Marcus Wareing has claimed that the best pizza he has tried in London is Pizza Express, where he has dined for 20 years.
Speaking to content creator Jesse Burgess in a video on Topjaw’s TikTok, the two Michelin-starred chef, who is best known for being a judge on MasterChef: The Professionals said that the classic American Hot pizza, which the restaurant chain has served since the Sixties, is his dish of choice.
Asked by Burgess: “What is the best pizza?” Marcus replied: “This one is easy, but you’re not going to like the answer. Pizza Express, I know, I know.”
“I still eat the same pizza I was eating for the past 20 years, American Hot, I love it, Romana, a little bit of extra chilli, I love it, it’s got to be a Romana base.”
An American Hot is a classic pepperoni pizza with chilli peppers, while a Romana base uses Pizza Express’s famous dough but stretched out to be even bigger, creating a thin, crispy 14-inch base, giving room for extra toppings.
“And do you know what every time I go it’s cooked exactly the same,” he added.
Content creator Burgess explained that his favourite from the restaurant chain was a Sloppy Guiseppe pizza, a recipe that uses spicy ground beef, green pepper, red onion, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Pizza fanatics have been debating Wareing’s choice, given that London is flooded with pizza chains that serve up trendier offerings, like Pizza Pilgrims, Homeslice, Yard Sale Pizza or Franca Manca.
“He should hand back his stars!” commented one person who seemed to disapprove of Wareing’s preference.
“Always consistent I have to say,” wrote one person in agreement with the chef. “I always go for the Giuseppe as well.”
“Agreed, nothing better!” added one Pizza Express fan.
Meanwhile, one commenter disagreed with the choice of chain restaurant, writing: “Pizza Pilgrims is elite.”
In a previous interview with the Guardian, Wareing said that Pizza Express was his favourite chain to take his children to.
“They love Pizza Express, which I think is consistently good,” said the chef. “And The Butcher and Grill in Battersea. They get a proper meal and colouring books.”
Pizza Express was founded in 1965 by restauranter Peter Boizot, who brought a pizza oven back to London from a trip to Italy.
Opening its first restaurant on Wardour Street in Soho, the chain now has 370 sites in the UK and Ireland and 80 sites across Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the restaurant announced it was closing 73 of its UK branches. In 2021, it announced it was closing another 23 restaurants.
