wear the Citizen that my mum bought me for my 21st birthday. The iconic Puma 917 mid tops are a favorite sneaker that I just found again.
I do a lot of in line street skating so I buy inexpensive tees and cut the neck out so that they are light weight. I wear Levis 511’s since they are slim fit but slightly thicker so I don’t cut myself up if I fall!
Photo Courtesy of Adam Kola.
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