Katherine MacAlister enjoys a great pizza - cooked (almost) on her doorstep

I think of it as a test when Rico’s Pizza Shack rolls up once a week and parks outside my house – a test of my willpower, a test of my wallet, a test of my waistline, and I always fail.

And who can blame me? Authentic wood-burned pizzas made on your doorstep? The only time I’ve managed to desist, we actually had to draw the curtains to block out the image of all those wonderful pizzas being wafted in front of our very eyes, and the steady stream of happy customers trotting up to take away their weekly feast and proudly take it home like a prize bull.

Any pizza aficionados among you will have come across Rico and his pizza shack, slowly taking over Oxfordshire with his funky vans, delicious food and great accessibility. Touring the Oxfordshire villages with its wood-burning pizza ovens, Rico’s Pizza Shack is spreading the word and the love via its pizzas, and making sure anyone who lives out in the sticks gets their fair share of Italian dough. Rico’s increasing popularity means it’s like having a visiting dignitary, because one night a week cars stop, queues form and everyone emerges from their houses clutching wallets and children, all with one thing on their minds: pizzas – it’s like something out of The Simpsons.

It’s a great concept, because save for Domino’s take-away, pizzas are few and far between if you don’t live in a town or Oxford itself. Rico’s has therefore cornered a gap in the market by making really delicious proper Italian pizzas and bringing them to you. So what started off as one van has now increased to three to get round to us all.

It’s a treat though because a Margherita costs £6.50 and a Capriciosa (ham, olives, mushrooms, capers and anchovies) is £12.95. These are restaurant prices, so the pizzas need to be good, and they are: thin, crispy, puffy bases with a great selection of authentic fresh toppings and an optimum temperature which ensures a really speedy delivery. You can even order in advance and then just turn up to pick up.

Our favourite is the Diablo (Pepperoni, mozzarella & jalapeno pepper £7.50) but the menu variety, which includes garlic breads and bruschetta, is diverse enough to keep you permanently interested. Rico’s is the future in take-aways for good reason, just keep an eye out.

  • Go to ricospizzashack.com for more information about routes and products