Each day at 10am, a queue of expectant customers begins to form outside the door of Uncle’s Panuozzo – a small Italian sandwich shop nestled unassumingly between a convenience store and a beauty salon on the outskirts of North Shields. Their freshly baked pizza dough sandwiches have gone viral on Instagram and TikTok in recent months, with reviews suggesting that the hype might not be just a flash in the pan, but a sign that something extra special is being made here.
Roman Skirpa is the man behind the dough. Born to an Italian father and a Ukrainian mother, he lived in Varese in Northern Italy and Palermo in Sicily before moving to the North East in 2021. Roman originally came to South Shields to help his nephew open the popular local chain of restaurants Friez & Burgz, which now has six locations across the area. Having worked in a kitchen in Italy for five years prior to moving to England, Roman knew he really wanted to run his own restaurant, and he was keen to create a legacy for his family. A man of faith, he explains how he prayed to God for inspiration and hit upon the idea of the ‘panuozzo’ – a traditional Italian street food sandwich from the Campania region near Naples; the name translates literally to ‘big bread’ and the sandwiches at Uncle’s certainly live up to their name.
The dough recipe for Roman’s panuozzo had to be perfect. He laughs, remembering the process of developing it, saying: “We didn’t sleep for maybe seven days, we just kept changing the recipe, but now when you try it, you understand.” He is particularly proud that friends who have visited from Italy have told him that it even tastes better than panuozzo they’ve eaten back at home.
Roman believes in the importance of using simple ingredients of the highest quality. He imports all his favourite produce from Italy to get the authentic taste that Uncle’s is becoming known for. The menu features Italian salami, prosciutto crudo and mortadella along with the mozzarella and stracciatella cheese. Particularly fond of cured meats, his personal favourite sandwich is the Palermo, consisting of spicy salami, mozzarella, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers and hot honey. Uncle’s also offers a selection of Italian desserts such as pistachio cannoli and tiramisu.
When asked about the business going viral online, Roman says he has managed to take it in his stride. He recalls what he expected to sell before they opened and how quickly things escalated, saying: “When we started, I thought maybe if I sell 80 panuozzo in a day, it would be the best of the best. But on the second day, we sold 280.” A week after opening, the shop sold 500 panuozzo in a day and now regularly has six staff working behind the counter to serve a steady stream of customers, many of whom come armed with camera and video equipment to capture their experience and post it on their social media accounts.
“The first time someone wanted me to be on camera I was scared, but there’s so many people who are supporting us, they’re from North Shields and they’re lovely people. My English is not perfect but I’m happy to be on the camera, and it makes people happy.” He now regularly appears on Uncle’s social media describing the produce and inspiration behind the business. If Roman’s enthusiasm for his panuozzo has you heading to North Shields on your lunch break, be sure to leave room for a piece of tiramisu.
Uncle’s Panuozzo is open daily from 10am – 5pm and is located at 34 Spence Terrace, North Shields, NE29 0JE. Follow on Instagram at @uncles.panuozzo.
