Slice of Naples lands at Goods Yard as SetteBello opens in Stoke-on-Trent
Neapolitan pizza, Italian heritage and decades of experience come together as SetteBello becomes the latest indie eatery to join Capital&Centric’s Goods Yard neighbourhood.
A little slice of Naples has pulled into Stoke-on-Trent, with new Neapolitan pizzeria SetteBello opening its doors at Capital&Centric’s Goods Yard.
Taking over the neighbourhood’s Signal Box, SetteBello is bringing traditional Neapolitan pizza to the city, with a fresh take on Italian food built around decades of experience, family, community and a serious love of a good slice.
The new spot is the latest indie operator to make Goods Yard home, joining the growing line-up of places to eat, drink and hang out in a neighbourhood that’s already home to 174 design-led rental apartments.
Behind SetteBello is Naples-born restaurateur Pepe Possente, who has spent more than 45 years in hospitality. After working in some of Europe’s leading hotels, Pepe brought his love of Italian food to the UK, opening acclaimed restaurant La Bella Napoli before going on to establish a string of successful restaurants across Staffordshire and Cheshire.
Now retired from the day-to-day restaurant world, Pepe is passing on that experience to his younger associate and long-standing chef Johny. Splitting his time between Italy and the UK, he’s helping shape SetteBello as a passion project that mixes the traditions of Naples with a new generation of hospitality in Stoke-on-Trent.
Settebello is the name given to the lucky seven card in the traditional Italian game Scopa, something the team plans to weave into future rewards, offers and promotions.
The Signal Box itself is one of the historic buildings given a new lease of life as part of Capital&Centric’s transformation of Goods Yard. Rather than clearing away the site’s past, the Manchester-based developer has kept those pieces of history front and centre as the neighbourhood has come to life.
SetteBello joins Goods Yard Tap, Panko & Sushi and a growing mix of independent operators at Goods Yard, alongside 174 design-led rental homes, workspace and new public spaces. The wider neighbourhood sits right next to Stoke-on-Trent station, creating a new gateway into the city and bringing previously underused land back into everyday use.
Anthony Powell, from Capital&Centric, said:
“Getting the Signal Box buzzing again was always part of the plan. It’s got bags of character and deserved something in there that could really make the most of it. SetteBello feels bang on for the space. Pepe and Johny have got a passion for what they do and there’s going to be some seriously good pizza. Goods Yard is really coming into its own now. People are living here, working here, heading out for food and spending time around the neighbourhood. Seeing another local indie throw open its doors is another big piece of that puzzle.”
Pepe Possente, founder of SetteBello, said:
“I grew up in the 1960s near Naples, with a pizza oven in our back yard. I have such fond memories of my mum making pizza and bread in those ovens. Bringing authentic Neapolitan pizza to Stoke feels like the perfect way to reconnect with my roots and share a little of that heritage with the local community. Stoke-on-Trent will always hold a special place in my heart. It was here, at La Bella Napoli in Hanley, that Terry and I founded as my first place back in the 1980s. This feels like a very welcome return home. I love what Capital&Centric have done with the area, and I believe the whole Goods Yard development is a fantastic addition to Stoke-on-Trent.”
