Alice Norman, head chef and owner of Pinch in Suffolk, has developed her concept into a cafe after four successful years on a revitalizing and organic maple farm. Recently unveiled, Pinch 2.0 is now open in a larger, purpose-built space with indoor and outdoor seating, a new menu and drinks list for the first time. Pinch embraces casual, no-fuss and no-utensils, featuring Roman-style pizzas, frozen slushies, cocktails and wine in addition to its beloved bakery offering of coffee, crullers, pastries and gelato. Built around the soil-focused farm she’s based on, the locale is at the forefront of everything Alice creates in Pinch, championing the produce of her home province.
Suffolk.
Alice says: “Having worked in London’s restaurant scene for nearly a decade, Pinch gave me the opportunity to fulfill any chef’s dream – to be next to the produce we use on the farm. Limiting local availability has encouraged me to be more creative, but it all starts at Maple Farm and what grows right under my feet. Pinch’s expansion from a takeaway pastry shop to a proper cafe has also made the space more flexible. Once we’re settled, I’m planning to host evenings at the farm with chef friends from across the UK, which I think is missing in the area!”
In the quiet area of the Suffolk countryside where Alice grew up, Pinch burst onto the scene in 2021 when Alice moved home from London, where she had been head chef at Woodhouse Restaurant Group’s Emilia. Finding the perfect home at Maple Farm, a pioneer of innovative organic farming and agroforestry hand-in-hand with nature, she quickly built a reputation for her farm-to-table baked goods. Alice works closely with farmers to ensure she sources everything she can from them, from abundant fruit and vegetables to organic eggs and flour. Farmers grow old, traditional and modern varieties of wheat in the surrounding fields, which are then ground on the farm with an Osttiroler mill imported from Austria. This technique preserves important nutrients. Alice is inspired by her surroundings and with each dish she tells a Suffolk story, championing local suppliers such as local butcher Salter & King, Orford’s beloved chocolate shop Pump St and Bungay’s Fen Farm Dairy, home of Baron Bigod.
If necessary, the ingredients are sourced from further afield; the canned tomatoes come from a farm between Rome and Naples and the olive oil from the Poggiotondi winery in Tuscany.
Alice’s philosophy of keeping things local has led to smarter and more inventive cooking, and her pizzas are a clear example. Unlike Neapolitan and New York style pizza, Roman pizza is cooked on a tray at a much lower temperature for 10-12 minutes, leaving the base crispy. To facilitate this, Alice has invested in a Castelli pizza oven built by experts in the field in Rome. Pinch’s pizza toppings reflect the seasons, such as Potato & Rosemary; Tomato, parsley and garlic; and Tomato, Fior di
Latte, Sobrassada, Basil & Parmesan currently available. Of course, the crullers and homemade gelato Alice has become known for aren’t going anywhere. The core flavors are Cinnamon Sugar, Coffee & Hazelnut, Chocolate, Honey & Bacon and Original Glazed, and seasonality is brought to rhubarb in spring, Elderflower & Pistachio in summer, Plum & Blackberry in autumn and Fig Leaf & Black Sesame in winter. Pinch’s pastry, “St. Choux’ Choux Au Craquelin, made in St
Jude custard, is always on the counter. And during the holidays there are always specials such as Hot Cross Maritozzi Buns, Grilled Pump St Hot Cross Buns with St Jude’s Cow’s Curd and Pinch Lemon Curd or Grilled Pump Street with Panettone Marmalade and Nutty Wells Alpine Cheese. Throughout the summer, Mint Choc Chip, St Jude and Blackherrant Ripple, Fior de Latte and Coffee gelato are served in homemade spelled cobs grown on the farm, and Pinch products also include cod roe, Bolognese, Granola in the farm shop. , Picante Crunch and Almond Chilli Chaat.
For the first time, the spirits launch means a small wine list will be available to serve or take away, focusing on independent producers supplied by Newcomer, Tutto and Unchartered Wines. William Kendal supplies cider from Maple Farm and a robust list of spirits, including a Bloody Mary with spicy Maple Farm celery, a bitter Americano on ice from Chinati Vergano in Piedmont, and a rotating seasonal special developed with the farm team. have incorporated exciting ingredients such as lemongrass and shiso into their cultivation plans. There’s also a frozen slushie machine with rotating non-alcoholic drink specials, adding inventiveness to the menu – think Fig Leaf Shrub and Oat Milk Flat White.
Pinch 2.0 is now open at Maple Farm, East Green, Kelsale, Saxmundham IP17 2PL, 8 seats inside and 44 seats outside.
