What is the Most Popular Pizza Chain in the UK in 2022?

Whether you like New York-style jumbo slices or crispy Roman-inspired crusts, there are plenty of great places that offer top-notch pizza in the UK. 

But, what is the most popular pizza chain in the UK in 2022?

Let’s find out.

Top Pizza Franchises in the UK

Domino’s 

Domino’s is arguably one of the most popular pizza franchises in the UK, selling one pizza every 3 seconds in the UK. 

The company boasts high-quality, fresh dough and offers different types of crust, including classic, double decadence, stuffed crust, Italian style, thin and crispy crust, and a gluten-free crust. 

Domino’s claims that they never use frozen dough for its pizzas, they cook them on pizza stones and smart ovens.

Domino’s also has a reputation for delivering the perfect toppings-cheese ratio between and regularly updating its menu to offer its customers more options.

For customers that follow a diet, the company displays allergen, nutritional, as well as calorie information in its menus and on its website. Domino’s is the perfect choice for those who don’t want to eat out. It has an excellent delivery service and allows customers to track their orders.

Papa John’s

Papa John’s is another well-known pizza chain with a long tradition.  

Founded in the 80s by John Schnatter, Papa John’s, like Domino’s mainly focuses on delivery and takeout and is considered to be the best takeaway pizza chain in the UK.

So what is Papa John’s not-so-secret ingredient? 

The company says it relies on the BIBO approach – “better ingredients, better pizza.”

Papa John’s uses fresh, hand-tossed dough and is made of clear-filtered water and high-protein flour, among other things. The crust is light, fully, and savoury.

The pizza chain doesn’t have as extensive a menu as some of its competitors, but it has excellent sauce and toppings options, a variety of pizza styles, and often makes an effort to bring innovative ideas to the industry. 

Its latest invention? Putting hemp seeds on pizzas. 

Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut was founded in the 1950s by Dan and Frank Carney in the US and is one of the top pizza franchises in the world.

Pizza Hut is a great choice for consumers who want as much cheese as possible on their pizza, but it also uses less sauce than some of its competitors. Still, its most famous creation is the pan pizza with a golden-brown crust.

The company doesn’t disclose any information about its dough and one Reddit user, who claimed to have worked there, said that Pizza Hut’s dough isn’t made fresh in the store. 

The good news is that unlike some of its competitors, Pizza Hut has something to offer for consumers who aren’t the biggest pizza fans, like fried chicken, desserts, and salads.

It also has a great delivery and fast takeaway service and has adapted pretty well to the safety measures in the UK.

Zizzi

Zizzi is an Italian chain of restaurants that prides itself on following traditional Italian pizza recipes with a twist. 

The pizza chain has an extensive menu that includes past and deserts, as well as different takes on its Rustica Pizza, which is Zizzi’s signature recipe. 

Zizzi is a great choice for consumers allergic to gluten. They have different types of pizzas and dishes that are gluten-free. The company also has a good vegan menu with plenty of delicious options and arguably the best vegan cheese you can find in the UK. 

Bella Italia

Bella Italia is an authentic Italian pizza place with a great menu, friendly staff, and more than 110 different locations in the UK. 

Bella Italia’s restaurants are known for using fresh, organic ingredients, making traditional Italian dough, and offering great vegan and gluten-free options upon request.

For pizza fans that don’t have a preference, Bella Italia offers a Bottomless Pizza where you can mix and match pizza ingredients from the menu and eat as much as possible for only £12 per person. 

Fireaway

With more than 80 stores across the UK, Fireway is a great option for health-conscious individuals.

The chain uses fresh ingredients, especially vegetables, and cooks without or with the minimum amount of grease. Its pizza dough is fresh and made in-store. 

What many consumers like about Fireway is its mix-and-match approach to making pizzas. That means every customer can have their pizza custom-made with their preferred choice of base and toppings.

The pizza chain offers four types of bases (including gluten-free and vegan options), four types of cheese, four types of meat, and four types of vegetables. 

NKD Pizza

NKD Pizza is a pizza chain that’s best known for using fresh and local ingredients for their pizzas. The company also tries to avoid overcrowding their pizzas with toppings, unless a customer sends a special request. 

Their pizza dough finds the perfect balance between crunchy and chewy and is made of various grains. The company makes its dough in-store. 

NKD’s most popular product may be its NKD signature sauce, which is made of different herbs and spices and gives their pizzas a uniquely fresh taste and a nice texture.

If you’re worried about allergens, you can find all the necessary information on NKD Pizza’s official website. 

Bottom Line 

So, what is the most popular pizza chain in the UK in 2022? That depends on the type of ingredients you prefer, the type of crust you like, whether you want it delivered to your home, and sometimes even the cause you’d want to support.