Meet the innovative Northampton catering business offering food from converted American school buses

Yellow Bus Catering is an events company with a twist, with a fleet of three school buses that can be hired for any occasion.

The mobile units are fully equipped and ready to serve pizzas and burgers anywhere, but they now also have a dine-in HQ in Brixworth – which opened in recent months.

Located in Staveley Way, Yellow Bus offers pizzas crafted from their own dough using premium double zero Italian flour. These can be enjoyed at the unit on the industrial estate or taken away.

The business was founded back in April 2022, after years of the founder thinking it would be cool to launch a catering business from an old American school bus.

Having closed down his previous town centre pizza restaurant, the opportunity arose for him to secure a bus and Yellow Bus Catering finally came into fruition.

While there is an expectation to be open all the time when you run a restaurant, the team liked the idea of being able to fit the calendar around them as an events business. They could say yes and no to whatever they liked.

The business grew as they started attending larger national events, as well as securing second and third buses with a greater need for space to prepare and store stock.

That is when the idea of launching the Brixworth HQ arose, as the founder wanted to provide a place where staff could be employed all year round – rather than just the event season.

They also wanted to reintroduce all-you-can-eat pizza nights, which is something that customers of the founder’s previous restaurant were calling out for.

It is the unique pizza offering that has received the most positive response from customers, with flavours including hoisin duck and katsu curry.

“They can taste the difference,” the founder told the Chronicle & Echo. “It’s made from very few ingredients and the quality is something we take pride in.”

Having attended events across the country, the team is always touched when someone has eaten their food at another event as far as 400 miles away and chooses Yellow Bus again.

This positive response has also been received at the Brixworth HQ over the first month, as the area appreciates having another venue to choose from and a growing food hub.

Not only will this restaurant space generate more revenue and keep staff in work all year round, but they look forward to offering ‘pizza schools’ for the community to learn from them.

“We are an alternative and something a bit different,” said the founder, talking about operating an eatery from an industrial estate.

“We’re not paying out huge amounts on rent and that means we can keep costs down, reinvest it, pay our staff more, get new kit and hire more people.”

Looking to 2025, Yellow Bus currently has a new vehicle being kitted out ahead of the new year. The hope is to establish themselves further at bigger events and offer their unique pizza schools to the local community.

For more information on Yellow Bus Catering, visit the business’ website here.