Everton Hill Dickinson
The Lids & Co, a food truck business known for its gourmet homemade pies, is marking its first anniversary with an exciting expansion into the wholesale market. Founded by two friends, Danny Furlong and Stephen Bygrave, the business has quickly gained popularity, leading them to take over a unit in Knowsley Industrial Estate to meet the growing demand.
Danny Furlong said: “The first year, we’re absolutely over the moon with how it’s gone. We can’t thank everybody enough, the local support we’ve had. Our products speak for themselves. We make everything with pride. We want to be known for quality over quantity.”
He added: “We started off doing small pop-ups. We just had a little idea, myself and Stephen, trying to do something different on the festival scene. We’ve done a bit of outside catering, obviously are both chefs with two over decades of experience.”
The duo’s journey began with their trusty Citroën HY van, affectionately named ‘Lidia,’ from which they sold their pies at various festivals across the UK. Their unique offering of homemade, gourmet pies stood out amidst the usual festival fare, earning them a loyal following. They have catered at major events such as Boardmasters in Newquay and the Latitude festival in Suffolk, where they experienced overwhelming demand.
Danny Furlong said: “We’ve travelled the UK, we’ve been as far as Newquay for Boardmasters, which was a massive festival. We’ve done Leeds festival and the queues were phenomenal. We went to Suffolk for the Latitude festival. That was the busiest we’ve ever been, we had a queue for 10 hours straight over the two, three days.”
With the expansion into wholesales, The Lids & Co aims to have their pies available in bakeries, delicatessens, cafes, pubs, and more. Their presence is also set to grow at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, where they will be selling their signature pie, ‘The Big Dunc,’ during Everton FC match days.
Danny Furlong added: “It’s a pie and a pint. It’s a match made in heaven. You can grab a quick something to eat. It was our first time being there and we couldn’t have asked for more. We’ve got ‘The Big Dunc,’ we’ve made a signature pie for Everton. That’s our braised beef, and Guinness pie.”
The Lids & Co’s journey from a small food truck to a burgeoning wholesale business is a testament to their dedication and the quality of their products. As they continue to aim for the stars, their story is one of ambition and success in the competitive food industry.
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