Angela Hartnett 

The great pizza test

Michelin-starred chef Angela Hartnett puts pizzas through their paces.
  
  


Margherita

What on Earth organic, 500g, £5.75, www.whatonearth.co.uk

Great base and flavour. I like the fresh basil on it.
3 stars

Sharpham Park organic spelt, 700g, £6.99, 020 7720 4410

Tastes homemade and the flavour is nice.
3 stars

M&S vine-ripened tomatoes 540g, £4.99

Good quality mozzarella, too many herbs.
3 stars

Pizza Express, 270g, £3.85, widely available

Looks appetising and the flavour is quite good, but the base is too doughy.
2 stars

Tesco Finest, 460g, £3.48

The mozzarella is too chunky, it's claggy and the tomato flavour is artificial.
No stars

Spinach

What on Earth florentine, 500g, £5.75, www.whatonearth.co.uk

I really like the taste. It's well-balanced. But the base isn't crispy.
3 stars

Tesco Italian ricotta, 380g, £2.98

None of the flavours are overpowering. I like it.
3 stars

Sainsbury's pizzeria style ricotta, 370g, £2.99

It's OK, but I can't taste the spinach. The tomato flavour is too strong.
1 star

Sharpham Park organic spelt, 700g, £6.99 020 7720 4410

It's like a wholemeal quiche. I'm a bit traditional. I like them white and crispy.
No stars

Asda Italian stonebaked mascarpone, 490g, £2.98

I don't like this one. It's too doughy, there is not enough filling and what's there isn't very tasty.
No stars

Vegetable

M&S chargrilled, 550g, £4.99

Lovely. You can taste every vegetable in it.
4 stars

Waitrose aubergine and casalinga, 465g, £4.69

The aubergine looks dehydrated, but the tomato is amazing. Really delicious.
4 stars

Sainsbury's mediterranean, 414g, £2.99

It has a strong red pepper taste and it's a bit sour.
1 star

Asda thin and crispy, 485g, £1.88

It tastes like cooked onion on toast.
No stars

Tesco Italian chargrilled, 325g, £2.98

The base is colourless and the topping tastes of red raw pepper. Nothing else.
No stars

Cheese

Pizza Express quattro formaggi, 285g, £3.85, widely available

Good base and the cheese is nice, but the tomato sauce is nothing special.
3 stars

Sainsbury's taste the difference quattro formaggi, 224g, £2.99

Lovely sauce and the herbs are good.
3 stars

M&S woodfired four cheese, 500g, £3.99

Nice parmesan, but the base is a too soft for my taste. I like them crisp.
2 stars

What on Earth cipolla, 500g, £5.75, www.whatonearth.co.uk

The leek makes it taste funny. Reminds me of French bread with cheese.
1 star

Tesco Italian quattro formaggi, 335g, £2.98

Doesn't taste of much. Only of processed cheese.
No stars

Chicken

Pizza Express Il Padrino, 315g, £3.85, widely available

Real flavours. You can taste everything
4 stars

M&S chargrilled, 510g, £4.99

Great filling, but the base is a bit too spongy.
3 stars

Sainsbury's stonebake thin and crispy , 311g, £1.69

Good taste and the base/topping ratio is good.
3 stars

Tesco Italian bacon and mushroom, 305g, £2.98

Good flavours and texture. Not too cheesy.
3 stars

Asda Italian stonebaked rosemary, 520g, £2.98

I can taste the rosemary, but I don't really like it. And the cheese tastes cheap.
No stars

Pepperoni

Pizza Express American, 270g, £3.85, widely available

This is a really good one. Well-balanced flavours and crispy.
4 stars

Sharpham Park organic spelt, 700g, £6.99, 020 7720 4410

Good flavours and nice sausage.
3 stars

What on Earth piccante, 500g, £5.75, www.whatonearth.co.uk

The sausage could be spicier. But the base is good.
2 stars

Waitrose, 440g, £3.79

It's much too spicy in my opinion, but the base and the sauce taste nice.
2 stars

M&S Italian woodfired, 510g, £3.99

The base is too thick and the sausage tastes a bit old and tired.
No stars

Mushroom

Dr. Oetker funghi, 365g, £1.99, widely available

Lovely tomato sauce. It has a light and natural flavour and the mushrooms have a bit of body. Moreish.
4 stars

Sainsbury's taste the difference quattro funghi, 233g, £2.99

The truffles jazz it up, but they overpower the mushrooms, which are too thin.
2 stars

Tesco thin crust , 325g, £2.15

Crispy base, but I would like more mushrooms.
2 stars

M&S mushroom, ricotta and spinach, 325g, £3.99

Sauce not great and the base is too dry.
No stars

Waitrose mushroom and mascarpone, 455g, £3.79

Rather bland, base is like cardboard.
No stars

Spicy

Pizza Express American hot, 282g, £3.85, widely available

This is great. It's got a kick, but isn't too spicy and the flavours are natural.
5 stars

Goodfellas deeply delicious, 426g, £1.95, widely available

Tomatoes taste fresh, looks dull.
3 stars

Sainsbury's hot and spicy, 376g, £2.69

It's too spicy for me. And the base is too yeasty.
2 stars

M&S hot chicken, 410g, £3.99

It's not very spicy. Actually, it doesn't taste of much. The base is OK, though.
1 star

Stateside foods spicy beef, 325g, £2.79, widely available

It looks very unappealing. It reminds me of those no-frill pizzas we ate at school.
No stars

Unusual topping

Waitrose goat's cheese and fig chutney, 420g, £4.99

It tastes quite authentic. I like the rocket and the base is great. Delicious.
5 stars

What on Earth Aioli, 500g, £5.75, www.whatonearth.co.uk

Good flavours, but nothing special.
2 stars

Sainsbury's panini pizza with lemon and mint feta, 324g, £2.99

I can taste the mint feta, but it's dry.
2 stars

M&S hickory steak stonebake, 410g, £3.99

I can admire the idea, but I don't like the idea of steak on pizza.
1 star

Tesco naan chicken tikka, 367g, £2.49

It tastes like curry powder on naan bread.
No stars

 

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