Don’t ask for a pepperoni! Pizza chain’s vegan diner

PIZZA Express has launched its first vegan restaurant.

An outlet of the chain in central London will serve plant-based versions of its classic dishes.

These include the American Jack – with smoky jackfruit ‘pepperoni’ and vegan mozzarella on a tomato base – and the Vegan Ad Astra pizza, which contains Quorn pieces, sweet red peppers, Cajun spice, and vegan mozzarella.

The restaurant, which is on The Strand, opened to celebrate Pizza Express’s new menu, launching today, which has the chain’s biggest number of vegan dishes.

Many firms are following the trend and offering more plant-based options to consumers. McDonald’s has already announced that it will soon release its first-ever vegan burger.

The pizzeria worked with Jack and Bry, which develops meat alternatives made out of jackfruit, for over a year to create the vegan pepperoni.

Pizza Express said its Sloppy Vegan pizza – an alternative to the Sloppy Giuseppe – was a ‘huge hit’ this summer and it’s excited to offer even more vegan options. It added: ‘Every single one of our new vegan pizzas stays true to the unique flavours of the original versions... so our customers can enjoy the same mouthwatering flavour profiles as the originals, without any animal products.’

Shadi Halliwell of the chain added: ‘Our new vegan menu is so wide-ranging and delicious that it deserves a pizzeria of its own. We’re thrilled to finally open the doors and can’t wait to welcome everyone from across London and beyond.’