The Castleford-based pizza company combatting food poverty across the region

Tiny Idea, which operates from a converted 1958 caravan, has been shortlisted in the British Street Food Awards, set to take place this weekend, for their award in sustainability.

The non-profit company also received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Italian Awards 2022, along with being given highly recommended in their Best Pizza category.

“It was amazing just to be nominated against all these Italian second or third generation pizza chefs with their restaurants with 50 or 60 seats,” said Steve Wright, who runs Tiny Idea.

“As a Yorkshire bloke that has no chef training, and has only been cooking for three years, it was great just to be recognised.

“I'm not classically trained, I'm not a chef, I'm pretty sure I don't hold a knife right and to be up against these places that I couldn't even pronounce the names of, it was madness.”

Previously a teacher at a pupil referral unit, Mr Wright had the idea for the business after meeting parents and children who were struggling with poverty.

“We set out to be different, to make and sell nice food, and to just give a little back,” he said.

“To start with we would give food to anyone homeless, then we started making connections with food banks and other organisations, and it just spiralled from there really.”

The company now operates a “pretend to pay” system, where those who cannot afford to purchase food from the van can still make it look as though they are paying.

Mr Wright noted how he feels the stigma of food banks leads many people to not use them, even in times of desperate need.

“We trade a lot in Pontefract, it's an old market town and everyone’s proud,” he said.

“They wont even let on that they’re on benefits or struggling, so people just don't go, and that's the problem, it's the stigma.

“The way we do it, you can't tell, we’ve got a point of sale card reader any anyone can either buy from that or pretend that they've paid on the card reader

“There could be someone behind them that doesn't know they’ve paid nothing. It keeps that dignity intact and people do come to us because of it.“You can come up and buy a ten inch pizza that's recognised as one of the best in the UK - or you could be getting something for free and nobody needs to know what you’re getting.”

Mr Wright also noted how in recent months, Tiny Idea has seen not only an increase in the number of people needing free food, but also a shift in the demographic.

“We’ve met people that I wouldn't have known in a million years were struggling,” he said.

“Three or four year ago you saw someone and thought ‘Yes they're struggling’, but you can't tell now because things are happening so fast.

“People are losing their jobs, everything’s on finance and you can't judge a book by its cover any more.

“We’ve had people who are really nicely dressed, people who pull up in cars with their family, and we’ve asked if they’re joking, but then they'll explain to us that all of a sudden the company they’re working for has folded, it's as bad as that.“I dare say there are people who do take advantage, but because we do what we do, we cant think of that, if someone is asking for help, they need help.”

Despite the sale of pizzas also going up, Mr Wright estimates that the company has seen a 25 per cent rise in the number of people who come needing free food.