There’s stiff competition for the title of the best pizza in Glasgow, but if you’re looking for the quirkiest kitchen then no one does it quite like street food experts Dough Man’s Land.
From their tiny truck owners Ryan and Jay Bharaj serve wood-fired pizzas, baked in a blisteringly hot oven that will have your evening carb fix cooked in just 90 seconds.
But just how did two brothers with no previous kitchen experience find themselves slinging pizzas from a converted horsebox in the city's West end?
Ryan said: “Although neither of us had been a chef before, we both had a lot of experience working front of house in hospitality.
“A friend of ours was selling this little three-wheeler van and my brother suggested we buy it.
“We had never even had a conversation about starting a street food business before, but it seemed like something new and exciting for us to try.
“The sale fell through for that particular van, but because we had done all of our research and had all of our money together we decided to follow through with the idea.
“That’s how we ended up with the horsebox that we have now.”
Just like the age-old adage of the chicken and the egg, you have to wonder what comes first in this situation, the pizza...or the horsebox?
Ryan said: “The pizza definitely came first, we always knew that’s what we wanted to make and it worked out well for the kind of van we had.
“Pizza is just so universal, isn’t it? Everyone loves it.
“It felt like a comfortable leap for us because making them is fairly straightforward.
“The only thing you have to be aware of is the proving process, especially in a small van like ours.
“In the summertime it can go too fast and then in the winter it’s a lot slower so you really need to give yourself around 48 hours for prep work.
“It’s a simple recipe but it requires a lot of love, I guess that’s how I could put it best.”
Having formed their master plan and found a suitable parking space on Derby lane, Ryan and Jay soon realised that when it comes to making great pizza it's best to stick to the basics.
Even if there’s no escaping the great pineapple debate.
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Ryan said: “When we found our pitch in Finnieston we were conscious of the fact that we were surrounded by some big names like Six by Nico or Crabshakk.
“We thought we might have to go all out with our flavours, but people seem to really enjoy keeping it simple.
“Our most popular pizza has ended up being our margarita, followed by one that’s topped with an amazing spicy sausage made by a family business called Pietro’s in Dennistoun.
“We'll happily throw in a curveball ingredient sometimes or cater to specific requests.
"We did once get asked to serve ham and pineapple at a function and had to have that conversation to explain that that could be a risky choice.
“I mean no disrespect to anyone who does like ham and pineapple there, of course."
While The Doughman’s Land Pizza truck can be found most weekends at their Derby lane site, their completely mobile unit means that they can tour all over the country to cater to functions and festivals.
City centre pizza lovers can also find a slice of perfection at Platform where operate from the venue's kitchen during weekends.
It's an impressive level of production for such a small team, however, Ryan says that (for now at least) team Dough Man's Land wouldn’t have it any other way.
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He said: "We're actually at the point now where people are getting in touch with us to ask if we would like to work with them as a pop-up which is so humbling.
“We do often get asked whether we would ever want to set up a permanent unit but for now I think we’re happy to continue with our pitches.
“We feel so lucky to have built up this amazing community of regulars and neighbouring businesses.
“Having said that so many fantastic restaurants in Glasgow started as mobile streetfood units so who knows…never say never.”
For more information on where to find Dough Man's Land click here.
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