Pizzeria in a horsebox is a National success
A BURBAGE catering couple enjoyed a prime slot at the world famous Aintree racecourse as the home of the Grand National stepped back in time to the 1970s.
The theme of this years meet was the era of legendary National winner Red Rum, and with their vintage horsebox pizzeria, Ben Linnell and Natalie Powell fitted in perfectly.
The pair behind The Hidden Gem Wood Fired Pizza were approached by event organisers at the Liverpool venue who had spotted their mobile converted pizza kitchen and loved the look of it.
Ben said: “This year’s Grand National meeting was themed around celebrating 40 years since Red Rum won the race for a third time - an unprecedented feat which has never been achieved by any racehorse again.
“They wanted an area with a variety of vintage vehicles that would take racegoers back in time to the 70s, the era in which Red Rum achieved his legendary status.
“We were among other vintage vehicles selling a whole variety of food in the Red Rum Garden which was a festival zone set up to allow racegoers to enjoy live music and entertainment including Radio 2 DJ Jo Wiley.”
Unsurprisingly, given recent terror attacks in London, Sweden and Russia, security was tight which added time to the couple’s day, although they still managed to start up at 5am to carry out the preparation.
With a team of three the family-friendly firm offloaded close to 1,000 pizzas during the three-day meeting, selling out before the winner had crossed the line in the main event, the Grand National.
Ben said: “It was an amazing experience to be behind the scenes at an event that’s so large in scale.
“It’s phenomenal how many people and the amount of organisation that goes into putting this on.
“I cannot even imagine the amount of food, beer and champagne that is consumed over the course of the three days.
“Overall the crowd was great and we had some amazing feedback with a number of people commenting on how our pizzas were the best they ever tasted. Race enthusiasts also appreciated the innovation and nostalgic look of a trailer that was once used for transporting horses but now serving pizza to the masses.”
The event celebrated a year of Ben and Natalie being in business, offering authentic Italian pizza made from quality ingredients such as caputo flour and San Marzano tomatoes, rolled extra thin before being cooked the traditional way in a wood fired oven which reaches temperatures of more than 500 degrees and can cook a pizza in under 90 seconds.
More events are lined up for 2017 including ladies day at Leicester racecourse and 30 summertime weddings. For more information visit the Hidden Gem Wood Fired Pizza Facebook page.