This Manchester pizzeria is turning 20 – and rolling back prices to celebrate

Manchester now has a wealth of great indie places to get top quality pizza thanks to the likes of Rudy’s and Honest Crust. But 20 years ago, Mancunians would get their Neapolitan pizza fix at Croma.

Croma was founded by restaurateurs Andrew Bullock, Kirsty Marshall and Bob Dunn who opened their first location just off Albert Square in November 2000.

They soon won a Newcomer of the Year awards, and have since grown a collective of restaurants across Greater Manchester with locations in Chorlton (launched in 2005), Prestwich (2008) and Didsbury (2012).  

This month, to celebrate the start of its 20th anniversary year, Croma is travelling back in time to where it all began – the year 2000.

Throughout January, their Manchester city centre restaurant  is offering all of your favourite Croma dishes at the exact same prices they were when they first opened.

It means you can get a garlic bread or baked dough balls with garlic butter for just £1.45,  or the melanzane parmigiana starter (roasted aubergine baked with buffalo mozzarella, provolone, tomato and garlic) for £3.70.

Or go for a sharing board of Mediterranean charcuterie featuring Italian cured ham, bresaola, chorizo and salami with marinated olives, sun-blushed tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and freshly baked rosemary bread for £8.10.

When it comes to pizzas, you can feast for around a fiver thanks to the 20-year-old prices.

A margherita pizza with mozzarella, tomato and fresh basil is just £3.85.

A Florentina with spinach, free range egg, parmesan, olives, mozzarella and garlic is £5.45, and an Americana with pepperoni is £5.70. A roasted vegetable pizza is £5.45, and a pizza with goats cheese and creamy Garstang blue cheese form Lancashire is £5.85.

All the pasta dishes – including mushroom and goats cheese penne or crab and king prawn linguini – are between £5.45 and £7.15, while a mixed salad with creamy vinaigrette is a tiny £2.35.

The menu has been styled as a newspaper, The Croma Chronicle, to reflect the restaurant’s history and the change in prices throughout its lifetime. 

“20 years has flown by, we feel lucky and proud to have been in at the beginning of the flowering of our city’s restaurant and bar culture,” said co-founder Andrew Bullock.

“We can’t wait to see what the next 20 years bring to ourselves and our extraordinary birthplace.”

The 2000 price offer is available throughout January exclusively at the flagship Manchester restaurant on Clarence Street, with more promotions planned for 2020. 

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