Pals believe their pizzas are the tops

TWO friends swapped sunny Portugal for Scotland’s colder climate during the pandemic with a dream of bringing authentic pizza to the people of Fife.

Shaun Russell Fraser and Anthony Pierce travelled nearly 2,000 miles from where their business was based in Portugal.

Relocating to Newburgh last October, the friends scouted out areas around Scotland before heading back to Portugal to collect a caravan Shaun had converted into a pizza street food facility.

Shaun, who met his now business partner Anthony after falling short of staff one day, said: “I used to run a pizza business from the caravan in Portugal and I moved it over here at the end of October last year to start out in Scotland.

“I have always wanted to move to Scotland and I think it was more like Newburgh chose us, than us choosing it.

“I actually met my business partner

Anthony in Portugal – he helped me out with food service at the pizza caravan one day when I was short-staffed.

“We used to have live music playing and were serving up pizzas three to four days a week.

“He’s originally from London but has moved here with me to bring the business to Scotland.

Shaun added: “We came to Scotland in September and had a look around different areas like Glasgow, Stirling and Edinburgh.

“We found a place for the caravan in Newburgh and we got to know the community more and really liked it.

“Once we figured out where we’d be based we headed back to Portugal for the caravan, shoved everything else we had in the car and pitched up.

“My friend Roberto Querido has also decided to join us in Scotland.

“He worked for me back in Portugal and wanted to come and support us.

“I’m currently training him up on cooking pizzas so he’ll be helping me serve up the food.”

The duo have since been awaiting council permission to be able to start their street food business called Fraser’s Caravan, which they hope to base in the Mugdrum car park.

In the meantime, they decided to give back to the local community over the new year period, handing out free hot chocolate drinks to anyone who wanted one.

Shaun said: “We handed out the free drinks on New Year’s Eve, New Year’s

Day and January 2. It let us get our faces and names out there and was a nice way to introduce ourselves to the people who live locally.

“We’ve handed out around 200 free hot chocolates already.

“Until our licence comes through we will be offering the drinks for free. We’re not selling drinks so we don’t need a licence to treat people.

“I’ve been on the phone to the licensing board to check when it will arrive.

“But it is a waiting game just now.”