National Pizza Day

The best day of the year has arrived… yes that’s right, the 9th of February is National Pizza Day!

Sunday 9th February brings us National Pizza Day and what better way to spend your Sunday evening than stuffing your face with everyone’s favourite cheat food? There is something for all to enjoy whatever your needs; whether you’re staying healthy in 2020 with a ban on takeaways or fancy treating yourself to an evening at your favourite local restaurant indulging in the deliciousness of pizza.

Celebrated on February 9th each year – National Pizza Day is a day that celebrates all things pizza, where you can enjoy one of the most popular and iconic dishes in the world. Here are a few ways you can celebrate National Pizza Day this February:

Takeaway…

Who doesn’t look a cheeky weekend takeaway?! There’s nothing more satisfying than treating yourself after a long week in the office to a cheesy, greasy pizza and the best thing about takeaways is that you don’t even have to leave the house. So, get snuggled up in your pj’s and fluffy socks, pop on the latest episode of your favourite TV show and get ordering.

You could even have a pizza party with your friends or family. Bulk order in the Domino’s and enjoy a night of fun and games whilst tucking into some yummy pizza!

Home-made…

Why not challenge yourself and make some sumptuous home-made pizzas to celebrate National Pizza Day. Grab the kitchen scales and get kneading some dough or buy some shop-bought bases… for those of you that want to cheat a little. And if you struggle with the dietary requirements that come with vegan or non-gluten diets then homemade pizzas will allow you to easily cater for your own needs without being made to feel awkward or fussy.

The great thing about home-made pizzas is that you can be as creative as you want and adventurous with your flavours all on a budget. Opting to create homemade pizzas is a wonderful way of bonding with your family, so turn National Pizza Day into a fun activity for all of the family to enjoy or even make a date night out of it.

Dine Out…

Plymouth is host to a wide selection of eateries, with Italian restaurants taking up a huge proportion of the choices available. From chain restaurants to more local, independent diners you are lost for choice in Plymouth.

Here at OM, one of our favourite places to grab pizza is The Stable, where you’ll be served with flavoursome pizzas suited to all diets. Whether you’re a vegan, gluten-intolerant or the odd one out that loves ham and pineapple on pizza there are plenty of options for all. And the best thing is that all the family are welcome to celebrate National Pizza Day at The Stable… even the dog (although maybe a doggy biscuit for them instead of pizza).

If authentic, hand made sourdough is more your pizzas style then you must visit Knead Pizza, a hidden gem at the heart of Plymouth Market. For a relaxed atmosphere and pizzas that’ll leave your tastebuds tingling for days don’t miss out on scrumptious sourdough with all of your favourite toppings on this iconic day. Knead Pizza has got all of your pizza kneads covered to celebrate National Pizza Day this February.

Another staple Italian cuisine to visit in honour of National Pizza Day is Zizzi’s, situated in Drake Circus, The Barcode. With Italian themes across the restaurant, from the open kitchen focusing around the woodstone oven to the delicious dishes of Italian origin, there is no better way to celebrate this day than dining out with your nearest and dearest in this uniquely designed restaurant. Worry not if you have a special diet as the team at Zizzi’s can cater for all diets including vegan, vegetarian, vegan and non-gluten as well as having a yummy kids menu for the little ones to enjoy.
Whether you like New York-style or the classic Neapolitan; thin, thick, or hand-tossed crust; vegan, extra-cheesy, or ham and pineapple – chances are there’s a slice of pizza with your name on it. And if you consider pizza one of your favourite meals (if not your absolute favourite), you’re not alone: pizza is one of the most popular dishes across the globe.

But have you ever wondered where pizza came from and why it’s one of the most loved dishes internationally?

It has been suggested that pizza was in fact created in ancient times in the Middle East with The Greeks and Egyptians creating some derivative of pizza in those times using flatbread and topping it with olive oil and spices, what we know now to be ‘focaccia’.

