New Study Reveals the UK’s Pizza Capitals
- London is crowned the UK’s pizza capital: home to a whopping 1,454 pizza eateries, 60% of which are rated 4+ star, and over 12 times more pizza related Google searches
- Leeds takes the second spot with the city accounting for 216 pizza joints, of which almost half of them are rated 4+ star
- The study analysed 50 of the UK’s most populated cities to find out which location is the most pizza obsessed. Suprise top ten entrants include Glasgow, Newcastle and Sheffield with a clear rise in the North
London has been crowned the UK’s Pizza Capital, according to a new study from premium outdoor pizza oven brand, Gozney. The study analysed 50 of the UK’s most populated cities to find out which location is the most pizza obsessed by investigating the number of pizza joints, the number of pizza places rated 4 stars or above and average yearly search volume for pizza-related terms.
Taking the number one spot as the top pizza capital in the UK, the data reveals that London is home to the most pizza restaurants and the most highly rated pizza eateries. Of the 1,454 restaurants, nearly 60% of them are rated four stars and above on TripAdvisor. Londoners are chomping down on slices from their favourite pizza restaurant Rudy’s Pizza Napoletana on Tottenham Court Road as it ranks top on TripAdvisor, standing at five stars. Crisp Pizza, Napoli on the Road and Yard Sale Pizza are amongst other fan favourites from city dwellers. Londoners have also proven their love online, with an average of almost three million (2,917,440) annual Google searches for pizza-related terms such as ‘pizzeria near me’ or ‘best pizza restaurant’. That’s more searches than the remaining top 20 locations combined, and also makes up for a third of London annually searching to enjoy good pizza.
Surprisingly, second place goes to the northern city, Leeds with a whopping 216 pizza joints. Of these, almost half (107) hold a four-star rating or higher, making it easy to find good-quality pizza in this city – with Pizza Punks and Wood Fire Dine being some of the top pizzerias in the city, as ranked by TripAdvisor. The pizza popularity continues online in Leeds, as the population has searched pizza-related phrases on Google an average of 103,320 times a year. That’s an impressive average of 283 times a day, giving Leeds the silver medal for pizza capital of the UK.
Rounding off the top five on the list, the study continued to show the pizza appreciation in the north, with Manchester taking third place, and even further north Glasgow in Scotland for fourth. Both cities host a reasonable quantity of pizza eateries – 204 and 188, respectively. This is followed by Birmingham in the Midlands, claiming the fifth spot and boasting 183 pizza places, with 232,800 annual searches for pizza-related terms on average.
Although, this research only included brick-and-mortar pizza places, street pizza is now capturing attention and winning over fans nationwide by making the dish even more accessible. The love for this food scene has grown, with the population searching for the term ‘street food pizza’ 27% more than last year.
As a result, some of the UK’s top street pizza vendors are making waves in the food scene and quickly gaining a devoted fan base. These vendors are redefining pizza with exciting vegan options and innovative, hybrid flavours:
- Peddling Pizza, a mobile pizza provider serving every Wednesday in Hertfordshire’s St Albans market. Pizzaiolo Adam’s social media has also taken off, with his Instagram racking up over 169K followers.
- Igloo Pizza caters to Northern Ireland pizza lovers with its multi-award winning food truck.
- Northern Slice labels itself a ‘community focused pop-up pizzeria’, offering pizza in Petersfield every Friday from 5-9pm.
- The Pizza Pilot, based in Newbury, is run by Luke, a commercial Airline pilot who has taken his experience of Naples and recreated their iconic pizza back in the UK.
- Tin Roof Pizza, based in Brighton, is a popular choice for events, cooking up pizzas in their pop-up eatery for weddings and corporate away days.
Tom Vincent, Founder of Vincenzo’s, said: “The UK pizza scene is on fire right now with London being a real hub for pizza pioneers both in the restaurants and on the streets within markets and pop ups. It’s understandable that Leeds takes the second spot as the UK’s pizza capital runner-up as pizza is an easy dish for on-the-go students, whether they’re dining out or cooking at home. Continuing the trends, it’s clear pizza gets the north’s taste buds tingling as they seek out the perfect pizza, with Manchester taking the bronze medal as over a third of the population searching for the Italian dish on the web.
The pizza scene growing beyond traditional brick-and-mortar restaurants has further catapulted the evolution of the slice, with new street food vendors popping up all over the country and innovating when it comes to flavours, styles and so much more. Offering a fresh take on classic pizza styles, pop-up restaurants are quickly becoming a staple of food markets – capturing city dweller’s hearts and stomachs alike.
Whether you’re looking to go to your local pizza joint or whip up some dough at home, good quality pizza is now more in reach. With at home pizza ovens becoming more and more popular, especially those that are restaurant-grade like Gozney’s Dome, aspiring pizzaiolos and home cooks have the opportunity to recreate their favourite pizza or experiment with unique styles and find their new go-to dish – all from the comfort of their own home.”