By Dabrowka Nowak, Second Year English
The city of Bristol is infamous for its ability to create a party anytime, anywhere and for anyone, ranging from gigs in skate parks to street carnivals. Now, the city is hosting summer raves inside its most beloved pizza restaurant.
Creating a new corner for Bristol’s vibrant music scene to thrive, student-friendly restaurant Pizzarova followed their hosting of local dance act Dubtendo for a one-night-only DJ set on May 14th with yet another free event for the launch of their June special pizza on June 4th.
Pizzarova’s website boasts their 12-year musical history, beginning with a mobile pizza-making Land Rover providing nourishment to the ‘family, friends and festival-goers’ of Somerset.
As the brand’s popularity grew, its dedication to uplifting the local music scene remained.
Every month, the popular handmade sourdough pizza restaurant designs a new pizza to reflect seasonal changes.
During June 2025, the brand decided to blend sound and taste, claiming on LinkedIn that it was ‘our month to shout about our favourite Bristol creators, people who leave their mark on the city.’
Having previously collaborated with artists such as the Bristol-based band Squid for a giveaway of tickets and pizzas for their March concert at renowned venue Bristol Beacon, Pizzarova turned their attention to Bristol’s garage scene to combine an in-house DJ set from Dr Dubplate with an exclusive new pizza to boast his French heritage.
Pizzarova were inspired by Dr Dubplate's inclusivity-based projects, stating ‘Dr Dubplate and his now iconic record label ec2a embody the ethos of connection and championing culture.'
'Whether it's UK garage or pizza, we both have the shared aim to platform the wonderful talent here in Bristol.’
Dr Dubplate’s label ec2a, AKA The Dubplate Delivery Service, prides itself not only on its online fashion shop and dubplates, but on its support of new talent and creation of a like-minded garage community.
They uplift their artists through sales of physical and digital records and promotions of new music, whilst supporting fresh talents to work their way up the industry.
At the moment, they are supporting young artists Skeptic, EMC, and Yemz through ‘mentoring, logistics support, studios sessions [and] full management services.’
Navigating the music scene and spotlighting local talents is the evident joint aim of both ec2a and Pizzarova.
In order to promote this, Yanis Koudjo, AKA Dr Dubplate, ideated and refined the June special recipe with Tom Castle, Pizzarova’s Head of Pizza, for a dish that reflected the producer’s French heritage.
The pizza consists of a white béchamel and comté cheese base, layered with mozzarella, roast ham, a trifecta of caramelised and fresh onions, before being topped with a light drizzle of tangy dijonaise.
The audio backing to the launch of this combination was of UK Garage, boasting belters from his own label and further afield, while guests were kept energised with freely served helpings of the June special and its vegetarian counterparts, alongside a freely-flowing frozen margarita machine.
The event was an ideal way to further the accessibility of the arts in Bristol, allowing keen UK garage fans alongside the DJs and Pizzarova staff to enjoy a free energetic night of dance and crafty food in its central Park Street location.
In an interview with Mixmag, Dr Dubplate adjacently encourages young people looking to make their way in the music industry to ‘[not] deep things too much: roll with people that you trust and grow together. Have a consistent work ethic.’
Whether you’re an aspiring musician, DJ or producer, or simply wish to amplify the voices of those aspiring to be, what better way to start than ordering his very own pizza, listening to ec2a’s playlist, and accordingly helping the Bristol music scene to ‘grow together.’
Featured Image: Benji ChapmanWhat has been your favourite monthly special?
