As Franco Manca scales back, is the air going out of the sourdough pizza craze?

The restaurant is to cut more than a fifth of its outlets amid an onslaught from supermarkets and rival chains

When Franco Manca first opened in south London’s Brixton Market in 2008, its competitively priced sourdough pizzas served in a sophisticated setting quickly drew a buzz.

“It was all the rage,” says food blogger Gerry del Guercio of BiteTwice, who visited in the early days and recalls the novelty of seeing queues forming for pizza in London. “It was just desperately cool, and everyone wanted to try.”