Pizza Express, Pizza Hut, Dominoes etc (UK)

[gertvegan]

I know that the pizza bases in Pizza Express are vegan but does anyone else know what else on their menu is ok?

Check out the 'There is a new seasonal Spring Menu.... bit at the bottom of the page here from the same website you've already quoted.

[feral]

I've asked them for a list of vegan foods so if they send one I'll post it here.

[Catie]

Check out the 'There is a new seasonal Spring Menu.... bit at the bottom of the page here from the same website you've already quoted.

Ha, I'm useless, I never noticed that.

[Lex]

Giardinera with no cheese is good.

Giardinera with Jalapenos and no cheese is awesome.

Mmm… that’s what I’m having next time, then!
And I reckon substituting artichokes for cheese improves most pizzas…

[gibby]

hi

they will do special orders for vegans
removing the offending stuff

ive had a few veggie pizza without cheese and its great
very tasty

just becareful as they think fish is veggie in the menu

also the salads are great but no veggie drink though.

G

[alisont]

Must say ive found pizza express very helpful and they did seem aware of vegan needs when i went, they were happy to add vegan cheese if i took it in, and came over to explain they would prepare my pizza away from others to avoid cross contamination!

On the other hand pizzahut is dreadful - not found a vegan option yet and got several lunches over summer there thru work think il be taking a picnic

Its so hard to know about sorbet - a lot have gelatine or some have milk in - i wont eat it unless i can read the ingredients list!

Alison

[VeganJohn]

[QUOTE=alisont]Must say ive found pizza express very helpful and they did seem aware of vegan needs when i went, they were happy to add vegan cheese if i took it in, and came over to explain they would prepare my pizza away from others to avoid cross contamination!

That is excellent. I wish more restaurant chains gave this level of customer care.

[the_marmite_kid]

i've only been once with a group from work to pizza express and had the Giardinera without cheese and it was lovely. i will be going back again, its not very often i eat at non veggie restaurants but pizza express are alright by me

[Jamie]

I'm just looking at the menu on the site - it says that it puts 'v' next to items with no animal products, but it seems to have them next to things with cheese in them, so who knows? Actually perhaps it's because it's buffalo cheese, or goat cheese...

and baked dough balls - says it comes with a garlic butter dip. do you think that's actual butter, or just 'butter-style' dip?? I can ask when I'm there but I'm a bit shy and would probably just order it, cross my fingers, and see if I can smell butter before trying it!

[aubergine]

It's real butter. The menu only marks things as veggie.

The dough is safe though, so just avoid butter and cheese.

[gibby]

there is an expression in Newcastle
Shy bairns get nowt!

the staff in PE are so friendly - US style
so just ask em
as the do garlicy things with no butter too
olive oil & garlic was something on one of the vegan pizzas I had a whlie ago

the more vegans that go through the door - the more chance they will have vegan meals on the menu

G

[Jamie]

I ordered it to share with garlic bread along with my almost-vegan hubby - then I saw someone else got some at a nearby table and it looked like butter so I said he might have to have that. I did ask when it turned up and she said yes it was butter, garlic butter (probably thought I was a nitwit). My garlic bread thingy was quite greasy so I just rubbed the doughballs over that and it was nice! Then I ate the garlic bread and that was yum (probably would have been yummier with a bit more of the oil still left on, but nevermind!). For the mains, we ordered a giardinera without cheese, and I had some salad that had a load of yummy warm veg and came with doughsticks and I asked for that without cheese (Was supposed to come with mozarella balls - SO didn't need it!!!) and that was really yummy. Hubby ate most of the pizza but we swapped a bit of each other. I thought it tasted really strongly of herbs, but dried herbs, they'd gone a bit mad putting those in. The doughsticks with my salad were a lot like thick pizza crusts, so I almost had a pizza anyway in that LOL

I didn't really think that any of the deserts could be counted on as vegan - maybe a fruit pudding but tbh after all the food I wasn't that hungry and since they didn't have any soy milk, I had a mint tea to finish, which was nice.

So it seemed like a nice place. I can't say the staff seemed at all over-friendly though - it was a busy Saturday night though so maybe they were just worn out, they weren't negligent at all, just not over-friendly. We were in a room that was really loud (had a hen party in it, but I think everyone just had to keep yelling to be heard over each other and that just made the whole room stay noisy), so I wasn't sure she heard me when I said that I was vegan when I was ordering. Lucky I have the info from you guys on here to help me out!!

