Chesca’s Pizza opens at The Ship in Reedham by River Yare

Chesca's Pizza will be moving into The Ship in Reedham to serve its locally sourced food on the banks of the River Yare - with an all-new firepit.

Francesca Cornish Hollingsworth, 34, started cooking up homemade pizzas in lockdown and is now moving into her local watering hole as the business grows.

The Ship, which invited Mrs Cornish Hollingsworth to cook in its beer garden, will have its own food menu on hold on the days the pizza is on offer. 

It follows a thriving few months at The Tea Rooms further up the road but the business is now in need of bigger premises.

READ MORE: Norfolk café offering all-you-can-eat afternoon tea extravaganza

The custom firepit will make "extra special specials", with burgers and homemade pasta set to be on the menu.

Chesca's, which also serves snack dishes such as wings, croquettes and scotch eggs, was recently nominated for Best Local Restaurant in the Good Food Guide.

Food for a Stranger Things event at Chesca's Pizza (Image: Chesca's Pizza)

Mrs Cornish Hollingsworth: "It feels like we are fully part of the beautiful community now and it is a joy to be here.

"We love the interaction with customers who are leaving as friends.

READ MORE: Wine bar 'packed every night' after opening in market town

"Ladies with bumps are coming in, and then with their babies, and then their babies are eating their first slice of pizza.

"Moving into The Ship feels like we are among friends already - it really is the local pub.

Chesca's Pizza's very popular scotch egg dish (Image: Chesca's Pizza)

"I think cooking outside has been key to our success as people love seeing their food being made and have said they smell us across the village."

Chesca's will be in the beer garden on Fridays and Saturdays from July 7 and is hoping to open from lunchtime.