Pizza boom in China

CHINA’S appetite for pizza has driven sales at PizzaExpress, despite a slowdown in the British casual dining market.

The Beijing-owned firm said overall turnover grew 14.1pc to £488m for the year ending June 26, despite sales in the UK and Ireland falling 1.3pc.

Chief executive Richard Hodgson said the international business continued to progress, with 17 new restaurant openings – including 11 in China and Hong Kong.

‘This has been a more challenging year for the UK casual dining sector, with a more cautious consumer and a significant increase in new openings,’ he said.

A deal with Deliveroo would help tap into the home-delivery market, he said.