One of the very best things to have emerged from the dark days of lockdown is indubitably the magnificent Santina’s. With owner Oli at the helm, the business is named after and inspired by his Italian Mum who is an amazing pizza chef. Well, like mother, like son: Oli has taken up the mantle, at first making pizzas as a charitable endeavour for his close community when supplies of things like flour were scarce at the start of the pandemic. Of course, the pizzas turned out to be hugely popular, so when Oli was made redundant from his job in the shoe industry, Santina’s quickly ballooned into a full time, family-run business, with Oli’s Mum, Dad, sister and brother in-law all involved.

You’ll now find Santina’s and its growing team popping up all over Northants, from their base in Weedon, to village greens, microbreweries, pubs, cafes and food festivals and if you’ve got an event lined up, from a birthday party to a wedding, these guys are a real crowd-pleaser, but the community remains at the heart of everything they do and they continue to dedicate time and energy to helping those who need it most.

Keep an eye on their Insta for details of where they’re headed to near you and make sure you look out for their rather gorgeous branded Land Rover Defender which, I have to confess, I’m coveting quite badly. But down to the nitty gritty, what can you expect to eat?

There’s a regular menu that has all the favourites like margherita and pepperoni, plus loads of extra toppings (my favourite recent combo was braised pineapple and chilli honey: don’t kill me for loving pineapple on my pizza, ok?). You can also order gluten free and vegan options, plus there are weekly specials, garlic breads and, quite possibly the pièce de résistance: sweet pizzas. Don those stretchy waistbands my friends, we are talking Biscoff spread with white chocolate and salted caramel sauce, and Nutella with marshmallows and biscotti pieces. And the best thing? They are made with love and taste absolutely mind blowing.