A London-based supplier is hoping to persuade consumers to try a different slice of Italian cuisine - in the form of a vegetable pie.

Rita’s Fugasun, currently available from sandwich shops across London, is a traditional Italian hot snack made with vegetables and rice wrapped in a light, thin pasty (rsp: £3.50).

Positioned as an alternative to the traditional sandwich, it was also ideal as a side dish, said founder Roy Rovelli, who was inspired by his grandmother’s recipe.

“As one of the very few traditional Italian hot snacks to come to the UK shores since the pizza, we hope to introduce this to the masses,” he said.