A popular pizza restaurant in Westbury is going from strength to strength after a month-long closure and major refurbishment.
Zia Pizza Express Westbury, based at Palomino Place, first opened in 2011 under Italian chef Vittorio Capetti, building a strong local following for stone-baked pizzas.
The business was taken over in 2024 by owner Nidhin Sajeev and his wife and co-founder Aleena who closed for a full month in October to reset the restaurant.
“The beginning wasn’t easy,” said Nidhin. “We faced staffing challenges and structural issues, and we struggled to find the consistency we wanted. In October we made the difficult decision to close for a month, and many thought we’d given up – but it was just the start of something new.
“We restructured everything, renovated the space, rebuilt the team and redesigned the menu. We reopened with the focus on premium ingredients, bold flavours and consistency.”
The restaurant specialises in authentic Italian stone-baked pizza and homemade Italian dishes. All food is prepared fresh in-house, including 24-hour cold-fermented dough and home-made tiramisu made daily.
Popular dishes include the 12-hour slow-cooked beef brisket pizza, hot honey pepperoni made with the restaurant’s own recipe and Zia burrata truffle pizza – a favourite for dine-in guests.
Ingredients are sourced from a combination of Italian and local suppliers. Flour, mascarpone, mozzarella and truffle products are supplied from Italy, while fresh produce and meats are sourced from businesses in Trowbridge and Melksham. Vegetarian, gluten-free and lactose-free options are available.
A loyalty scheme, the Zia Express Club, has recently been launched, rewarding returning customers with points and exclusive offers. Seasonal specials are also planned, alongside an expanded tiramisu range.
“Westbury is a special town – it has real heart and a strong community spirit,” added Nidhin. “I believed it deserved not just a pizza takeaway, but a true Italian dining experience and I hope we’ve given the town something to be proud of.
“The support from Westbury has been truly emotional and overwhelming. Many regular customers from years ago came back after the reopening – and that meant everything to us.”
Zia Pizza is true family business. Aleena, formerly a nurse, focuses on guest experience and presentation, with Nidhin, a chef and photographer, focusing on dish presentation and the overall feel of the space.
Expansion is already underway. Alongside the Westbury restaurant, Nidhin and Aleena run Zia Pizza Salisbury and The Lamb on the Strand in Trowbridge – a converted country pub serving Italian-inspired dishes and Sunday roasts.
For more details, visit https://ziapizza.co.uk or call 01373 865271 or email westbury@ziapizza.com
