I founded one of the North East favourite pizza brands, now I'm moving into sandwiches

Work is currently underway to transform the former Richard Granger Wines unit at West Jesmond Metro into Awesome Franks, the brainchild of Scream for Pizza co-founder Alex Walker.

The venue, which is named after Alex’s son and his love for superheroes, will initially open as a gourmet sandwich shop showcasing locally sourced ingredients and products, with further plans to launch Frank’s Imaginarium in 2026 – an immersive play café and learning zone for families on the other side of the building.

Following her departure from Scream for Pizza in 2024, Alex studied bread making with celebrity baker Richard Bertinet at The Bertinet Kitchen Cookery School to prepare for the new venture, which will also stock a selection of bread from North East small batch bakery Northern Rye.

Scream For Pizza has three sites across the North East, one at Sheepfolds Stables in Sunderland, one on Newcastle’s Quayside and another on Stabeck avenue in Gosforth.

The Gosforth site opened in 2019 with the smaller Quayside offering coming in 2021. The Wearside site opened following the completion of the Sheepfolds development in summer 2024.

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All bread will be freshly baked and the offering will focus on elegant yet adventurous sandwich combinations, such as salt and pepper squid, Northumberland crab and shoestring fries, and scallops seared in bacon fat butter, served with black pudding and hollandaise sauce.

“I have had my eye on this building for a long time,” said cook and proprietor, Alex, “so I jumped at the opportunity to take over the space and bring my vision for Awesome Franks into reality.

“I’m really driven to create a space that serves the whole of the West Jesmond community, adding positively to what is already an exceptional hospitality scene.”

Legal support for the move came from Newcastle-based Mincoffs Solicitors.

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