Meet the independent pizza business using surplus dough to feed the homeless in Northamptonshire

An independent pizza business in Northamptonshire is leading the way by using surplus dough to feed the homeless.

Craig Callaghan, the founder of Pizza At 75 which he operates from his home in Towcester, has collaborated with The Hope Centre on three occasions to help those in need.

Pizza At 75 was set up this time last year when Craig, 31, took redundancy from his previous job in accounting and he knew he wanted to start afresh.

After being bought a pizza oven the Christmas before, he took a liking to cooking from scratch and decided to turn it into a business.

Though Pizza At 75 predominantly operates from Craig’s home in Towcester and people come to collect their orders, he has also been hired for a number of private events, including birthday and engagement parties.

Pizza At 75 is a one man show, with Craig running it single-handedly – apart from when the business is hired for events and Craig’s wife Joanna comes along to provide a helping hand.

When asked how the business has been received by the Northamptonshire community, Craig said: “Everyone enjoys what we have to offer and we’re yet to receive a bad review.”

It was around six months ago that Craig realised he could use his new venture to help those less fortunate than himself.

“Whenever I had surplus dough, I’d freeze it,” said Craig. “It can still be used but the quality isn’t the same.

“I could make stock with it and sell it on for a cheaper price, or not use it at all, but I soon realised it could be put to good use to help others.”

So far, Craig has made a total of 70 large pizzas for The Hope Centre across three visits and he plans to continue doing so – but it takes time for the surplus dough to build up.

The business owner says the organisation is “grateful” for his support and as many as 25 homeless individuals benefit each time he visits.

Craig says “you do not have to travel far to see homelessness is rife” and it is promising to see an “instant positive impact” after the donation has been made.

You can check out Pizza At 75 on Facebook here.