Member Spotlight: Vincent Van Dough

What began as a love for takeaway food turned into a passion for perfecting Neapolitan pizza. Already running a successful rug cleaning business, Derek & Sian took the leap into street food with Vincent VanDough, a mobile pizza venture built on craft, community, and creativity.

 

What inspired you to start up your own business?

My journey began with a simple love for takeaway food. I was spending a small fortune on it, so I decided to take on the challenge of making it myself. I started researching and quickly discovered that I could not only replicate classic takeaways like curries, burgers, and fried chicken but often make them even tastier. The curries in particular were a real revelation!

But everything changed when I discovered Neapolitan-style pizza. After replicating the heavy, franchise-style pizzas, I tried my hand at the Neapolitan version, and it was a game-changer. I bought a Roccbox, which is a small pizza oven, and started my journey to perfecting the Neapolitan pizza. Everything up to then had been easy, but neapolitan pizza was a challenge to get right, but i think thats what i fell  in love with, the challenge, the skill involved and obviously the taste, by far the best of all the pizzas in my opinion.

I was already self-employed in another industry, running a rug cleaning company called Arcadia Rug Spa, we have over quarter of a million followers on our rug spa facebook page along with 1000’s on our other social platforms so running a new business wasn’t too daunting, although we were stepping into a whole new field so we knew it wouldn’t be straight forward. The real challenge was in selling something so personal and hoping people would love what I was creating. That leap of faith from hobbyist to professional was the most daunting, but most rewarding part of the journey.

 

 

Why pizza?

For me, pizza is an art. While I loved making other foods like curries and smash burgers, I was really drawn to the skill and challenge of Neapolitan pizza. It wasn’t something that came naturally to me; I had to really work at it. Even now, I’m always tweaking my dough and looking for ways to improve.

I fell in love with everything about the process. It’s a passion and a love to get better and to truly understand the craft. The challenge of creating the perfect dough became an obsession for me, and that’s why I chose pizza. I recently cooked 100 pizzas for a cricket club awards presentation, and every single one was a joy. Not a single one felt like a chore, and that’s how I knew I’d found my calling.

 

How did you create your menu?

As a new business, we’re only just getting started with our menu. We’ve kept it intentionally simple so we can deliver on speed without ever losing quality. We started with the foundation of any great pizza menu: a classic Marinara, which is naturally vegan and dairy-free. From there, we introduced a classic Margherita and Pepperoni, onward from that a little creativity. With a simple tweak, we transform the Pepperoni into a hot and sweet version with fresh chillies and our homemade hot honey drizzle. We also have The VanDough Special, which builds on the Pepperoni by adding ‘Nduja, sweet peppers, and red onion. This menu sells great and is so stream lined we can deliver it all with great speed. Every pizza builds from the previous. Simple, fast, efficient and less waste.

While we’ve kept our initial menu small, we have some really amazing pizzas we can’t wait to introduce. We’re working on new recipes like The Zucker Punch, which has a base of delicious pumpkin paste with ‘Nduja and Gorgonzola, and The Bistecca, with flash-fried rib-eye steak, Provolone cheese, and our homemade chimichurri sauce. We’re confident these will be hits, and we can’t wait to add them as we get more confident and can deliver a super-fast service without losing any of our quality. Our menu is a work in progress, and we’ll just keep adding as we grow.

 

 

What events did you start up with?

Our very first event was a charity one. I approached the local Dads Club, a group where men can get together for a few drinks and chat, and offered to provide the food for free. We cooked 30 pizzas for the guys that evening, and it was absolutely brilliant practice for us. We loved every minute of it, and the publicity we gained from it was amazing—making the money we spent on ingredients a drop in the ocean and far more valuable than any paid advertising.

From there, we had the incredible honour of catering for the DIY SOS team during a special event for Children in Need at The Joshua Tree, a charity that provides a place of rest for families affected by childhood cancer. My son, Connor, is good friends with Joshua, the charity’s namesake, so it was a very personal and meaningful experience for us. Next month, we are also supporting Epilepsy Action.

We have since decided that we will do a charity event every month. So, if anyone in the Cheshire area has a small charity event and wants some pizza, we’d love for them to get in touch.

 

How have you found the whole start-up process?

The entire start-up process has been a real eye-opener, a mix of incredible highs and some frustrating lows. We are in a very fortunate position as we still run our rug cleaning company, Arcadia Rug Spa, which pays all our bills. This has allowed us to be more relaxed and truly enjoy the process, as we don’t have the pressure of needing to make a living from the pizza business. That said, we still push to run it as a profitable venture.

The biggest challenge has been navigating the local council’s licensing process. We’ve been met with what feels like an uphill battle, as a specific bylaw on competition has made it difficult to find a regular pitch. It’s been a tough learning curve, but it’s also made us more determined. We’ve had to get creative with our pitches and find ways to build a community around our van and our mission.

On the flip side, the most rewarding part has been the overwhelming support from the local community. The positive feedback on our pizzas and the number of people who have reached out to help us find a pitch or support our charity work has been truly humbling. It’s that connection with people that makes all the long hours and challenges worth it. It’s more than just a business; it’s a passion, and that’s what gets us through the tough times. We are optimistic about the future and feel that once we find a regular spot, we’ll be able to grow and give back to the community that has supported us so much.

 

What are the key lessons you’ve learned along the way?

