A Neapolitan-style delivery service will open a restaurant in Gidea Park later this year.

Owner and founder of Ped’s Pizza, Matt Redgrave, single-handedly makes all of the delivery orders from his home in Hornchurch, where he lives with his wife and 17-month-old daughter.

Now, after crowdfunding £13,000 in a month, Matt will open his first restaurant on Main Road in April.

The 34-year-old said the restaurant will offer a "casual" dining experience with an industry-style interior - “something you might get in central London".

When Matt initially launched in 2017 as a street food operation, he balanced the business alongside his full-time role as a PE teacher at Davenant Foundation School in Loughton.

However, by 2019, he had quit his job to focus fully on the business.

Romford Recorder: Ped's Pizza serves Neapolitan-style pizza.Ped's Pizza serves Neapolitan-style pizza. (Image: Ped's Pizza)

The pandemic lockdowns forced the restaurant to become a delivery service, which Matt said has “flourished in Havering”.

Matt said the next "natural step” was to open a restaurant, where he will start with a “simple menu”.

He said: “I'm a big fan of Italian food and I like to do what Italians have always done: create simple food with quality ingredients."

Matt will fill the roles of manager and head chef at the restaurant and said he will be “employing many local people”.

He added: “It is really exciting, this was always the long-term vision and to see that dream through of one day opening a restaurant is incredible.

“I can’t thank the people of Havering enough because it’s through their support throughout the pandemic that has allowed me to build this.”

The restaurant will offer a collection service, with a delivery service introduced at a later date.

Romford Recorder: Matt is realising his dream by opening his own neighbourhood pizzeria in the heart of Gidea Park.Matt is realising his dream by opening his own neighbourhood pizzeria in the heart of Gidea Park. (Image: Ped's Pizza)

Matt said: “I’m just hoping it will be a hybrid of my roots as a street food trader and a traditional Neapolitan pizzeria.”

Ped’s Pizza has also been nominated in the finals of the Havering Small Business Awards in the best takeaway category.

This comes after this newspaper gave the pizza delivery service a review in 2020.

The 34-year-old said his favourite pizza is one with a pumpkin cream base topped with mozzarella and spicy salami – he claimed it “always gets rave reviews”.

To follow the restaurant’s progress search “pedspizza” on Instagram.