Back in May, London was treated to the ultimate celebration of tacos: The Tacover. That event saw Londoners descending upon a London craft brewery taproom to sample some of the best tacos around. And on July 15-16, the organizers are returning with the inaugural Slice-O-Mania pizza festival – London’s first-ever pizza and beer festival.
Across two years of running The Tacover, the team have sold over 2500 tickets, with an estimated 12500 tacos sold to attendees. So, while this may be their first pizza festival, it sure isn’t their first rodeo! Just like The Tacover, Slice-O-Mania will take place at Signature Brewery, in Walthamstow, taking advantage of the combined indoor and outdoor spaces, as well as a rooftop terrace area. So, be sure to block off your calendars, as you won’t want to miss out!
What to expect from Slice-O-Mania
The UK’s best pizza vendors will each be serving up a classic margarita and a chef’s special. Each vendor will also have at least one vegan pie, so everyone can join in the fun. The offerings could take the form of a mini pie, a NY-style slice, or a wedge of Detroit-style pizza – with an emphasis on individual portions.
Basically, they want guests to be able to taste as widely as possible. There’s no point in only having one full-size pizza from one pizza vendor at a pizza festival! The whole affair will then culminate with the judging, where awards are given to the top pizzerias – in the form of the Heavyweight Pizza Championship Belts.
Jarritos are back for the pizza festival, after keeping revellers thirsts sated at The Tacover, to fling their Mexican sodas once more. They’re joined, in sponsoring Slice-O-Mania, by WilderBee Hot Honey, and both will be passing out freebies alongside products to sample and buy. And, take it from me, if you’ve not yet tried a pizza with the spicy-sweet condiment drizzled on top – you haven’t lived!
Depending on the session you attend, different entertainment will be on offer. There is a family-friendly session, an evening session (with an after-party to boot!), and a mixed afternoon session. There will be games such as giant Jenga and corn hole, kids’ entertainment, and on-stage competitions ranging from a speed eating challenge to a hot pizza challenge. All the while, much-loved DJs We Can Be Heroes will be spinning tunes and keeping the pizza-spirit high!
All the while, thanks to the festival’s location, there will be plenty of sudsy, ice-cold beers to wash down the pizzas. It’s a day of pizza-munching and beer-crushing – can you think of anything better?
Who will be slinging pies at the pizza festival?
Vendors at Slice-O-Mania are coming from as far afield as Bedford, Bristol, and naturally, there are plenty of London pizza scene OG’s. But there are also some super exciting up-and-comers that may become our new favourites! The full list of vendors is:
- Yeast Brothers (London)
- Sud Italia (London)
- Fold Me Close (Bedford)
- Mad AF Pizza (Essex)
- Peddling Pizza (St Albans)
- Pigs Pizza (Bristol)
- Sarv’s Slice (Reading)
Slice-O-Mania will take place at Signature Brewery (Unit 15, Blackhorse Lane, E17 5QJ) on July 15 & 16. Grab your tickets here.