6 OF THE BEST

Supermarket pizzas

By Pip Sloan

It’s a tough time for Italian chains. The beginning of the year saw branches of Strada, Prezzo and Carluccio close. Then came the dramatic collapse of Jamie’s Italian; and now, even Pizza Express, the bastion of romana-style pizzas and dough balls since 1965, is beginning to buckle under the weight of its own expansion.

The chain, which has 470 UK sites and 130 overseas, faces debts of £1.1billion, sparking speculation that it may have to start closing restaurants. For many, this news may come as no surprise. Up and down the country, small chains and independent pizza joints are offering everything from sourdough slices to Chicago-style deep-dish at competitive prices. In the shops, Pizza Express’s bake-at-home selection faces stiff competition from own-brand offerings that boast sourdough bases and artisanal toppings.

So how does the creator of the Sloppy Giuseppe fare against supermarket rivals? We put six of the most tempting to the test.

WAITROSE NO 1 TRUFFLE AND MUSHROOM SOURDOUGH PIZZA £4.80 FOR 438G, WAITROSE

This has a generous layer of mushrooms, parsley and dots of creamy mascarpone, and is a gorgeous marriage of béchamel, subtle truffle and umami mushrooms, with a seriously good base. “Serves four” is optimistic. 10/10

£5.50 FOR 325G, OCADO

Can prosciutto, mushroom, mascarpone and, oddly, tomato sauce, truly be described as “carbonara”? The base is rigid and flavourless, the toppings are scarce, and the runny mascarpone sauce blankets everything in a layer of blandness. 4/10