A POPULAR South Devon pizza business launched during the Covid pandemic is being put up for sale after nearly six years of trading.

Soul Pizza, based in Dawlish, was founded by Sam Connett in February 2021 and has built a following serving speciality hand-stretched, log-fired sourdough pizzas at regular community pitches, festivals, weddings, parties and corporate events.

The mobile business currently serves communities including Dawlish, Chudleigh, Bovey Tracey and Clyst Heath in Exeter, as well as travelling further afield for private and large-scale events.

Announcing the decision to sell, Sam said the move had not been prompted by difficulties with the business, but by a desire for a change in lifestyle.

‘We also need you to know it is nothing more than we are tired, and ready for a change’, the business said in a statement.

‘It is a big world out there, and we want to see it while our knees still work’.

Soul Pizza said it would continue trading at its already-booked events while the business is offered for sale.

Sam, who had previously managed a pizza business in Bristol, spotted an opportunity to create a mobile pizza operation after the pandemic began.

Over the following years, Soul Pizza developed into more than just a food business, becoming a familiar presence at local pitches and events.

The owners described it as a ‘meeting place’ where people could ‘discuss, console and dance’, while saying they had loved being involved in so many customers’ lives.

The entire business is being offered for an asking price of £60,000, with the owners initially hoping to find a buyer based in South Devon.

The sale includes a fully equipped 2017 Vauxhall Movano fitted with an AmoBox/Dragon oven, capable of cooking five 12-inch pizzas at once and, with the right team, producing up to 100 pizzas an hour.

The business says its record is 500 pizzas in a single day.

Also included are two Effeuno electric ovens, two Gozney Dome ovens, a 50-litre Equinox two-speed dough mixer, 60 dough trays, gazebos, stainless steel work benches and other equipment.

The sale also includes the business’s branding, website, social media accounts and email domains, along with a separate bar operation featuring event bars, eight fridges, industrial racking, glassware and a dishwasher.

The owners say a buyer continuing to operate in the local area would benefit from Soul Pizza’s established reputation, supplier network and relationships with event managers and wedding venues.

The business currently receives an average of four to five wedding and event enquiries each week, with demand sometimes reaching two or three enquiries a day.

Full training and a transition period will also be available to the successful buyer if required.

Despite the decision to move on, Soul Pizza said there were still plenty of opportunities for customers to enjoy its food while the sale progresses.

‘It’s been an honour to have lived a dream’, the business said. ‘We’ve loved being so intimately involved in so many of your lives’.

Anyone interested in buying Soul Pizza can contact Sam at [email protected]