Delicious Neapolitan pizzas cooked in under two minutes

Now, the tasty Italian food is cooked up at The Odyssey on Bold Street for hungry customers who don’t have to wait long to satisfy their hunger pangs.

Here, in our latest Food and Drink feature, George tells us how his new business fared during lockdown as a pizza delivery service and why customers keep coming back for more.

If you would like to appear in one of our food and drink features or be business of the week, email heidi.summerfield@newsquest.co.uk

Meet The Business Owner - George Rudd from Ruddies

What’s the name of the business?

Ruddies

What’s the address?

The Odyssey,

5 Bold St,

Warrington,

WA1 1DN

Are you the owner?

Yes

When did you open the business?

I opened the business four years ago.

Has it all ways been the same location?

No, it hasn’t. It started in the garage in my own home then moved to the Hive and now I am in The Odyssey bar. I serve people in the bar as well offer my delivery and collection service.

Ruddies pizzas are cooked in under two minutes

Are you local to the area?

I’m not local to Warrington but my cousins and grandma and grandad live here and my dad is from here.

Tell me a bit about your business

I am a small independent business serving high-quality, Neapolitan pizzas cooked in less than two minutes. I also offer a few homemade sides - chicken tenders with barbecue sauce, buffalo sauce or garlic and herb sauce, dough sticks, regular fries and truffle fries and crust dippers. I make 90 per cent of the items on the menu myself. My dough takes 48 hours to make. I buy top quality ingredients and I use Italian tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil, extra-virgin olive oil, cured meats and fresh Italian sausages. My 00 Italian flour comes from a UK mill, which is milled for me. I offer a delivery and collection service as well as a sit-in service.

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Why did you decide to open your own business?

Because I didn’t like working for someone else! I studied craft bakery where I learnt how to make dough and work in a bakery. I started making bread at home and when I was walking around the markets looking at all the food venders with queues gave me a brainwave. Could I turn my bread into pizza? Instead of a loaf shape I simply made it into a circle, added tomato and cheese! I fell in love with the process of making pizzas so after doing some research I decided to bite the bullet and start a business. That was four years ago!

What’s your business background?

I am a trained chef and I studied craft bakery level one. I’ve been working in pubs and restaurants all over the country and I decided to change cuisine styles and make pizzas.

Why this type of business?

I decided to go down this road because I fell in love with the pizza scene. I love pizza and I bought a pizza oven at home before doing a pizza course with an Italian chef. I joined some groups on Facebook and asked hundreds of questions. Back then no one was delivering high-quality Neapolitan pizza to people’s houses so I decided to start a takeaway business and offer delivery.

Ruddies is based inside The Odyssey on Bold Street

Were you open before/during /after Covid-19? How did the pandemic affect your business?

I started the business towards the end of the pandemic. Being a takeaway business at the time, I was able to deliver to people’s house so could remain open.

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What makes your business different to others? What sets your business apart from your competitors?

I am an independent pizzeria and takeaway. I offer high-end pizzas - not greasy or shop-bought ones and not frozen. All the ingredients are fresh and it takes 48 hours to make my dough. All my toppings are fresh each day. I am passionate about pizza and I have studied how to make the best pizza in the world - it’s the Ruddies style!

My pizzas will never be perfectly round – each one is produced with love and care and what you see is what you get. I offer vegan pizzas and vegetarian pizzas as well as meat feast pizzas so something for everyone. My ovens are Italian, which are specially designed for Neapolitan pizza and they cook in two minutes, producing a light but crunchy and soft pizza. It actually takes longer to make the pizza than to cook it!

Focusing on just one product – Neapolitan pizzas – means I am able to concentrate and produce the best pizzas. It’s a very small menu but features the best pizzas around.

Ruddies pizzas were popular during lockdown

Why do loyal customers return to your business?

Customers come back time and time again because I offer pizzas at a great price. I produce food with a smile and of course they like the pizzas! I don’t hire anyone else in the kitchen - it’s just me. I’m the owner and the pizza chef and I will hand make all the orders.

What’s next? What do the next few months hold for your business?

The next few months are looking good. I’m hoping to continue to serve fresh ingredients to the people of Warrington - fresh ingredients make fresh tasting food.