How two friends went from £150 pizza oven to thriving lockdown business

Matt Delahunty, 37 and his friend John Lincoln, 35, run Triple Seven Pizza from a custom horse box converted into a pizza van based in the car park of Shire Fit gym, Calverley.

The friends - from Bradford and Leeds respectively - started out from humble beginnings, serving friends and family from their small pizza ovens at home.

Both were serving friends and family in their gardens - with Matt using a £150 pizza oven purchased at Lidl to start with.

However after joining forces, purchasing the horse box and shelling it out ready to sell pizaa, the business which started in the first lockdown is booming.

The pair now have thousands of loyal social media followers racked up in less than one year.

Now, customers are rushing to grab a slice of the action at tables set up next to the pizza van in the car park of the popular gym.

Matt, speaking exclusively to the YEP, said the business sells 'Neapolitan style pizza with a Yorkshire charm'.

He said: "We were both doing our own thing and I was trading from home originally just to friends and family, while John was making pizza kits and selling them on a weekend.

"We met via John's sister and decided to team up and bought a van.

"I bought a £150 pizza oven in April 2020 from Lidl and just started making pizzas for mates and they turned out okay.

John had been making pizzas for a year prior and had done a couple of family parties and was looking at starting a pop up when lockdown hit.

"Max the owner of Shire Fit let us use his premises to trade from so we went live in November 2020.

"The rest is history."

The pair - who have been supported on their journey by partner's Leanne and Vanessa - now have an army of loyal customers visiting the van each week.

With the lifting of lockdown restrictions, they hope their business will go from strength to strength.