"We've watched Ant and Dec since they were on Byker Grove, now they've bought into our pizza dough company"
Presenting heavyweights Ant and Dec have become co-owners of a pizza dough company you might have seen in your local supermarket.
The Geordie duo wanted to partner with a Northern family business for some time and when they heard about Preston-based Northern Dough Co. they approached the business to suggest a partnership.
The deal will see them create and develop new products, work on marketing campaigns, and produce innovative content for social media through their creative company, Mitre Studios. To launch the partnership, Ant and Dec have filmed a tongue-in-cheek video in their boxer shorts, to show how The Northern Dough Co. offers restaurant quality food at affordable prices, all in the comfort of your own home with no need to get dressed up.
The Northern Dough Co. which is registered to Ribblesdale Place, Preston, was set up in 2011 by Amy Cheadle and her husband Chris, who got the idea for their business while throwing ‘pizza parties’ at home with friends. Speaking to the Post in 2018, Amy said: “Chris is a fourth-generation baker. His family bakery in East Lancashire used to produce pizza dough for restaurants, and we would get this and put our own toppings on and have a laugh.
“We thought about how this product was being sold in droves to restaurants, but there was nothing like it in terms of retail. We now produce our own dough using 100 per cent natural ingredients in the family bakery as a separate business, which is a nice connection for us.”
They share many of Ant and Dec's own values of bringing people together and sharing special moments with friends and family. Speaking about the unique collaboration, Ant said: “I love making pizzas at home with my family and was already using Northern Dough Co when we started conversations with Amy and Chris about working with them. As soon as we met it was clear we had the same values and together we have some great ideas on how we can expand the business, it’s very exciting and we can’t wait to get started in our role as co-owners!”
Dec added: “We love the Northern Dough Co ethos of celebrating the joy of eating at home and bringing people together. Whether it’s a pizza party with mates or a Saturday night in front of the telly with your granny, everyone can get stuck in and make delicious pizzas. We are excited to celebrate all things dough through our partnership and social content.”
The deal will see the duo and the brand join forces as the business continues to grow and reach a wider consumer base. The partnership also has great synergy with their brilliant social series 'Taste Mates', where Ant and Dec cook a wide variety of dishes whilst having lots of fun in the process.
Amy and Chris Cheadle said: “It’s not every day Ant & Dec’s team drop you a line to ask if you’d be interested in exploring working together, but from the very first meeting it was clear just how well their personal values aligned with ours, and how easy it would be to partner and grow our business together.”
They added: “As viewers, we’ve been entertained by Ant & Dec’s TV shows from Byker Grove as teens, to watching Takeaway and I’m a Celeb with our own children, and it’s that ethos of getting everyone together to enjoy a relaxing, feel-good experience that’s at the heart of The Northern Dough Co. Gathering to eat food is everyone’s favourite pastime, but cooking together to create an informal restaurant experience at home, makes it really special. We couldn’t be more excited that Ant & Dec have joined us to bring the experience to even more people’s homes, and we have really excitingplans for the coming months and years ahead.”
Northern Dough Co. are already stocked in the freezer sections of major supermarket retailers across the UK and sells directly from their website.