What Are the most popular pizza toppings in the uk?

Pizza toppings…from top to bottom
(Of the country, that is.)

Who’d have thought it? Yes, pizza topping preferences obviously change from country to country, continent to continent. But even in our little corner of the world, tastes swing wildly as you work your way from John O’Groats down to Land’s End, with the people of Northern Ireland claiming their favourite too.

To be honest, there are no real surprises among the pizza toppings that top the list, although there is a distinct trend emerging of a move towards the more ‘exotic’, along with a growing demand for different bases and, in particular, for more vegan and vegetarian options. But more of that later.

Back, for now, to the UK pizza map where the pepperoni pizza plants its flag all the way down the eastern half of the country, stopping off at Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield, Norwich and London on route. It’s the favourite of Belfast, Birmingham and Glasgow too. But Scotland’s second most populated city, Edinburgh, favours ham and pineapple…as do the people of Southampton. And as for most of the UK’s other big centres of population…it’s all about the meat feast!

The Top of the Toppings

But here’s the twist in the tale. While pepperoni is a big favourite in so many of our major cities, across the UK as a whole it trails in a spectacularly poor second behind the humble margherita, which leads the ‘Top of the Tops’ chart by a country mile!

So, does all this matter? Well, for an industry where the pizza delivery and takeaway market alone is worth over £3bn and employs almost 50,000 people, making sure you’ve got the favourites well and truly covered is vital. And the same applies to pizza manufacturers too

But woe betide the person who rests on their laurels and looks only to the past and the present. Ignoring the amazing speed at which this market is growing is a pitfall to be avoided at all costs.

Yes, Pizza is the world’s favourite food. But as every day passes, more and more countries and cultures are embracing its delights. And as the pizza map of the world fills in, as quickly as we can draw it, here in the UK we continue to import the wonderful flavours and varieties that these newcomers have to offer.

Infinite pizza topping possibilities…

Watch out for the bold and the ethnic. Prepare for the influences of Africa. Get ready for the mixture of sweet and spicy, with honey to the fore.

And expect the unexpected…like some of the creations from the eastern Mediterranean and from Vietnam, where crispy rice-paper bases are introducing a whole new dimension to our idea of what makes a perfect pizza.

And finally, on the subject of bases, don’t underestimate the biggest shift of all…the rise and rise of vegan food. Not just plant-based toppings, but plant-powered crusts too, like cauliflower, courgette, broccoli and sweet potato.

One thing is for certain. Wherever we live, favourites don’t always remain our favourites forever. Tastes change. Horizon’s widen. Influences are all around. And while pizza may be an ever-present, absolute staple of our diet, it will always move with the times.

Tell us your favourite toppings by submitting a comment at the bottom of this page.