A woman who became “obsessed” with making the perfect lockdown pizza has set up her own restaurant-on-wheels - and plans to bring a bit of Italy to villages along the coast.
%image(14544302, type="article-full", alt="Frankie & Joey's Pizza Van can be found on Facebook at @frankieandjoeys or on instagram @frankie_joeys. Photo: Francesca Cornish")
Francesca Cornish, 31, lives in Reedham near Great Yarmouth - and until recently was a full-time single mum.
“I’ve always been into cooking, but until my youngest daughter Imogen, five, started school full-time, I didn’t have the time to explore it”, she said.
“Lockdown sort of created a monster. I became obsessed with making the perfect pizza. I’ve gone to Italy so many times, and even did a pizza course in Rome.
“In the past, I’ve backed off starting my own business when things have got difficult, but I thought: this time is going to be different.”
%image(14544303, type="article-full", alt="Francesca Cornish's new pizza caravan has proved to be a hit in Reedham - but now she wants to take it all over the Norfolk Coast. Photo: Francesca Cornish")
Initially, Miss Cornish tried converting her garage into a pizza-cooking space, but her landlord wasn’t impressed.
Then she tried using her kitchen - but soon discovered that was too small for such a mammoth job.
“That’s when I started scouring GumTree, and found a £250 static caravan for sale”, she said.
“We got some wheels and welded them on. I don’t know how we managed to get it home and onto my driveway.”
%image(14518385, type="article-full", alt="Francesca and Joey (left), with Francesca's two children Finlay (7) and Imogen (5) as they sit in the caravan before it was converted into the restaurant. Photo: Francesca Cornish")
After what Miss Cornish described as a “labour of love” in turning the caravan into a mini-restaurant, it is finally ready to begin life on-the-go.
She said: “We just have to wait for the council to give us a five star food hygiene rating, and we’ll be ready to start making journeys around the villages with our caravan, named Frankie & Joey’s in honour of me and my first-ever boyfriend, Joey, getting back together after all these years.”
The plan is to take the caravan around coastal villages - going as far as Lowestoft and north Norfolk.
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%image(14544305, type="article-full", alt="Francesca Cornish's new pizza caravan was a "labour of love", and needed a LOT of work when she first bought it in June. Photo: Francesca Cornish")
“The idea was partly inspired by Reedham”, she said, “because the village is just crying out for a pizza delivery service.”
One of Frankie and Joey’s first events will be at Burgh House care home next weekend, where Miss Cornish’s 86-year-old nan is a resident.
She said: “I can’t wait to see her for the first time in months. Since the care home changed the rules around visiting - this is my only shot. She’s going to love it when she sees me rock up in this thing.”
%image(14544306, type="article-full", alt="Francesca Cornish's new pizza caravan has proved to be a hit in Reedham - but now she wants to take it all over the Norfolk Coast. Photo: Francesca Cornish")
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