Takeaway owner offers free pizzas to everyone in Edinburgh

Emanuele Mascolo is one of the chefs at Pure Pizza

A takeaway owner is offering to give everyone in Edinburgh a free pizza over the next month as an act of kindness.

Marc Wilkinson, 55, the owner of Pure Pizza in Morningside, said he had been planning a big altruistic act to help people struggling with the cost of living crisis.

He said it would also give his part-time staff more work.

"I'm very happy with my plan because it's a win, win, win for everyone," he said.

"The customers benefit, the suppliers benefit and my team of chefs benefit as it gives them more hours of work.

"I keep hearing about how the cost of living is affecting so many people and I just thought that my ovens are running all day anyway, so they may as well be working at full capacity all day if it helps people.

"Altruism is something that really interests me so I wanted to try it."

Marc Wilkinson said he would give a free pizza to everyone who lives in Edinburgh

He estimated that it would cost him about £12,000.

Mr Wilkinson, who opened the business at the start of the lockdown in March 2020, says his ovens have the capacity to make 18 pizzas every six minutes.

The free pizzas will be given to people who visit his shop in Morningside Drive during January, although they will not be available between 17:30 and 20:30.

He hopes that anyone who takes up the offer will pass on the act of kindness in their own way.

They will only need to provide a valid mobile number.

"I hope my idea doesn't get out of hand but I'm not going to start asking for proof of address, they won't have to bring in a council tax bill with their address on it," he added.