But we all know that the Italians are the real creators of the classic pizza we know and love today and if weren’t aware of that, where have you been and what planet are you from?!

Over the years pizza has changed with many variations across the globe. The staple classic Italian Margherita Pizza has evolved to many different forms with a huge array of toppings available and a variety of dough options used to create everyone’s favourite dish.

From classic crust to stuffed crust, deep-pan, thin or sourdough… how much do you know about pizza styles and crusts?

Let’s start with the classic Neapolitan Pizza, this Italian classic dates back to 18th century Naples and has remained a popular choice for many across the globe with the standard features of tomatoes, garlic, oregano, mozzarella and extra virgin olive oil. What is not to love about this classic pizza?

On to the New York Style pizza now, notoriously known for it’s large, foldable slices and crispy outer crust, this style of pizza has become one of the world’s most-loved styles from New York to the UK. New York-style pizza usually features tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. Unlike its thin-crust counterpart, the Neapolitan, New York-style pizzas can handle a wide range of additional toppings, from pepperoni and sausage to mushroom and anchovies.

Pizza Romano is becoming increasingly popular in the world of pizza. This very thin, large and crunchy style of pizza was hugely popular among the Romans. The dough is hand-stretched and different to the classic Neapolitan pizza, Pizza Romano tends to be full of flavoursome toppings such as ham and mushroom but can equally be enjoyed as the classic Margherita.

We can’t forget to mention the different crusts available when it comes to pizza. Thick and thin crusts have varied across the years both remaining a popular option. But well-known brands such as Domino’s, Pizza Hut and Papa Johns have evolved the pizza crust with stuffed crust now being an exceedingly popular choice with the nation, from mozzarella cheese to hot dogs, the possibilities are endless when it comes to pizza crust.

Let’s talk statistics…

With many options available when it comes to pizza toppings you really are lost for choice, each restaurant and eatery has a wide range of options to choose from with every diet now being catered for at takeaways, supermarkets and when dining out.

A study carried out in 2018 by VoucherCodes.co.uk found that the average Brit will munch their way through 731 pizzas in their lifetime which would equate to roughly 5,847 slices!

It’s also been suggested that the typical pizza lover will fork out a huge £9725 on takeaway versions of the iconic takeaway meal and another £6303 on supermarket pizzas… That’s £16000 on just pizza in one year!!!

On to toppings…

When it comes to toppings, we are rather divided as a nation but when you consider the number of toppings on offer, it’s no surprise. Research carried out by YouGov has revealed the UK’s most popular pizza topping and it’s certainly not what you thought it would be…

We can reveal the most loved topping by UK pizza lovers is in fact…MUSHROOMS…so move aside pepperoni!

The survey of 3,683 adults found that 65% preferred the fleshy fungus, with onion (62%), ham (61%), peppers (60%), chicken (56%), pepperoni (56%) and tomato all following closely behind.

But let’s face it, what we really care about isn’t whether mushrooms or pepperoni are our favourite pizza topping in the UK. No, the biggest pizza debate of all is whether pineapple belongs on our favourite dish.

It is arguably the most divisive food-related debate in the world: the question of whether pineapple is an appropriate pizza topping is a controversial one across the globe. It’s a little bit like marmite, you either love it or hate it.

This controversial topping is loved by 42% of people surveyed and we’re not at all surprised nearly half of the nation love it. We can confirm that here in the OM office it’s 4 against 1 when it comes to loving pineapple on pizza.

What is there not to love about the sweetness of the pineapple juice balancing out the savoury flavour of the cheese and ham?

What are your thoughts on this debate… get in touch via our socials to lets us know where you stand on the ‘Pineapple or No Pineapple’ debate!

However you plan on spending National Pizza Day, remember to embrace the lusciousness of the nations favourite meal whether you grab a takeaway or dine out with your loved one. Be creative, try some new, and most of all celebrate pizza!

Special thanks go to The Plymouth Stable for sponsoring this article.