The typical Brit will munch through 5,208 slices of pizza over the course of their adult life – but 83 per cent have no regrets about the amount they eat.
A poll of 2,000 adults found 12 per cent eat up to three pizzas each week – with between 6pm and 8pm being the most popular time to chow down.
This equates to an average of £21.40 a month on the beloved Italian classic – or £256.80 a year.
In fact, 40 per cent are picking pizza over other meals and snacks with 18 per cent saying they’re likely to reach for a slice over other takeaway treats like kebabs (three per cent) or an Indian takeaway (15 per cent), because it makes them happy (42 per cent).
With 57 per cent citing it as their ‘comfort food’.
The research, commissioned by Tabasco Brand to celebrate National Pizza Month, also found Friday (24 per cent) and Saturday (21 per cent) are the preferred days to tuck into the dish.
A spokesperson for the hot sauce maker said: “Pizza is an easy way to bring people together as the ultimate dish to share with friends and family.
“Great for any occasion, the cheesy goodness with an added dash of hot sauce is a great way to light up any movie night or end of week celebration.’
Ordering it to your home (46 per cent) is the preferred location to eat pizza, as opposed to at a restaurant (18 per cent).
The study, carried out via OnePoll, also found the nation’s top ‘pizza moments’ are a movie night at home (36 per cent) and after a night on the town (29 per cent).
Pizza-lovers are also growing more adventurous, with 48 per cent experimenting with different flavours and toppings, citing combinations like hot sauce and mayo (17 per cent), hot sauce and honey (15 per cent) and hot sauce and queso (13 per cent) as the blends they’re most likely to explore.
And when it comes to toppings, mushrooms (37 per cent), mozzarella (37 per cent) and onions (33 per cent) come in the top three – with pepperoni (31 per cent per cent) and garlic (26 per cent) just behind.
The spokesperson for Tabasco Brand, which has teamed up with Yard Sale Pizza to allow Londoners to share custom messages to friends and family via its Yard Sale x Tabasco Pizza Post, added: “It’s great to see that people are open to experimenting with some seriously hot combinations.
“Pizza is a great medium for this. Its cheesy base counteracts the heat from the hot sauce, allowing people to try out flavours that seem spicier than they’re used to.
“Plus, the acidity of the vinegar cuts through the rich toppings, deepening the flavour and taste of the pizza. Together, the combination can light up even the simplest of pizzas.”
The best time to enjoy a pizza:
1. A movie night at home
2. On a Friday night after a long week at work
3. When watching sports on TV
4. As a payday treat
5. Getting in after a night out
6. The day you get back from a holiday
7. The day you move house and don’t want to cook
8. As a celebration – like on exam results day
9. Your birthday
10. Leftovers as a treat lunch at work
