Pizza on Wheels in Reigate…yes it’s true

Posted On 10th August 2012

There has been a recent increase in popularity of street food and it’s now creeping into sleepy Surrey.

A couple of weeks ago I saw a tweet about freshly made outdoor pizza being on my doorstep and this Tuesday decided to pop down and see what the fuss is about.

Located at the back of the car park of the Prince of Wales in Holmesdale Road, Reigate was a shiny, sparkly and very robust wood oven on wheels, whom I now know is called “Irene”. The unit is very impressive with a workspace adjacent to the oven where freshly made pizza dough was being rolled out on the surface and ingredients added from the regimented containers lining the back.

I had looked at The Mobile Pizzeria website before I left and was very impressed with what was on offer.

There is something very different about having your food cooked in front of you. You see how it’s made, you see the ingredients being used and of course you can’t get it any fresher than that.

Talking to Tim McFeeters, owner of The Mobile Pizzeria, his passion for bringing fresh locally sourced tasty pizzas to the public of Surrey oozes from every pore. He talked about his recent trip to Italy and his desire to bring that quality of food and the important of the provenance of ingredients back to the UK. He proudly states as such that only West Sussex Rare Breed Saddleback Ham is used on his pizzas plus all his supplies are sourced as locally as possible.

I ordered pepperoni pizza (I didn’t ask him about the pepperoni…don’t think Surrey is producing that…yet!). My pizza was then made in front of me, the fresh pizza dough pulled and then smothered with a very rich tomatoey sauce and subsequently pepperoni & cheese. Tim then popped it into the wood fired oven. The smell of which evokes images of large Italian families gathering around the table eating outdoors, a car park is not quite the same but hey, I can close my eyes and wistfully dream.

There is an arrangement with the Prince of Wales that should you wish to have a pint or a glass of wine with your pizza you are more than welcome to take them next door and enjoy them there.

The pizzas straight out of the oven have a wonderful thin, wood smokey crust. I normally don’t eat the crust off my pizzas as they are either too thick and doughy or a brittle as china but I have to say that this one hit the mark.

Tim tells me that to gather as much advice as possible he recently met up with the team at Eat.St whose aim is drive British street food forward. Tim has also managed to secure a pitch at this years Reading Festival.

Our values are like our ingredients, alone they provide something good, but together they bring something amazing. So when you think of us, think not only of our delicious pizzas, think of our values too and how they combine together into a delightful experience.

Tim McFeeters

This is man who is serious abut what he is offering and it’s not just a whim. I know that Reigate has an abundance of eateries offering pizza but I am a huge advocate of supporting local businesses and I for one would rather have my pizza prepared by local people with local produce and passion than a faceless high street chain any day.

You will find Tim and his team at the Prince of Wales every Tuesday evening from 6pm and you can even ring your order through and collect…I feel the odd one being ordered whilst on the train home. You can also hire out Tim & “Irene” for events and parties in case you’re a wee bit tired of hog roasts.

I wish Tim and his team all the best in their new venture and hope that many people from Reigate will pop down and give them a try.