Cork food: After the blaze, our pizza truck is back on track

Peppe Esposito always had fire in his belly, as he went about launching a food business in Cork tapping into the tastes of his native Naples.

And not even an unfortunate fire incident, which destroyed the trailer carrying his equipment for his food truck, Pizzas Of Heart in Youghal, could send his dream up in smoke.

Just a week later, Peppe was back up and running with his Italian food enterprise.

“It would be too easy to give up,” he says. “I could be at home looking out the window feeling depressed.

“I had to stay positive and rebuild everything to carry on.”

The father-of-two isn’t in the business of letting people down.

“The next day after the fire happened, we were at our usual spot with our old oven and tables and chairs,” says Peppe.

His journey in Cork began eight years ago.

“Me, my wife, Frederica, and our then two-year-old daughter Hilary, came to Cork to visit a friend. We never went back to Naples.”

Why?

“I felt really good vibes in Cork and I wanted to stay here to begin a new life,” explains Peppe, who went with his gut.

“I wanted to try and stay here and start over.”

Peppe comes from a traditional Italian family which boasts three generations of bakers.

“It was a shock for the family when we decided to stay here,” he admits.

“I was running dad’s bakery when we left for Cork. So staying here was a shock.

“Frederica went home for a week to tie up some loose ends.”

Peppe’s dad doesn’t give up easily either.

“He took on the running of the bakery again,” says Peppe.

Hard graft

How did Peppe and Frederica set out to realise their dream of the food business in Youghal

“We both worked hard at two jobs,” he says.

“My first job was in a Youghal bakery and Frederica worked in a local hair salon.

“We wanted to save as much money as possible to set up our mobile pizza truck, Pizzas Of Heart.”

Last year, Peppe’s dream finally came, true inspired by his Neapolitan roots.

“We gathered the money and made plans,” he says.

“I bought a used van in Killarney. We started from scratch getting our equipment, the oven, the dough mixer and other catering essentials.

“All the ingredients for our pizza come from Naples and the rest of Italy.”

They were an instant hit with food fans on the road.

“We were doing really well,” says Peppe.

“Our wood-burning style oven was the only one operating within a 50- mile radius. We got to know everybody and that helped a lot.

“When one of our customers, Richie, a lovely Cork guy, blogged about us, singing our praises, that helped.”

Neighbours helped a lot too.

“We had a collaboration with Joe’s Farm in Killeagh when sunflower picking and pumpkin picking was happening. Joe and Sarah Burns are lovely people.

“We always made sure to look after our Youghal regulars on the strand and on Barrack Street, doing double shifts most days.”

Pizzas Of Heart appealed to the hearts and bellies of the people of Youghal, and to visitors to the town from all over.

“Soon, we had a thriving family business in east Cork,” says Peppe delighted with life.

'The fire destroyed our income'

On the day the fire occurred in late October, he was operating a double shift.

“I closed the van and cleaned out the oven as usual,” he says.

“I think the reason the fire occurred was leftover coal fell out of the oven and caught fire to some oil that had somehow spilled onto the floor.

“The oven burst into flames, destroying the trailer.”

The fire destroyed the family’s only source of income.

“It was a like a scene from the movie Final Destination,” says Peppe.

“I ran back and opened the door, and I got a burst of flames in the face. I just stood there shocked. I knew the fire extinguisher wouldn’t save it.

“Two nice guys came along the back road and helped me detach the van from the trailer and save the van.

“Within 20 minutes, the Cork County Fire Service arrived on the scene and got the blaze under control. They worked fast,” says Peppe.

“I was concerned about the environment and the likelihood that the fire could spread to the nearby fields.”

Peppe says the ordeal was a lesson for him. “Both professionally and personally,” he adds.

“I had full insurance for the van but never thought to insure the trailer as well. When I renewed the insurance, I did do that, but the insurance didn’t kick in until October 27.

“It was touch and go to open or close the pizza truck, but I couldn’t bear the thought of closing Pizzas Of Heart.”

The prospect would have broken his own heart.

“I am the type of man that has always been fiercely independent and would never consider asking for help,” says Peppe. “It was never an option.”

Enter blogger Richie.

“Richie suggested that we start a Gofundme page to get back on our feet,” says Peppe.

A proud Italian family man, he at first resisted.

“I had a chat with my wife,” says Peppe. “We had commitments to Joe’s farm and a loyalty to all our wonderful customers.”

Having the gumption and grit to be up and running the day after the fire took courage and self-belief.

“It was a signal from the universe,” says Peppe.

The Esposito family - now four in number with the arrival of their ‘Cork boy’ Gabriel - felt the planet was cheering for them.

Richie was the main cheerleader and he got the Gofundme show on the road.

“We agreed to the Gofundme because so many people in Youghal and beyond wanted us back in business,” says Peppe.

There was another good reason.

“If something like that happened to somebody else, we would help them out too,” says Peppe.

Taste of Naples returns

The taste of Naples is firmly back in Youghal.

“It is something else!” says Peppe.

“We are so happy, and so happy to be part of such a generous community who supported us.

“The sense of community has always been important to us.

“We are the only pizzeria doing fried pizza in the country,” adds Peppe.

“You must come and try it. The flavours are out of this world!”

Mamma Mia! What about the calories?

“You can blame me for them!” says Peppe laughing.

He has his father to thank for his continued success.

“Dad’s experience as a master baker stood to me when we arrived in Cork in 2016,” says Peppe.

“I watched my parents practice their craft, selling fresh bread to familiar faces each morning. It became an integral part of my childhood.”

Peppe is passing that passion on to the next generation..

“I teach our kids to fight back,” he says. “To never give up. It is important to stay motivated and have willpower.

“We are so lucky not to let the fire upset our own motivation and mood. It would have been so easy to stay at home and wallow.

“It was a miracle nobody was injured. We can thank the universe.”

Peppe is passionate about his family, his business, his customers, and the community that embraced him.

“I came here to restart. It was destiny. I would do the same 100 times over,” he says.