Whether you're launching a new pizzeria, refreshing your menu or investing in commercial pizza equipment, understanding what customers really want is essential. While traditional favourites continue to dominate, consumer tastes are evolving, with younger generations embracing new pizza styles and flavours.
According to the latest consumer research*, based on a nationally representative survey of UK consumers, thin and crispy remains the UK's favourite pizza style. However, the findings also reveal growing demand for pan pizzas, sourdough bases and exciting new pizza trends.
So, what do these insights mean for pizza businesses? Let's take a closer look.
When asked which pizza style they preferred, 22% of consumers chose thin and crispy, making it the UK's favourite overall.
It's worth noting that thin and crispy is a consumer-led description rather than a formally recognised pizza style. Unlike classifications such as Neapolitan, New York, or Chicago deep dish, it isn't defined by organisations like the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN), which focuses solely on authentic Neapolitan pizza. The researchers have used the term thin and crispy as it is commonly understood by consumers, a pizza with a thin base and a crisp, crunchy texture, rather than as an official style designation.
The ‘thin and crispy’ style might not be is clearly defined or officially classified, but it does take the top spot. Traditional styles are also very popular, with Neapolitan (14%), New York Style (13%), Deep Dish (13%) and Pan Pizza (13%) all receiving strong support. This suggests that while consumers are open to a variety of pizza experiences, they still appreciate the traditional.
The secret to a perfectly thin and crispy pizza isn't just the dough, it's the equipment.
A preheated baking steel or pizza stone provides the intense heat needed for a crisp base. We specialise in professional grade appliances with pizza stones, check out the Effeuno range and the IGF blackline. Or try our pizza Baking Steel, designed to be placed in a conventional oven, it will have the same heat capacity as a stone.
To maintain the thin consistency try using a dough press. And don’t forget a perforated peel, dough docker, and mesh pizza screen all help create an evenly cooked crispy texture.
As consumer tastes continue to diversify, having the right equipment can help you serve every style to perfection. While thin and crispy remains the UK's favourite, strong demand for Neapolitan, New York, Deep Dish, Pan and even Detroit-style pizza means there's value in investing in purpose-built equipment.
Choosing equipment designed for specific pizza styles not only helps deliver authentic results but also gives you the flexibility to expand your menu and meet changing customer demand.
While thin and crispy was the overall favourite, the research highlights some differences between generations.
Consumers aged 55 and over strongly favoured thin and crispy pizzas, with almost one in three selecting it as their preferred style.
However, younger consumers are beginning to break away from tradition.
Among 25 to 34-year-olds, just 5% chose thin and crispy. Instead, pan pizza and sourdough bases were their joint favourites, each attracting 17% of responses.
Meanwhile, 18 to 24-year-olds split their preferences between thin and crispy and deep dish, showing a growing appetite for variety rather than one dominant style.
What Can Pizza Businesses Learn?
Classic styles like thin and crispy continue to dominate, particularly among older consumers, while younger generations are driving demand for pan pizzas, sourdough bases and more adventurous flavours.
The key takeaway isn't that one style is replacing another, it's that customers increasingly value choice.
For pizza businesses, flexibility is becoming just as important as quality. Offering a menu that caters to both traditional tastes and emerging trends can help attract a broader customer base, while investing in dependable commercial pizza equipment makes it easier to deliver consistently excellent results across every style.
✅ Thin & Crispy remains the UK's favourite pizza style (22%).
✅ Neapolitan, New York, Deep Dish and Pan Pizza all continue to enjoy strong popularity.
✅ Younger consumers are driving demand for pan pizza and sourdough bases.
✅ Flexible, high-quality pizza equipment can help businesses adapt as customer tastes continue to evolve.
Source
*Consumer insights referenced in this article are based on research published by VYPR using a nationally representative survey of 250 UK consumers. This article summarises and interprets the findings to explore what they could mean for pizza businesses and the wider industry.