Rogerstone-based pizza delivery business Al Forno is closing and merging with its sister company Tin Can Kitchen, a food business with a site in Cwmbran.

The merger is part of a brand re-fresh and new strategy for Tin Can Kitchen, and will see the Cwmbran site open during the daytime. 

Al Forno opened in 2020 and will close on 3 September 2023. The street food stall is based in the car park by the What! shop and ETB garage off Llantarnam Road.

Owners Barry Fallon and Jordan Phillips have decided to run a scaled-back pizza delivery service from Tin Can Kitchen as of 4 September. ,

Co-owner Barry Fallon said: “We’re extremely proud of what we have achieved with Al Forno and we know this will come as a shock to our loyal customers.  Since moving away from our initial food court idea, we have run a food delivery service throughout Newport and have even expanded the Tin Can Kitchen brand to Cwmbran, opening our second kitchen there last October.  Our plan is to continue growing the Tin Can brand, with more store openings on the horizon.  In order to achieve this, we’ve taken the difficult decision to close Al Forno, as this will streamline operations and help us achieve our vision of multiple Tin Can Kitchen stores across the country.”

Jordan Phillips, co-owner, said: “Closing Al Forno was a tough decision to make, but we feel it was necessary to allow us to keep pushing the Tin Can Kitchen brand.  Luckily, we can still offer great-tasting pizza via Tin Can Kitchen, whilst safeguarding as many jobs as possible.  To this end, we will operate a reduced menu and incorporate other elements of Al Forno’s current offering into Tin Can Kitchen’s.

“This will also allow us to continue providing event catering – weddings, corporate events, Birthday parties – an area of the business which has grown steadily over the last 18 months.  We’ll also have more time to focus on a number of new initiatives we are working on, such as the Tradey’s Club, a scheme offering tradespeople 15% off takeaway orders at Tin Can Kitchen.

“We’re not complacent, however, and we recognise the need to adapt and improve our current offering. Our Cwmbran store will also start trading during the daytime.  The loss of Al Forno is deeply unfortunate, but we’re very excited for what the future holds for Tin Can Kitchen and the new ‘Tin Can Pizza’ arm of the business.”

The new pizza delivery service will operate from the company’s site in Rogerstone, Newport, only.  There are currently no plans to run a pizza operation at Tin Can Kitchen Cwmbran.