Edinburgh firefighters Andy Gillies and Chris Diotaiuti set up Nee Naw Pizzeria selling pizzas from old fire engine

The pair have had a great reaction wherever they go and the public ‘love the idea’.

Two firefighters have started up an unusual sideline - selling tasty homemade pizzas from an old fire engine called Luigi.

Andy Gillies and Chris Diotaiuti, who work at fire stations in Edinburgh, started up their Nee Naw Pizzeria business venture after spotting a retired fire appliance for sale on eBay last year. The pair converted the seven meter long appliance into a stunning pizza truck complete with an oven and kitchen area where lifesaving equipment was previously stored. The firefighters’ business has sold hundreds of handmade pizzas at events across the country including at the Edinburgh Food Festival last year.

The truck was retired from fire service duty after many years service in Kent and has previously been used into a limo service and a party vehicle. Andy, 39, said the new pizza truck has had “a great reaction wherever we go” and the public “love the idea”.

The converted fire truck is a roaring success

Speaking to the East Lothian Courier, he said: “We have been running for less than a year but things are going really well. We do a lot of charity events and stuff but we also did the Edinburgh Food Festival, which was great. We're hoping to do a few things in East Lothian soon too, hopefully at Musselburgh Racecourse in the next couple of months.

“Chris, who has Italian heritage, has always had a knack for food so he does a lot of the pizza-making side, but I really enjoyed getting the truck turned into what it is with the oven and storage. We get a great reaction wherever we go, people really love the idea.”

The firefighters are now looking for help storing the large vehicle which measures 2.3m wide, about 3m tall and about 7.5m long. Andy added: “I’ve been storing it outside my house for a few months now. But with how big it is, the neighbours are starting to get understandably frustrated, so we need to find a more permanent base for it. We’re not a big business. We could find storage easy enough but it would cost hundreds of pounds a month to do so and we can’t afford that. We’re just doing this part time.

“We’re looking for someone who can help us out and possibly give us a good deal on somewhere to store it as a base where we can come and go in the summer months. There are obviously lots of farms in East Lothian that could be ideal for storage. We’re trying to keep costs to a minimum so any help someone could offer would be great.”