Following the success of the ‘Pizza in the Post’ kits, Pizza Pilgrims today announces a new permanent production facility in Herne Hill.
The new purpose-built unit will cater for all prepping, packing and distribution of the ‘Pizza in the Post’ as the brand expands the business beyond its restaurant’s portfolio.
Pivoting its business model during lockdown, Pizza Pilgrims had created a product that focused on allowing people to have restaurant-quality pizza in their own homes, with the first release of the DIY pizza kit selling out in just 37 seconds.
Since then, the pizza pioneers have continued to innovate the business further, launching limited edition flavours and, more recently, adding family kits and Picnic Pilgrims to the list of new products.
Managing Director Gavin Smith said, “When the UK went into lockdown and were forced to close all restaurants, we were, along with the rest of the hospitality sector, hugely concerned.
'As a business, we made the decision to quickly change tact and cater to a new public demand; fun activities to do inside and bringing restaurant dining to the home.
'The ‘Pizza in the Post’ will continue to form an important part of our business moving forward and we’re looking forward to seeing how it evolves in the coming months.”
As the nation continues to work from home, DIY kits here to stay. Pizza Pilgrims has seen a growing trend in large corporate orders, whether it be colleague interaction, days out or virtual events. This new facility will allow the brand to expand its offering further and continue to bolster the business.
The innovative design and success of the kits has ensured that Pizza Pilgrims remains both an agile and an operationally stable business moving forward, with the possibility of another lockdown in mind. It has also allowed the business to reinvest in the restaurant experience that so many consumers still crave.
This new space will allow the team to create over 2,000 kits a day, as well as hire an additional ten members of staff to help with the development of this new arm of the business.
Co-founder Thom Elliot said, “We never full anticipated the magnitude of success we saw with our kits. When we sold 25,000 kits, we knew that the popularity was going to continue and we were passionate about fulfilling this demand.
'In an ever changing landscape, it was essential that we expanded the business outside of bricks and mortar locations and diversified our offering to cement not only our future, but to protect years of hard work to get here.
'This new facility really showcases our dedication and commitment to growing Pizza Pilgrims and continuing to meet the ever evolving demands of the UK population.”