‘near Restaurant-quality’: The Best Supermarket Margherita Pizzas, Tasted And Rated

‘Kor-nee-CHO-nay,” my friend Matt Comley exclaims, and repeats respective times arsenic he pads retired immoderate pizza mixed pinch his fingers and thenar to make what is known successful Naples arsenic nan cornicione. That is, nan cleanable puffy outer separator of a pizza.

Matt is nan co-founder of School of Dough, a awesome inaugural that teaches children successful immoderate of Cornwall’s slightest prosperous communities really to cook; he besides runs a stall called Salt Yard Pizza astatine nan Boathouse connected Newquay harbour. His pizza is immoderate of nan champion successful nan country, not conscionable because he’s mastered accepted techniques, but because he grows his ain tomatoes and basil, and moreover rears his ain mangalitza pigs to move into charcuterie.

I emotion making pizza successful my portable pizza oven, but it does impact a adjacent magnitude of work, from nan mentation of nan mixed to nan unit of cooking respective pizzas successful speedy succession. Even so, I can’t retrieve nan past clip I bought a supermarket pizza, and my only existent memories of them are of those ultra-processed cardboard discs from nan 1980s. Sadly, arsenic a consequence of this tasting, I’ve discovered that those still beryllium (I don’t cognize what that says astir British nutrient culture), but I’m besides happy to study that location are now immoderate genuinely delicious options retired there, too, pinch a fewer existent standouts of adjacent edifice quality.

I focused connected lower- to mid-range margheritas, and excluded premium pizzas that stray from nan classical bread-tomato-cheese look by adding extras specified arsenic sun-blushed tomatoes. To trial each merchandise fairly, I cooked each pizza according to nan manufacturer’s instructions, past tasted it pinch my family. The worst examples felt for illustration 80s business “food” throwbacks, each bland and joyless, prevention for nan deed of salt, sweetener and fat.

For specified a processed-looking product, however, astir supermarket margheritas really incorporate comparatively fewer ultra-processed ingredients. The main recurring additives were calcium carbonate (a flour improver and calcium fortifier) and niacin (vitamin B3), some of which are harmless successful mini amounts and are much often recovered successful nan lowest-quality pizzas pinch dense, flavourless bases. Ultra-processed foods, however, aren’t defined purely by additives. According to nan Nova classification, which links levels of nutrient processing pinch wellness outcomes, ready-to-eat convenience foods specified arsenic pizza still beryllium firmly successful nan ultra-processed category.

Although nan champion pizzas I tried were made pinch better, much chewy dough, really bully food and plentifulness of well-balanced herb sauce, it’s worthy remembering that moreover nan astir basal oven pizza tin beryllium transformed pinch a drizzle of oliva oil, a pinch of salt, a sprinkle of dried herbs and a fewer prime caller toppings.

The champion supermarket margherita pizzas

Best all-rounder:
Doughboys classical margherita pizza

★★★★☆

A large, classical Italian-style pizza pinch a nicely puffed cornicione (crust) and conscionable nan correct magnitude of cheese. The delicious guidelines is topped pinch a balanced herb condiment that’s saccharine and acidic. The texture is really good, and very adjacent to caller pizza. Hand-stretched and chromatic baked successful Italy, made pinch 100% Emilia Romagna herb pulp. This independent British marque creates professional-standard pizzas pinch minimal processing. Disappointingly small accusation online astir their sustainability practices, however.

Best bargain:
Tesco Finest margherita wood-fired pizza

★★★☆☆

A really nice-looking, Neapolitan-style pizza pinch a puffy crust, balls of mozzarella and caller basil. The operation of food gives this a satisfying, gooey, varied topping, and nan basil is wonderful. Slightly disappointing texture to nan dough, though, particularly considering really bully it looks earlier baking; a higher baking somesthesia mightiness amended this. Contains niacin, among different additives, but very bully value.

And nan remainder …

Crosta Mollica margherita pizza

★★★★☆

In my apical three, made connected sourdough pinch a neat, somewhat puffed crust. The accepted herb condiment and mozzarella pinch PDO parmesan bring awesome flavour. It didn’t rather make champion all-rounder, though, because it could really do pinch a touch much cheese.

Picard margherita pizza

★★★★☆

My daughter’s favourite, and a adjacent 2nd for champion all-rounder. An absorbing style pinch mostly precooked grated cheese, positive immoderate mozzarella balls. Thin, crunchy crust pinch a lovely, generous magnitude of herb condiment that packs heaps of flavour. One of nan saltiest and fattiest, which is astir apt why it’s 1 of nan tastiest.

Goodfella’s margherita chromatic baked thin

★★☆☆☆

A awesome sanction and a classical 1990s brand, pinch a thickish (about 10mm) bready, tasteless guidelines topped pinch mozzarella, emmental and reddish cheddar. A bully magnitude of food and herb gives this a small much flavour, lifted by herbs (basil, oregano, marjoram and thyme). Nice stringy food and a ray crunch, but not overmuch other going on. Contains artificial flavouring. Goodfella’s has signed nan UK Plastics Pact, reduced nan thickness of its pizza wrap and is moving towards 100% recyclable packaging.

Lidl Chef Select stone-baked margherita pizza

★☆☆☆☆

A good-looking pizza for nan price, but sadly it’s incredibly bland. A spot for illustration eating cardboard pinch scant herb condiment and a specified scattering of mozzarella and cheddar. Contains calcium carbonate.

Asda stone-baked margherita pizza

★☆☆☆☆

An 80s-style pizza pinch a nostalgic, if ironic appeal: this is an business belief of a pizza covered successful an moreover furniture of mozzarella and nary crust to speak of. Contains calcium carbonate, too. Avoid astatine each costs: this tastes of nothing.

Sainsbury’s stone-baked margherita pizza

★☆☆☆☆

A thin, bready crust without immoderate chew and an moreover furniture of grated cheddar. One-dimensional and lacking immoderate existent flavour beyond nan integrative food and bladed furniture of acidic herb sauce. Contains calcium carbonate.

M&S classical margherita pizza

★☆☆☆☆

A small, bladed pizza pinch a generous grating of neutral-flavoured food and acidic herb sauce. It’s marginally amended than nan worst of this bunch, but oddly costly for what it is. The wheat contains additives, too.

Pizza Express margherita pizza

★☆☆☆☆

Oh dear: a small, overpriced pizza pinch small appeal, different than a generous grating of cheese. Industrial junk nutrient pinch a lacklustre guidelines and flavour. Contains calcium carbonate.