The business partners and twins, from Maidenhead, Berkshire, launched their independent business from their own home only a few weeks before the first national coronavirus lockdown, and they refused to let the pandemic stop their plans of taking a slice of the £4.9 billion UK pizza market (according to EMI Global Pizza Market 2017).
With the entire country being told to stay at home, and restaurants having to temporarily close their doors, the twins swiftly recognised the growing trend towards meal kits; a craze that saw a staggering 114 per cent increase in sales in April 2020 compared to the previous year, according to Fine Foods Guild.
This inspired the Berkshire duo to create their own initiative, Doughboys Home Pizza Kits, which allows consumers to recreate restaurant-quality pizzas at home without the mess or hassle.
This stroke of genius led to a huge increase in sales and drove awareness of their innovative brand across the country with them gaining more than 10,000 followers on Instagram @doughboys_pizza in the space of just a few months.
As restrictions started to lift, the twins' primary trading activity, which involves supplying their pizza bases to a variety of hospitality venues, reached new heights and the team now supply to more than 200 businesses nationwide.
Nearly 12 months on since the twins quit their day jobs to start Doughboys Pizza, they’ve sold hundreds of thousands of pizzas to customers all around the UK and have generated more than £300,000. worth of sales.
Luke, 21, said: “It's honestly a little mind-blowing to see how far we've come from when we first decided to start the business. To say it's been a challenge would be an understatement. This is just the start but I'm confident we're a step closer to Doughboys Pizza becoming a household brand."
The pair’s success has not gone unrecognised, with both Luke and Owen being shortlisted for the finals of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2021 within the Family Business Entrepreneur of the Year.
The two entrepreneurs show no sign of slowing down, with them relocating to a larger office and warehouse premises to cope with growing demand, in addition to expanding their team.
