Fire and Slice is a wood-fired pizzeria in Sumner, Christchurch, founded in 2018 by Pal Singh. The pizzeria is built around a commitment to quality, from hand-made dough through to locally sourced ingredients, serving the local Sumner and Christchurch community with 12-inch wood-fired pizzas.
The dough is made fresh every day using a blend of different flours, fresh yeast and careful hydration, then left to rest for two days to develop flavour and airiness before being hand stretched and spun for each pizza. Aside from the tomato passata, which is sourced from Italy, virtually all ingredients are sourced locally from New Zealand, largely from within Canterbury, working with small artisan producers of cheese, meats and vegetables.
Fire and Slice is led by Pal Singh, who trained in hospitality and cooking in his native India before moving to New Zealand in 2015 and settling in Christchurch in 2017. No reservation is needed — customers can simply pop in for dine-in or takeaway, and the pizzeria also hosts events.
Fire and Slice has been serving wood-fired pizza to the Sumner community since 2018, when founder Pal Singh opened the pizzeria at 7 Wakefield Avenue. Since then, the business has built a reputation around a simple but demanding philosophy: great pizza starts with great dough, and everything from there should be made with care.
At Fire and Slice, dough isn't rushed. It's hand made every day using a blend of different flours, fresh yeast, and carefully judged hydration to create what the pizzeria describes as a light, flavoursome and fragrant base. The dough is then left to rest for two days, allowing complex flavours and airiness to develop before each base is hand stretched and spun ahead of topping. It's this two-day process — a combination of tradition and a bit of food science — that the pizzeria credits for the dough it's become known for.
With the exception of its tomato passata, which is imported from Italy, Fire and Slice sources almost everything locally from New Zealand, with much of it coming from within Canterbury itself. The pizzeria works directly with small artisan producers of cheese, meats and vegetables, prioritising freshness and flavour over convenience. This shows up across the menu, from Whitestone Windsor Blue cheese and Wairiri buffalo mozzarella to locally sourced meats like Southern Pepperoni.
Every pizza on the Fire and Slice menu is a 12-inch wood-fired creation, ranging from classics like the Margherita and Hawaiian through to more distinctive options. The Quattro Formaggio brings together four cheeses for a rich, indulgent bite, while The Godley Head Magic — named for the nearby Christchurch landmark — pairs mint braised lamb with buffalo mozzarella for a distinctly local twist. Seafood lovers can choose from the Salmone, topped with smoked salmon, capers and crème fraîche, the Peri Peri Prawn, or the more elaborate Porto Fino, which combines bacon, prawns, olives and garlic chilli oil. Vegetarians are catered for with the Veggie Delight, loaded with spinach, mushrooms, sweet corn and sun-dried tomatoes.
Fire and Slice is led by founder Pal Singh, who has been cooking for more than 20 years. Trained in hospitality and cooking in his native India, Pal moved to New Zealand in 2015 and initially settled in Auckland, where his passion for great pizza took shape alongside a love for the Warriors league team. After relocating to Christchurch in 2017, Pal made the switch to rugby union and the All Blacks — a change of code reflected in the rugby memorabilia found around the venue's walls.
Fire and Slice keeps things simple when it comes to visiting: no reservation is required, whether you're dining in or grabbing a takeaway. The pizzeria also hosts events for those interested in bringing a group together over wood-fired pizza.
Fire and Slice is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 11.30am to 8pm, and closed on Mondays. Located at 7 Wakefield Avenue in Sumner, it remains a local favourite for anyone after genuinely well-made, locally sourced wood-fired pizza in Christchurch.