17 March 2025

The Latest Pizza Trends

Explore some of the most dominating pizza trends right now to add increasingly experimental flavours, textures and visual appeal to your pizza arsenal.

In recent years we’ve seen the nation’s love for pizza grow even further, operators around the UK are coming up with innovative ways to make their pizza stand out from the crowd.

Whilst authentic Italian classics such as margherita and pepperoni will always be a firm favourite, consumers are becoming more adventurous and are willing to try more experimental flavour toppings and bases.

We can help you freshen up your new dishes, by incorporating some up-and-coming trends without a complete menu overhaul. Explore the top pizza trends below.

Pizza by the slice

Changes in routines and habits have driven a +4.9% increase in visits YoY, with many OOH visits favouring lunch and snack occasions, creating greater competition between operators as they focus on value and experience. Customers are shaking up the way they consume pizza, including the quantity. For quick service restaurants offering lunch menus, pizza by the slice can help tap into a new audience and ensure customers keep coming back.

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Pizza served by the slice

Detroit style pizza

Detroit style pizza has been a rising trend for the past few years, with 38% of consumers looking to try the thicker format. Using a thicker base with the sauce and ingredients reaching the very edge means you can serve smaller portions of Detroit style pizza whilst leaving customers fuller for longer.

Microgreens

Adding microgreens to pizza has been a growing trend, especially in the gourmet and artisanal pizza scene. Microgreens like rocket, basil, radish, and pea shoots add a fresh, peppery, or slightly sweet flavour that balances out rich toppings like cheese, cured meats, and creamy sauces. Many high-end pizzerias are using microgreens as a finishing touch after baking, similar to how rocket or fresh basil is used. It’s popular with health-conscious and sustainability led consumers because microgreens are packed with nutrients and add a visually appealing garnish.

Adding microgreens to pizza will help to appeal to health-conscious and sustainability led consumers

Stuffed Crusts

Stuffing pizza crusts has been around for a while now, but we are starting to see even more pizzerias adding this to their menus, not only for added indulgence and excitement to a pizza but also to add margins to that bottom line - 31% of consumers are more likely to trade up to a stuffed crust for an additional charge. There is all kinds of the things you can stuff a pizza crust with these days - cheddar, chorizo, jalapeños but mozzarella still comes up as a top option.

31% of consumers are more likely to trade up to a stuffed crust for an additional charge

North African Flavours

North African cuisine has been trending in recent years, especially in the food and restaurant industry. Dishes from countries like Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria are gaining popularity due to their bold spices, unique flavour combinations, and healthy ingredients. Fusing global cuisines on pizza has been going strong for the past few years now and it looks like this trend will continue to remain on the scene. Consider adding North African flavours to your pizza dishes to drive relevancy within your pizza operation.

Adding North African flavour trends to your pizza menu will drive relevance and generate interest

Creating Visual Appeal

According to global trend forecasters WGSN, there has been significant growth in pizzaiolos using dramatic visual effects to increase interest, fame and sales of their pizzas via Instagram. Here are the key trends that are making their way from pizza ovens to newsfeeds:

Pizza using colors from ingredients to increase visual appeal

Airy dough

Known as ‘Pizza canotto’ (Italian for a round inflatable raft with a large raised edge), pizzaiolos are increasingly touting large, airy, long-fermented doughs. Flour maker Caputo has even brought out a new flour known as ‘Nuvola’, which allows for faster fermentation and higher hydration in order to speed the process along.

Dazzling toppings

Innovative eating experiences are attracting audiences interested in discovering something new from familiar ingredients and dishes. From ‘ronicups’ created by natural casing pepperoni (which curl, creating pools of spicy oil that make the pizza delicious and Instagrammable) to the use of fresh fruit and flowers to create colourful masterpieces – chefs are pushing the boundaries of creativity by using pizza as a canvas.

Californian food influencer Lily Morello is taking a fresh look at pizza, topping it with seasonal fruits resulting in beautifully colourful and unique creations. Reflective of her on-going goal to “make carbs look pretty”, Lily’s pizzas are undoubtedly Instagrammable.

Big crusts

Pizza is no stranger to the stuffed cheese crust, but innovators – largely in Asia – are experimenting with everything from customisable crusts including hash browns and egg tart. In Japan, Aoki’s pizza chain features hot dog-stuffed, oozing cheese crusts on their menu, whilst in Indonesia, Pizza Hut launched a Dim Sum pizza with fried dim sum packets incorporated in the crust.