Our biggest lesson has been that even the best-laid plans rarely go to plan. It’s easy to assume everything will fall into place, but we quickly learned that patience and proactivity are essential. The council’s licensing process, for instance, has been a much bigger hurdle than we anticipated. We’ve also learned that getting a spot at artisan markets is harder than it seems—once a market has a pizza trader, it’s very difficult to get in.

Beyond the bureaucracy, we’ve learned just how much goes into running a mobile food business behind the scenes. There’s the constant prep work, the washing up, ordering ingredients on time, the washing up, and the cleaning down at the end of a busy night. Did I mention the washing up? It’s a non-stop cycle of work, but it’s a labor of love. We’ve learned that you have to be ready to put in a huge amount of effort, even for a short trading window, but it’s all worth it when you see the positive reaction on people’s faces.

 

 

What do you have planned for the next few months?

Our primary focus for the next few months is to secure two to three regular weekly pop-up locations in local communities. This is our foundation. By establishing a presence in these areas, we can build a loyal audience of regular customers and a consistent profit base.

This will allow us to reserve our weekends for larger, one-off events like weddings, corporate gatherings, and artisan markets. This two-part strategy—pop-ups for consistent revenue and a strong community foundation, and events for growth and wider exposure—will help us grow the business in a sustainable way.

 

Where do you see the business in the next 12 months or more?

In the next 12 months, our ultimate goal is for Vincent VanDough to be known as the best mobile pizza van in Cheshire—the most talked-about and the most followed on social media. We’re working hard to get there. With our branding on point and our pizzas getting better every time we cook, we’re confident we can make some serious progress toward that goal.

As the business grows and our workflow becomes more efficient, we hope to add another team member to help with the day-to-day operations. This would not only allow us to increase our output but also to take on more of the charity work that has become so important to us. Ultimately, we want to build a brand that is known for its incredible food, its community spirit, and its commitment to giving back. The long-term plan is to grow the business organically and see where the journey takes us.

 

 

Favourite pizza topping?

If I had to choose a single topping, it would have to be ‘Nduja. It’s incredibly versatile and adds a wonderful kick of flavor to any pizza you put it on. It’s a game-changer.

If you’re asking about my favorite pizza, that would be a toss-up between our two specials: The Zucker Punch and The Bistecca. Both great additions to our extended menu and feature some incredible flavor combinations, especially the Bistecca that we’re really proud of.

 

Name some of your favourite eateries?

We’ve been lucky enough to eat at some fantastic places. When it comes to pizza, Double Zero and Noi Quattro in Manchester are amazing. We even trained with the great Marco Fuso at Noi Quattro, which was a brilliant course and a huge learning experience for us.

Beyond pizza, we’re big fans of good food in general. We love a great curry, and our favorite local place is Bombay Quay. And if we’re in the mood for a burger, our go-to is an award-winning local spot called Burg N Ice—their smash burgers are to die for!

 

Why did you become an NCASS member?

As a new business, being a member of NCASS was essential for a few key reasons. First and foremost, it gives us instant credibility. It’s a well-respected professional body in our industry, and having that membership lets clients, venues, and the general public know that we are a serious and legitimate business that operates to the highest standards.

NCASS provides a goldmine of resources that are invaluable for a mobile business like ours. We’ve relied on their advice and expertise for everything from food hygiene to due diligence paperwork and health and safety guidance. It means we don’t have to reinvent the wheel, and we can be confident that we have everything in place to trade legally and professionally. In short, it shows that we’re not just a couple of people selling pizza from a van; we’re a fully vetted, professional business.

 

If you could sit down for a pizza and beer with a celebrity chef, who would it be and why?

For me, it would have to be Vito Iacopelli. He’s an absolute YouTube star and a pizza hero of mine. His passion for the craft is infectious, and the way he breaks down complex techniques and recipes has been a huge source of inspiration for my own journey. I’d love to chat with him about his secrets for the perfect dough and the challenges of scaling up.

Beyond the world of pizza, I’d have to choose James Martin. I love his relaxed approach and how he makes things that seem complicated look so simple. He’s a true professional who just seems to love cooking, and I think we’d have a great time just talking about food in general.

 

Favourite song to throw dough to?

My go-to music for throwing dough is definitely AC/DC, especially the Bon Scott era. The time just flies by when I’m blasting out their albums like Powerage or Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. The high-energy rock really helps with the rhythm of the work. If I’m not in a rock mood, I love a bit of dance trance like Adagio for Strings or Castles in the Sky, or a bit of Faithless. Failing that, anything from the 80s, which is hands down the best era ever for music.

 

Finally, why should someone start their own street food business?

I would say that starting a street food business is an incredible journey. It’s a way to turn a deep-rooted passion for a specific food or craft into a profitable business. For us, having our other business means we don’t have to rely on it for our income, and this has allowed us to truly relax and enjoy the process. We can push to be profitable, but we have the freedom to grow and experiment without the pressure of a deadline. That’s a very fortunate position to be in, albeit, a very hard working commitment and some super long weekends.

The main takeaway is that you should do it because you love it, but also because it’s a brilliant stepping stone into the catering world. Starting with pop-ups and events allows you to build a foundation of profit and a loyal audience of regular pizza lovers. This, in turn, can help you grow and leave you with the confidence to expand and take on more of the community events and charity work that has become so important to us. It’s a way to work for yourself, to put something you love out into the world, and to see a direct, positive reaction from the community around you. And, done right, from what we’ve seen so far, you can make some serious profit, which is nice.

 

www.vincentvandough.co.uk