Village Pizza Kitchen
Growing a local lockdown start-up into an award-winning food business. Village Pizza Kitchen is an independent pizza business based in Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex, founded by Jo Malone during the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020. What began as a takeaway operation has since grown into a multi-channel business, encompassing a restaurant, events catering, stadium concessions and the development of a wholesale food service arm.
With a business loan from Let’s Do Business Finance through the Growth Guarantee Scheme, Village Pizza Kitchen was able to take a major step in opening its first permanent restaurant in December 2024, creating new jobs in the local community.
From redundancy to a new business opportunity
Jo’s background spans over 20 years in marketing across a range of sectors, including hospitality, banking and superyachting. When she was made redundant during the pandemic, she decided it was the right moment to pursue a long-held ambition of launching her own pizza business.
Inspired by trips to New York and a passion for high-quality food, Jo set out to create a pizza concept rooted in British produce and local provenance. After months of research, supplier visits and recipe development, Village Pizza Kitchen launched as a takeaway in December 2020.
“Myself and our Head Chef, Simonetta, have always worked closely to troubleshoot, optimise and develop new products. There is a real science to making dough, and there are so many different variables that can impact the final pizza – from the weather to how a particular batch of flour has been milled. We have learned that you can’t just scale a recipe mathematically; there are nuances, and you have to adapt constantly.”
From the outset, the demand was strong. Operating during lockdown meant customers were eager to try something new, and Village Pizza Kitchen quickly built a loyal following that continued well beyond restrictions lifting.
“We were very fortunate that we benefited from being in lockdown because restaurants couldn’t open and only takeaway was permitted at that time. Couples would actually argue over who was going to come and pick up the pizza, because people were so desperate to get out and try something new.”
Building momentum and diversifying
As the business grew, Jo focused on innovation and diversification. In its second year, Village Pizza Kitchen expanded into catering, investing in converted horse boxes to serve at weddings and festivals as well as major events such as the Hickstead Royal International.
Customer demand also made it clear there was an appetite for a dine-in experience. After an extensive search, Jo found a vacant premises opposite the original takeaway location – a building which had not been refurbished for over 40 years and required a complete renovation.
A Business Loan from Let’s Do Business Finance
To fund the refurbishment and bring the restaurant to life, Jo accessed a Business Loan through the Growth Guarantee Scheme after being referred to Let’s Do Business Finance.
The Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS) is a government-backed initiative designed to help viable small and medium-sized businesses access the finance they need to grow and invest in their future. By providing a government guarantee to lenders, the scheme helps reduce the risk and enables businesses to secure funding where they may otherwise struggle to do so.
Through the Growth Guarantee Scheme, businesses can use funding to support a wide range of growth activities, including purchasing equipment, refurbishing premises, expanding operations, or creating new jobs. Let’s Do Business Finance are accredited lenders of the Growth Guarantee Scheme under the British Business Bank and can lend up to £150k to eligible businesses, as well as offer tailored support and guidance to help businesses access the right funding for their needs.
Reflecting on the process, Jo praised the hands-on support she received from her Business Relationship Manager, Elaine Robinson:
“Elaine was amazing, I absolutely loved working with her! She was a total superstar, incredibly knowledgeable, very efficient, and really supportive. I felt like she really held my hand through the process, and she really stood out compared to my experiences of working with other financiers.”
The business funding enabled a full strip-back and renovation of the building, including rewiring, fire safety upgrades, and internal reconfiguration. Wherever possible, existing fixtures and equipment were repurposed, keeping sustainability at the heart of the project.
The investment also supported job creation, allowing Jo to expand her team and strengthen operations ahead of opening.
“It was a complete delight to work with Jo on this project! I was very impressed with her professionalism and wealth of experience, which really shone out through the whole process. Jo also made it very easy for me to assist her, as apart from being lovely to deal with, she promptly provided detailed and well thought-through information whenever requested. I am thrilled that we were able to provide the finance required to help her achieve her well-deserved expansion into new premises.”
National recognition and new markets
Since opening, Village Pizza Kitchen has continued to build its reputation, winning multiple industry awards, including the UK’s Best Independent Pizza Restaurant, and being voted as one of the top five restaurants in Sussex.
While this recognition has been a major milestone for the business, Jo says one of the most rewarding highlights remains the direct feedback from customers. Being able to see people enjoying the pizza fresh from the oven and hearing first-hand how much they value the quality and flavour makes all the hard work worthwhile
Alongside this success, Village Pizza Kitchen has expanded into new markets, including large-scale venues and stadiums. The business now has two branded kiosks at Brighton & Hove Albion’s AMEX Stadium, where they launched their Detroit-style pizza concept in 2024, and supply pizza products to other high-footfall venues across the UK. This expansion has opened up new revenue streams and positioned Village Pizza Kitchen for further growth beyond its original high street location.
The wholesale arm is now a key focus for future growth, complementing the restaurant and events business.
Looking ahead
While the restaurant remains the “jewel in the crown”, Jo’s priority is to continue maintaining and strengthening it, optimising operations and building sustainable profitability in a challenging hospitality environment. She is particularly proud of the role Village Pizza Kitchen plays in employing local people, especially the younger generation, and sees this as a core part of the business’s purpose.
Looking ahead, future growth will centre on wholesale food service, where Village Pizza Kitchen sees significant opportunity to scale while maintaining the same focus on quality and provenance.
If you’re looking to grow your business, invest in new opportunities, or take the next step with confidence, our experienced team is here to help. We work closely with businesses across the region to understand their plans and connect them with the right business finance and support. Get in touch with the Let’s Do Business Finance team today to learn how we can support your business’s growth journey.