'Yeast is Yeast' mobile pizza van helps Washington allotment group raise record amount with delicious giveaways

Husband and wife Emma and John Lancaster launched their pop-up pizza business, Yeast is Yeast, in 2019 after converting an old horse trailer into a mobile pizza van.

The couple make Neapolitan wood-fired pizza served at various locations around Washington.

Since launching, the pair have been working non-stop to provide the best pizzas possible and in March this year were able to secure an allotment in Ayton, Washington, to grow their own fresh produce to use as pizza toppings, including San Marzano tomatoes, red onions and chillies.

To give something back to the Ayton Allotment community who have supported them over the last several months, Emma and John helped raise more £800 to support the maintenance of the allotments by giving away pizzas in exchange for donations and selling cakes, coffee and allotment produce.

Emma Lancaster said: ”The public were amazing and our allotment community all came together to grow produce, bake cakes, make chutneys and jams all to sell and raise the funds.

“The allotment raised a record amount to go towards the upkeep of the Allotments, even though the weather was dull the turnout from the public was amazing.”

In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, Yeast is Yeast gave away free pizzas to NHS staff bearing touching messages from messages from members of the public.

People also wrote messages of thanks to go with the pizzas to show their gratitude for the hard working ambulance staff during the coronavirus crisis, often moving them to tears.

In just 10 weeks, members of the community bought more than 300 pizzas for the ambulance staff, much to the amazement of the key workers.

The idea came about after regular customer Ian Marsh, 50, from Rickleton got in touch to ask how together they could support NHS staff.

Members of the community then started leaving heartfelt messages for the NHS staff to go with the pizzas, including one which said: “Stay safe, continue your amazing work and we are all in it with you.”

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