Two recent Old Scholars of Sidcot School have renovated a donated old truck to create a mobile wood-fired pizza business that covers events, festivals, and private bookings across the South West.
After completing their A Level studies last summer, Chris and Wolfe decided to take a gap year to explore the world before they start university next September. As they considered ways to raise money for their travels, their Food, Technology, and Leiths Cookery course teacher, Mr Meredith, gifted them a dilapidated food truck. Throughout the summer, the boys worked hard to renovate the truck and have recently launched their own business, Left-Handed Pizza.
Chris commented on their new enterprise:
"Starting this business has been an incredible journey, and we've both learned so much about business management and planning. Sidcot played a huge role in preparing us to face these challenges with enthusiasm and a positive mindset. One of the highlights of my time at Sixth Form was the Leiths cooking course. It taught me to be organised and detail-oriented and gave me hands-on skills that were a refreshing change from traditional academics. Although I enjoyed all my classes, Leiths really stood out because it was such a unique experience."
In addition to raising funds for their gap year, the dynamic duo plan to re-invest some of their profits to buy a food trailer or contribute towards a similar start-up opportunity for next year's Sidcot Leith's graduates: an excellent example of the School's Quaker values in action!
Chris continued:
"I'm incredibly grateful to all my teachers and tutors for instilling a strong work ethic in me, which I've applied directly to building our business. Out of everyone, Huw Meredith had the biggest impact—his encouragement to pursue this business and follow a career in the food industry gave us the confidence we needed. Sidcot provided not only the knowledge but also the opportunity and motivation to take this leap. We're incredibly proud of the hard work we've put into launching our business and are excited about what lies ahead."
After launching Left-Handed Pizza last month, Chris and Wolfe are off to an exceptional start, having sold over 500 pizzas at events throughout North Somerset. They have a jam-packed calendar in the coming months, with additional event bookings and two regular pop-up locations secured. For details on upcoming events and how to book Left-Handed Pizza, visit lefthandedpizza.co.uk.