Fire & Slice is a compact Sumner pizzeria focused on made-to-order wood-fired pizza rather than a sprawling Italian menu. Its dough is stretched by hand into a thin base, then baked for browned edges and a satisfying chew. Ingredients are sourced largely from Canterbury, including local Wairiri buffalo dairy. Walk-in dine-in and takeaway keep the experience deliberately informal, while the restaurant can also discuss events for groups wanting the same food in a planned setting.
The meat pizzas build distinct combinations instead of simply adding more toppings. Italian sausage is paired with basil pesto, buffalo cheese, cherry tomatoes and Parmesan, while bacon and mushroom sit on crème fraîche with mozzarella and oregano. Pepperoni brings red onion and black olives, and the Manuka Meat Lover layers pepperoni, chorizo and ham. A smoked chicken pizza changes direction again with walnuts, mushrooms, blue cheese and apricot chutney.
Seafood receives equally considered treatment. Salmone uses crème fraîche, capers, smoked salmon, red onion, rocket and lemon, allowing acidity and herbs to offset the rich base. Peri-peri prawns come with buffalo mozzarella, basil, rocket and lemon. The Porto Fino combines prawns with bacon, olives, red onion and garlic-chilli oil, creating a pizza that moves between smoky, salty and bright flavours rather than treating seafood as a one-dimensional topping.
Two pizzas show the menu's connection to its surroundings and local ingredients particularly clearly. The Godley Head Magic pairs mint-braised lamb with mozzarella and Wairiri buffalo cheese, borrowing its name from the nearby headland. Veggie Delight layers spinach, buffalo mozzarella, Parmesan, red onion, mushrooms, sweetcorn, jalapeño and sun-dried tomato. Together they demonstrate the range of the wood-fired format, from a locally named lamb pizza to a substantial vegetarian choice.
Address: 7 Wakefield Avenue, Sumner, Christchurch 8081, New Zealand
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