Analysing thousands of touchpoints across the breadth of the pizza-based food service sector, our 2024 Pizzerias Menuwatching report is here.
The pizzerias scene is vibrant. It is a multi-discipline, multicultural space where innovation and adherence to heritage techniques exist side-by-side. From Neapolitan to Detroit deep-pan, proponents of each particular style construct their creations with near religious devotion, sharing - as is the modern way - the results of their labours to an appreciative audience, both online and analogue.
We've collated three key takeouts from the full report, in no particular order:
1. Sip and Slice: As pizza becomes ever more elevated, so too do the drinks offered alongside it. The negroni is enjoying a moment as the de rigueur cocktail pairing, in straight up form, 'spoiled' with fizz for a sbagliato, or twisted via fun flavour plays using fruits, spices… even Buckfast! Meanwhile the rise of natural wines sweeps into pizzerias with a flurry of new openings pairing pies with über-cool pét nats, orange wines, et al.
2. All About the Base: Most of us will be familiar with Neapolitan and New York style pizza, but what about Chicago tavern, or New Haven 'apizza'? All of these and more are bringing US regional influence to international menus, each with its own distinct set of characteristics, which in turn inspire yet newer formats – like 'London style' pizza: heavily influenced by East Coast US styles while remaining proudly individual.
3. Fun Fats: Animal fats are being loved for their flavour packed properties (did someone say 'kokumi'?) as duck, lamb and chicken fats, beef tallow, bone marrow and multi-flavoured compound butters are used to prepare toppings, glaze crusts, emulsify mayos and generally up the umami on pizzas and sides, taking fats from 'taboo' to true centrepiece ingredients.
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