Vegetarian pizza
A cheese and tomato or vegetable pizza is usually vegetarian, but not always. Traditional Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano) and some other hard Italian cheeses are made with animal rennet, so they are not vegetarian. Anchovies can also hide in sauces and dressings. If it matters to you, ask which cheeses are used.
Vegan pizza
A vegan pizza needs a dairy-free cheese, or no cheese at all, as on a classic marinara. Most pizza dough is just flour, water, yeast, salt and oil, but some recipes add milk, butter or honey, and some bases are brushed with butter. Check the base, the cheese and any garlic or dipping sauces.
Gluten-free pizza
Many takeaways now offer a gluten-free base. In the UK, food can only be called gluten-free if it contains no more than 20 parts per million of gluten. Pizza kitchens use a lot of flour, though, so a gluten-free base may still pick up traces from shared surfaces, ovens and cutters.
If you have coeliac disease, ask how the gluten-free base is prepared and cooked, and whether the takeaway can describe it as gluten-free or only as made without gluten-containing ingredients.
Halal pizza
Whether a pizza is halal depends on the meat toppings, such as pepperoni, chicken and beef, and on how the kitchen keeps them separate. Halal pepperoni is usually made from beef or chicken rather than pork. Ask the takeaway where its meat comes from if you need to be sure.
On PizzaTakeaway.co.uk, a listing only shows a halal badge when the takeaway has confirmed it.
Allergens: what takeaways must tell you
UK food businesses must be able to tell you if a dish contains any of the 14 major allergens. This applies when you order online or by phone too: the information must be available before you order and when the food arrives.
- The 14 major allergens
- Celery, cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, peanuts, sesame, soya, sulphur dioxide and sulphites, and tree nuts.
- On pizza, look out for
- Gluten and milk in most bases and cheeses, egg in some doughs and dips, fish in anchovy toppings, mustard and celery in some sauces, and nuts in pesto.
Common questions
Is margherita pizza vegetarian?
Usually, yes: it is tomato, mozzarella and basil. Some places add Parmesan or other hard cheeses made with animal rennet, so ask if you need to be sure.
Can coeliacs eat gluten-free takeaway pizza?
Sometimes. A gluten-free base can still be exposed to flour in a busy pizza kitchen. Ask the takeaway how it prepares and cooks gluten-free pizza before you order.
Is pepperoni halal?
Standard pepperoni is often made with pork, so it is not halal. Some takeaways use halal beef or chicken pepperoni instead. Ask the takeaway to confirm.