Pizza takes up vast swathes of supermarket freezer aisles and chilled food counters. But are any of them any good? We assembled a crack team of tasters to rate them on their appearance, quality and quantity of toppings, base consistency and taste.
Aoife Ryan is a specialist food product sourcer for retail and duty-free and writes a food blog at babaduck.com . Restaurateur Ronan Ryan's latest venture is Pizza e Porchetta in the Malt House in Dublin 2. Orla Broderick is a food writer and author.
M&S Spicy Calabrian Salami & Green Chilli Woodfired Pizza, €7.49
Aoife: Attractive, puffy crust but the salami is thin and a bit oily. Very spicy. Wouldn’t buy it. 3/5
Ronan: Best in show! Huge hit of chilli, really impressive. Would buy it. 4/5
Orla: Thicker crust than I would normally like. Nice balance of acidity and sweetness in the tomato topping. Lots of personality. Would buy it. 5/5
TOTAL: 12/15
SuperValu Goat’s Cheese a
nd Mediterranean Vegetable Pizza, €2.50
Aoife: Roast veg had great consistency and flavour, but the base was soggy. Would buy it. 3/5
Ronan: Generous toppings, base not great, decent for a supermarket offer- ing. if the base was thinner this would be my favourite. Wouldn’t buy it. 3/5
Orla: The veg is making the dough soggy. The taste is overly sweet, almost ketchup like. Wouldn’t buy it. 0/5
TOTAL: 6/15
Dr Oetker Ristorante Pizza Mozzarella, €3.89
Aoife: Flabby and soggy and the toppings didn’t adhere to the base. Wouldn’t buy it. 1/5
Ronan: Reminds me of the first packet frozen pizza I saw in the early 1980s. Very stodgy, wouldn’t rate this one at all. Wouldn’t buy it, God, no. 1/5
Orla: Flavourless dough, unappetising, too sweet and very processed. Wouldn’t buy it. 0/5
TOTAL: 2/15
Pizza da Pierro base with Don Antonio bruschetta topping, St Tola goat’s cheese and black olives. €6 (base €2)
Aoife: Base consistency is good and it doesn’t sag when you hold a slice by the crust. The sauce has evaporated, but the cheese is tasty. Would buy it. 3/5
Ronan: Not for me at all, could be better if served with more sauce. Olives terrible, only the cheese saves it. 1/5
Orla: I like this thin base. The flavour of the cheese is excellent, but just not right on this pizza. Would buy it. 3/5
TOTAL: 7/15
Chicago Town The Takeaway Pepperoni Plus, €3.50
Aoife: Dreadful. Very sweet sauce, no flavour from the cheese and pepperoni. Wouldn’t buy it (not a chance). 0/5
Ronan: Base is full of oil; stodgy; not nice at all. Wouldn’t buy it. 1/5
Orla: Generous amount of pepperoni, but too greasy and bready. Heart attack on a plate. Wouldn’t buy it. 1/5
TOTAL: 2/15
Tesco Finest Rostello Ham, Chestnut Mushroom and Mascarpone Woodfired Pizza, €6.99
Aoife: Nice thin base with raised crust, juicy mushrooms and herb flavour. Base is good at the e dges, soggy in the middle. Would buy it (acceptable in an emergency). 3/5
Ronan: Looks good, very soft, but edible. Decent offering. Would buy it (probably). 3/5
Orla: Lots of ham, mushrooms a nd mascarpone topping. Tomato paste adds body, but too much makes the sauce overly sweet. Wouldn’t buy it. 2/5
TOTAL: 8/15
Thanks to Pizza e Porchetta for hosting the tasting. pizzaeporchetta.com
