Scream for Pizza, the popular Newcastle restaurant featured on TV, has announced it will close its doors for good. The Sandyford-based eatery, which specialises in Neapolitan-style pizza with a twist, is inviting customers to pick former menu favourites it plans to serve one last time before shutting.
Closure after 12 years
Launched by Alex Walker and Victoria Featherby, who left their jobs on a cruise ship in 2010 to train at a celebrated pizzeria in Naples, the business began from a converted French army ambulance in 2014 before opening the Sandyford restaurant. It later expanded with a 'grab and go' outlet on the Quayside in 2021 and appeared on BBC's Britain's Top Takeaway in 2022, as well as in a local episode of the Hairy Bikers' series.
In an Instagram post titled 'It's time to say goodbye', the restaurant said that after 12 years of Scream for Pizza and seven "and a bit" years at Sandyford, "it’s time to close this chapter". The post described the end as "sad" but revealed plans for something new to follow. The closure will take place in roughly six weeks, followed by a refurbishment and complete rebranding, "name and all".
Plans for a new concept
The post said: "While we’re sad to see Scream for Pizza go, we are very excited for this next stage." It described the new venture as "a new, more grown-up space" reflecting "where we are now as people and a business", and "a concept that will challenge us and elevate what we do".
Over the coming weeks, the restaurant intends to bring back some Scream favourites and invites followers to share their favourite dishes, saying "and it may make a return to the menu!". The post ended: "We hope you’ll join us as we say goodbye, and embrace this next stage as we embark on something new." It also confirmed: "There’s no change to I Scream for Pizza which will continue serving slices and ices across Newcastle & Sunderland."
Customer reactions
Fans reacted with shock to the news. Responses included: "This can not be happening. Nooooo." Another customer, who visited in the restaurant's first month and had "probably eaten at over 100 pizza places around the world since", said "Scream Sandyford is still the best of the best!".
Suggestions for returning dishes included "the butter paneer from the 2025 Feb menu please!" and "please bring back the green chilli dip!". A popular choice appeared to be a pizza called Funk Seoul, with one comment recalling "this mad SFC, crab and blue cheese sauce pizza?!! It also had radishes on… Unless it was a fever dream." Another wrote "Crab pizza pleeeeaaaase!", while one fan described it as "crabulous".
When one follower wrote "This is heartbreaking!!! fave restaurant in Newc", the business responded: "Hopefully a newer and improved version will be taking its place."
