A family-owned Southport business famed for its Neapolitan pizzas is serving visitors from around the world at The 154th Open Championship.
600 Degrees, which has outlets inside Southport Market and at Hillside Village, is among the local traders welcomed into Royal Birkdale Golf Club for the prestigious tournament.
It is a particularly busy week for owner Dan Johnstone and his team, who are working across all three locations to serve hungry golf fans and local customers.
The Hillside Village restaurant, situated on Sandon Road, is just a short walk from Royal Birkdale and has become a popular destination for visitors attending the championship.
Dan and his family said they were proud to be serving some of the estimated 300,000 spectators arriving in Southport for the event.
He said:
“It’s an honour to be part of such a prestigious local event which is enjoyed by golf fans from around the world.
“It has been very busy! It has been getting busier, and busier, every day The Open has been on.
“From the people I’ve spoken to at Royal Birkdale, we’re seeing record numbers here.
“We’ve been crazy busy. In one three-hour spell yesterday, we cooked and served up 400 pizzas!
“In terms of numbers, this is the biggest event we have ever attended. Being at The Open is a huge milestone for our business, we are really honoured to have been accepted to come and operate at Royal Birkdale.
“We expect to serve somewhere between 5,000 and 6,000 pizzas over the course of this week.
“It’s been a big learning process for us, making the dough, managing the dough, and just trying to gauge just what numbers we are going to be managing.
“We have invested in a brand new food trailer for The Open, which we have been enjoying promoting.
“We are then looking forward to taking our 600 Degrees trailer to other events and festivals throughout the region as well as continuing to do our corporate work, and attending people’s houses for parties, events and celebrations.
“We are looking to name our trailer soon so we will be running a competition and getting it out there with the chance for someone to name it for us. They will win a prize for the family to come and eat at 600 Degrees at Hillside.”
The Open has been blessed with bright sunshine covering Sunny Southport throughout the tournament.
Dan said:
“This superb weather has contributed to The Open’s huge success this week.
“It has helped to create a really fun, vibrant, festival atmosphere.
“Just down the road I have got 600 Degrees at Hillside, and that has been really busy too!
“It’s great – you come out of Royal Birkdale and head down the road into Hillside Village and it has got a really good vibe going on.
“The restaurants and bars in Hillside have all been really busy which has been great to see.”
And who’s Dan’s favourite to lift The Claret Jug this Sunday?
Dan said:
“Who would I like to see win? Obviously it would be fantastic to see Southport golfer Tommy Fleetwood, who has already won a few majors, win The Open, but we also have another top Southport golfer here, Matthew Baldwin, so I’ve been cheering him on too!”
“I’be yet to see one of them come over for a pizza, but there’s still time!”
600 Degrees has built a loyal following for its handmade, authentic Neapolitan pizzas since the business was established in 2017.
It initially operated as a mobile catering business at events and food festivals before becoming one of the founding traders inside the transformed Southport Market in 2021.
The market reopened following a £1.4 million redevelopment by Sefton Council, creating a new street food, drinks and events destination in the town centre.
Following the success of the market outlet, Dan opened a second permanent location in Hillside Village in 2023.
The restaurant forms part of a growing community of independent businesses in the area, alongside venues including The Grasshopper and The Pines, which work together to create a welcoming experience for residents and visitors.
Customers can dine inside 600 Degrees or make use of its outdoor seating during warmer weather. Pizzas are also available to collect, while local deliveries can be ordered through the Southport Eats app.
The inspiration for the business came during Dan and his wife’s honeymoon on Italy’s Amalfi Coast, which included a visit to Naples, the birthplace of Neapolitan pizza.
That experience led Dan to bring authentic, handmade Neapolitan pizzas back to Southport, with the business growing from mobile catering into two established local venues.
Its appearance at Royal Birkdale marks another major milestone for 600 Degrees, giving the team the opportunity to showcase its food to golf fans visiting Southport from across the globe.
