One of Middlesbrough’s favourite artisan pizzerias has returned with a new format after a six-month hiatus.

Barbs Pizza, formerly Barbarossa on Bedford Street, has now opened its doors in Burlam Road, Linthorpe.

Now collection only, the pizzeria has ‘ghost kitchen’ style premises complete with outdoor seating for sunny days. Customers are even welcome to bring their own booze, with no corking fee.

Owner Scott, 35, is determined to put Barbs back on the map as a ‘solid local pizzeria’.

“I’ve obsessed over the pizza in the past few years, and I think people respect the distinction between Barbs’ product and other products in the area”, he explains.

“I’m dedicated to making sure our product stands out. I think that’s the key to success – filling a gap and making sure you’re doing what you’re doing to the best of your ability.”

Staple pizzas that Barbs is known and loved for are still on the menu, soon to be joined by delicious desserts, succulent chicken and loaded fries.

“I’ve always been a believer in less is more. If you’re only going to do a few things, make sure you do them really really well”, explains Scott.

“You don’t need to be a jack of all trades, we are a specialist in pizza and I’d like to keep it that way.”

As well as changing premises, Barbs has also had a technological upgrade in the form of a new state-of-the-art pizza oven.

“Our new oven is technology meets tradition”, Scott says.

“It’s the classic conveyor belt oven format, but instead of the conveyor belt being made of metal like every other oven, it’s made of stone.

“We lay the pizza directly onto this belt, it then goes through a chamber that has extra burners which pushes it up to insane temperatures that are way higher than any other oven in its field – allowing us to cook delicious Neapolitan pizza in just one minute.”

“The oven also means I don’t have to go to London to find specialist chefs to cook the pizza, because the oven takes care of that. It means I can employ local people and still get the same result.”

At the moment, the most popular item on the menu is the margherita pizza, with the Chilli Honey – which features ham, gorgonzola and chilli honey – coming in a close second place.

“People just love a cheesy pizza!”, says Scott.

“I believe it’s a test of a good pizza to get a margherita, because it gives you a taste of the basic ingredients that the pizzeria is using.

“The margherita is the foundation – everything else sits on top of it. If you go to a pizzeria and you want to know the quality of the place, their margherita will speak volumes.”

Although they’ve not been reopened for long, Scott has big plans for the future of Barbs Pizza. They’ve already signed for a unit next door (the former Linthorpe Tea Rooms) and are considering next steps, with maybe a café or even a micro pub on the cards.

Scott is keen to stress his motivation to make Barbs well-known as the go-to place for pizza.

“I just want Barb’s to be known as a solid local pizzeria that does genuinely good pizza for Boro. We’re just a bunch of locals that want to do really well.”

“I would never have opened Barbs back up if I couldn’t produce the same quality pizzas that customers love.”

Barb’s are currently open from Wednesday to Sunday 5pm-9pm, but will be extending their opening hours to seven days a week soon.

Learn more about Barbs Pizza on their Facebook page.

Discover more great places to eat on the We are website.