Meet Matthew Kirkley and Josh Stumbaugh, the two chefs behind Black Sheep Restaurants’ viral pizza joint, Peak Pizza
Peak Pizza prides itself on real pizza versus “bougie” options. How do you define real pizza and what does it mean to you personally?Matthew Kirkley: It’s about making something that both the average person who needs a fast, easy slice and the CEO would enjoy.Josh Stumbaugh: I grew up with pizza being a community food— something that brings people together. That’s what we’re aiming to create here.
With fine dining flooding the market, what’s it like to embrace a more casual, fun vibe with Peak Pizza?Kirkley: Coming from fine-dining backgrounds [Kirkley is the former chef de cuisine at Amber restaurant at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental and Stumbaugh is the former chef de cuisine at Soho House in New York], Josh and I have seen how overwrought things can get. With Peak Pizza, we’re applying everything we know about technique and ingredients but channelling it into something more accessible and honest. It’s about respect for the craft without the pomp.
The duo are bringing fuss-free pizza to Hongkongers (Photo: Zed Leets/ Tatler Hong Kong)
The duo are bringing fuss-free pizza to Hongkongers (Photo: Zed Leets/ Tatler Hong Kong)
What do you hope the local community will take away from their experience at Peak Pizza?Stumbaugh: When it comes to the local community that lives onor enjoys coming to The Peak, we want them to feel like this is their spot; a place where they can just be themselves and enjoy great pizza. Our permanent location is great because it gives us a chance to really put down roots and become part of the community’s fabric up there.
Kirkley: What excites me most about having a full, permanent location is the chance to perfect our systems and really dial into what we’re doing here. We’re not trying to reinvent pizza—we’re trying to honour it while making it the absolute best it can be through attention to detail and quality ingredients.
Matthew Kirkley (Photo: Zed Leets/ Tatler Hong Kong)
Josh Stumbaugh (Photo: Zed Leets/ Tatler Hong Kong)
How do you curate the playlist for Peak Pizza?Stumbaugh: I let our creative guys do all that. But what could be better with New York pizza than New York hip-hop?
Who’s the biggest jokester in the kitchen, and what’s a pizza-related memory you’re particularly fond of?Stumbaugh: I’m definitely the funny one.
Kirkley: When we were getting this thing going, we might have got our hands on a bunch of boxes from a pizza maker in Hong Kong—who won’t be named—and slapped our logo all over them. The things you do for love.
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