CHECK OUT THE NEW PIZZAS
The mere mention of pizza had a dozen Prue Leith Chefs Academy students jump at the opportunity to sample an exciting new range from Checkers
Mouthwatering aromas, melting cheese, bubbling toppings, new flavours and chewy bases and the ohs and ahs from the students were confirmation that the pizzas were good. Second and third helpings, with leftover slices packed for padkos, meant they hit the mark as the students wolfed a feast of six pizzas. For an unbiased opinion the pizzas were cooked to package instructions, and without any branding the students tasted and rated them on a score sheet.
There were definite favourites: the Caprese and Tuxedo varieties vied for top spot, with the students loving the freshness of the Caprese with the generous scattering of baby tomatoes bathed in a combination of mozzarella and cheddar cheese and finished off with a fresh basil pesto (it comes in a separate pack with the pizza) versus The Tuxedo, topped with soft cream cheese, slow cooked red onion mellowed in balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of bacon. They raved. The A-Mayo-Nazing pizza with a thick blanket of oozy cheese and mayonnaise was deceptively delicious as it covered a layer of chicken. “Wow, a chicken mayonnaise pizza!” said one taster.
Moving onto bolder flavours the students then tasted the Americano, which was another surprise: “A pizza that tastes just like a cheeseburger,” said the crowd in unison after the first bite.
For lovers of spicy food the Mexicano will hit the right notes — a fiery combination of sliced chicken, jalapenos, corn, spring onion, olives and even a sprinkling of black beans. It comes with a sachet of sour cream which is drizzled over the pizza before serving.
After the tasting, when shown the packaging, the students were impressed — and when asked to put a price on the pizzas, they said it ranged between R70 — R100, so at R79.99 each they felt it was money worth spending. Their biggest surprise? That the pizzas came from a supermarket, not a specialist pizza outlet.
THEY TASTE SO GOOD ...
The pizzas are beautifully packaged in designer boxes — you can’t miss them in your local Checkers store. Following an Italian trend, the pizzas are oval, shaped by hand and each has its own unique look. The bases are smothered in a homemade garlic and basil tomato sauce and topped with a minimum of two types of cheese. Each has up to 20% more cheese than standard pizzas sold at Checkers. The toppings were chosen to ensure an explosion of flavour with six to choose from, making them suitable for meat lovers and vegetarians. Baked in just 15 minutes, the pizzas are excellent value at R79.99 each.