Part of the Meet Marple project.
The Waltzing Matilda Boat: Meet Chris & Paul, the father/son team behind the unique (and delicious) floating pizzeria and coffee shop.
Name of business:
The Waltzing Matilda Boat
Where did the name come from?
Matilda is the name of my niece, and we used to play the song to her to get her to stop crying when she was born! It worked a treat and was around the time we got the boat, so it all came together nicely.
What do you sell?
Pizza! And coffee, and drinks, and delicious cakes, and we’ve just started selling ice cream too. Everything for a nice walk down the canal.
How many people are in your team?
Me (Chris), my dad Paul, and our recent addition, pizza chef Rafael.
How long have you been open?
We started in lockdown, 2020 – when people could only leave the house once a day, that era. We realised that we could be the destination that people used their daily walk to get to – and take away a fresh, delicious pizza with them.
Are you from Marple?
We’re both from Stockport and have lived here in Marple for around 16 years now, via stints abroad.
What do you like about having your business in Marple/living in Marple?
It has everything! It’s all local, there are no massive chains, and mostly all independent shops. It’s full of friendly people that don’t hesitate to support local businesses and events. We float the boat to different local areas but Marple is always our busiest spot!
Is there anything exciting going on at the moment?
Well we’re actually just at the end of our summer season so we’ll be taking a short, well-earned break – but we have a few things planned around Halloween and Christmas…
You can find the Waltzing Matilda Boat at Tramway Wharf, Marple, and at their website (https://thewaltzingmatildaboat.com/ ), on instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thewaltzingmatildaboat/) and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thewaltzingmatildaboat .
