Frozen pizza is popular in the United Kingdom, with consumers spending £667 million on such products in the year ending January 2025, according to the latest data from Circana. Despite the fact that this reflected a 1% decrease compared to the previous year, current year-to-date sales are ahead of where they were at this time in 2024 (+0.6%).
“Sixty-five percent of Britons either dined in or ordered takeaway pizza during 2024, which highlights the popularity of pizza,” said Oli Sampson, managing director of frozen food distributor Central Foods. “And Mintel expects the market value of pizza to rise from £6,046 million in 2024 to £8,542 million by 2029.”
The total frozen pizza category is growing, according to Kantar, with consumption occasions up by 7% year on year, driven by demand for quick and convenient midweek dinners.
“Consumers are looking for tasty, quick and affordable meals at home to replicate their favorite takeaway or restaurant meals,” explained Claire Hoyle, Goodfella’s head of marketing in the UK and Ireland. “Takeaway and deliveries are the perfect opportunity for people to come together and indulge in that ‘Friday night feeling’ and also in a more intimate setting with 74% of occasions having three or less people around the table, so this is a great opportunity for brands and retailers to grow sales by innovating in this space.”
Less is More
According to research from Egg Soldiers, diners are becoming more adventurous in their pizza choices, with toppings, bases, crusts, sauces and formats all enjoying regular attention and healthier builds. Diet-specific avenues and plant-based riffs are also of key concern amid evolving consumer demand.
“Pizza is a relatively simple concept, yet ever evolving. Its ability to address a multitude of dietary requirements, whilst delivering a slice of deliciousness, offers caterers of all sectors a truly versatile menu offering,” said Charlotte Perkins, commercial manager at Pan’Artisan. “In terms of bases, flatbreads are having a moment, with diners more inclined for a spot of adventure with a creative flatbread, being smaller and cheaper than a whole pizza, a perfect grab-and-go choice.”
The Goodfella’s marketing team pays a lot of attention to thin-based pizza innovation, which is why the brand over indexes within this subcategory. Last year Goodfella’s shook up the frozen pizza category by unveiling a new logo and packaging design, along with new recipes for its Stonebaked Thin Margherita and Pepperoni Pizza products.
“This signaled a bold new direction for the brand while staying true to its roots. With its new look, Goodfella’s packaging stands out on shelves, helping drive footfall down the frozen aisle and recruit new shoppers,” said Hoyle. “Each pack distinctly calls out the quality and care that goes into making a Goodfella’s pizza, including highlighting that each product is made from individual balls of dough that are freshly prepared each day and baked on imported Italian stone. They are topped with a signature sauce made in house with quality pizzeria-grade ingredients used for the toppings.”
Quality Counts
Mintel has highlighted the opportunity that embracing regional Italian cuisines presents, particularly with Millennial and Gen Z consumers who tend to be adventurous and interested in diverse and authentic flavors.
“Foodservice operators who are keen to take advantage of this trend can consider opting for ready-made pizza bases and then topping them with a variety of ingredients and flavors to suit the tastes of their customers,” said Sampson. “Any pizza menu needs to include options for vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters to cover all demands. Plant-based dining is very much here to stay and it’s simple to create tempting vegan and vegetarian pizzas using ingredients such as tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, chilis, spinach, olives, peppers, pickles and other delicious items.”
Following the wider frozen sector trends, consumers are increasingly demanding higher-quality options, in particular those that emulate restaurant-style experiences at an affordable price point.
“We’ve seen a bigger range of options emerge of authentic Italian-style pizza and American street food styles,” said Rupert Ashby, chief executive of the British Frozen Food Federation. “There’s also an increased demand for plant-based and gluten-free options, reflecting broader dietary shifts.
“Traditional favorites like cheese and pepperoni pizzas continue to dominate sales across all market segments. However, there’s a noticeable rise in premium flavors, including spicier toppings such as Nduja-inspired varieties and options like Salt and Pepper Chicken or Philly Cheese Steak. Enhancements like drizzle sauces are also gaining popularity in premium offerings.”
Industry Innovation
For foodservice operators who want to create their own pizzas, frozen bases and dough pucks are a great option. Not only do they enable chefs to create any number of signature pizzas with ease, but the fact that they are pre-made and frozen means they save both time and waste.
The KaterBake thin and crispy and soft and fluffy pizza bases from Central Foods, for example, come in a range of different sizes for the foodservice sector and are all suitable for vegans and vegetarians, with thin and crispy being the most popular option.
“One of the beauties of pizza for caterers is that it can be adapted – either by opting for a different style of base or by choosing different toppings – and that’s a key reason why they remain so popular with foodservice operators,” said Sampson.
In response to a clear appetite for new pizza flavors and varieties, Pan’Artisan recently launched a frozen Detroit Style Pizza Base. The light and fluffy bases can handle a range of hearty toppings.
“A visually impressive sharing – or not! – pizza, once topped and garnished is a perfect option for both dine-in or grab-and-go by the slice, and is suitable for vegans and vegetarians,” pointed out Perkins. “The benefits of frozen bakery are many. Caterers opt for frozen as it offers a stable product with an extended shelf life and product consistency can be depended on.”
Market data proves that pizza continues to rank highly among consumers’ favorite dishes in the UK. Thanks to ongoing innovation in this sector, it seems that the only way sales can go is up.
