Couple's new pizza venture brings a slice of Italy to Kylesku
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An Italian born chef and his partner are establishing a pizza takeaway business from their north-west Sutherland base.
Enterprising couple Marvin Fior and Debbie Bowen, both aged 30, are launching their new venture, named The Barrow, this Friday night (March 25).
They will be offering a choice of seven types of artisan pizzas, handmade to order in the kitchen of their Kylesku B&B and available for for pick-up at the bottom of their drive.
Marvin, who is Italian but brought up in Spain, will be bringing his food heritage and catering experience to make authentic pizzas, while Debbie will be the face of the business, focusing on customers.
The couple met when they were both working in the hospitality industry in Sheffield.
“When Marvin was 24 he came to Sheffield, walked into the cafe where I was working and got a job there,” said Debbie. “He worked in various restaurants and cafes during and after university.”
Debbie has had various jobs in the hospitality and wellness sectors, including working as a waitress, event manager, online teacher of English as a second language, health and wellness ambassador and fitness instructor.
She has been a frequent visitor to north-west Sutherland since her parents, David and Sarah Bowen, bought Kylesku B&B some 20 years ago.
“When Covid hit, they decided to retire and move back to England,” she said. “Marvin and I swapped places with them. We moved up here in January 2021 and ran the house as self-catering accommodation last year while we lived in a caravan. We are now living in the house and running it as a B&B.”
The couple began discussing what they could do to add value to the business.
“We wondered what we could do other than B&B and for me it was to set up fitness classes which I now run three times a week,” said Debbie.
“Marvin has always loved takeaways - that is the thing he misses most about living in such a rural area, so we came up with the idea of takeaway pizzas.
“It was mainly because of Marvin’s skills and heritage. His dad was also a professional chef for many years and they have an amazing pizza oven at home in Fuertaventura.
“Marvin has always been experimenting with cooking pizzas in homemade ovens. In Sheffield he made pizzas using an old metal bin as an oven.”
They decided to call the business The Barrow because when they first moved north, Marvin chopped a wheelbarrow belonging to Debbie’s dad in half and created an “incredible” pizza oven from it, using a large metal base.
They have set up an online platform to promote the B&B and the takeaway (kyleskubnb.uk/food), which is initially operating on Friday and Saturday evenings only. Pizzas can be booked here.
“The menu is online and you choose what pizza you would like,” said Debbie. “You can pay by cash or card when you pick it up. At the bottom of the drive we are going to have a bench and sign along with a bell which people will be able to press for service.”
Seven types of 12” pizzas are on offer, with vegan options.
“We are using fresh, authentic ingredients to create the most delicious stone baked Napoletana style pizzas,” continued Debbie.
“It is tricky to know what the demand will be but we are hoping that we will be supported by holidaymakers staying at the Kylesku Lodges which are located near us. Each lodge can accommodate between two and four people.
“We are going to start off by making 25 dough balls each night we are operating, and if we sell all 25 pizzas, we will be delighted.
“Really the dream would be 40 pizzas a night. That would make it worthwhile.”
She said that the venture had been welcomed by local people.
“We have been surprised by the overwhelmingly positive response from everyone,” she said.
Have you started a new business venture in Sutherland? Email: editor@northern-times.co.uk