Confidence to speak up isn't something that you can just switch on, I don't think! I suppose it just takes time - I'll do a bit now, then when I'm happy doing that I can do more and then more and so on. It doesn't help though when it's loud and busy and you can barely be heard.

I would go again though - more vegan friendly and just more upmarket than pizza hut, the sort of place we used to end up going with friends!!! )

[moonshadow]

pizza express is really okay? the one i went to (torquay) said that they had no clue, and probably the dough has egg and/or milk in it.

mmmm.... pizza....

[mememe]

I like PE but find it a bit overpriced if I want to add some items, it's like 95p for every topping. I think that's a bit steep. But I do like the fact the bases are vegan, and they do taste lovely.

What's wrong with vegan cheese on pizza?! I haven't gone so far as to take my own when I eat out, but if I am making pizza at home I'll use my cheese.

[moonshadow]

i prefer putting a tahini/miso mix on my pizza at home. i'm not a huge cheese fan.

i love cheeseless pizza, though. especially with pineaple and olives....

[mememe]

I love cheeseless pizza too, but adding vegan cheese is just a little something different and just another ingredient. I've served it to friends too and they always really like it.

[Jamie]

i prefer putting a tahini/miso mix on my pizza at home. i'm not a huge cheese fan.

oooh how exactly do you make that? and how do you put it on the pizza? sounds interesting!


We've gotta eat some pizza soon - all this pizza talk is making me pizza. Pizza!

Was going to roast some various veg this afternoon... might try making a roast veg pizza. Need to make a pizza base - hope it's easy! lol

[moonshadow]

oooh how exactly do you make that? and how do you put it on the pizza? sounds interesting!

i'll post in the recipe forum soon...

[Vickythevegan]

I get the giardinera pizza with no cheese & extra rocket so no need for a side salad! I ask for chilli or garlic oil to drizzle over as well. It's delicious. I may try the artichoke option next time I go there too. If I get a starter I have the dough balls with balsamic vinegar & olive oil instead of garlic butter. Most of my friends end up stealing that actually! Mmmm, pizza!

[KatyB]

Any ideas whether 'famous moes' pizza base is suitable? there has been no mention of them so far!?

[Akala]

and baked dough balls - says it comes with a garlic butter dip. do you think that's actual butter, or just 'butter-style' dip?? I can ask when I'm there but I'm a bit shy and would probably just order it, cross my fingers, and see if I can smell butter before trying it!

I saw these on sale in Tesco. The ingredients include garlic butter but I don't know if it's seperate or not.

[Jamie]

I've tried those garlic balls, from Sainsbury's though, and from what I remember it's just a pot of garlic butter you get and the balls are by themselves.

I was sure when I first went to PE that the garlic bread thing was fine, because I had one, but when I went back again, I thought they might have tweaked the menu a little because it said it has garlic butter on that too... does anyone else remember it once being without the butter? anyway nowdays I just ask for them to make it without, and they always seem to have a garlic infused olive oil around and I ask for some of that.

If we go again I'll have to bring in some cheese or just try something else because I'm getting a bit bored with the salady thing.

[Mr Flibble]

I saw these on sale in Tesco. The ingredients include garlic butter but I don't know if it's seperate or not.

Even if they are, if you buy them you're still buying non vegan products and contributing to animal suffering - irrelevant of whether you put them in your mouth or not.

Pizza express claim their dough used in restuarants is vegan friendly. Dough balls are generally just that, so without any sauce they should be ok. The company that makes the ones sold in Tesco probably isn't Pizza Express itself but a franchise, and given that it has to last several days as opposed to several hours they probably have a different recipe.

If you're desperate for pizza and doughballs, I'd recomend buying a pizza stone (£8-15) and an italian bread book. You'll get fresh dough for life at a tiny fraction of the cost of eating out.

[Demon]

The Bruschetta is vegan - a bit like garlic bread (maybe that's what you were thinking of Jamie ?) but with olive oil, chopped onions & tomatoes. It also has pesto which I was told was OK and have eaten, but am still slightly suspicious about.

Olives Marinate is supposed to be OK and is Noci (glazed nuts - I was assured it's not honey).

For Pizza, I usually have Veneziana with no cheese and extra olives & mushrooms but having read this, I'm going to try Giardiniera.

[Stu]

So what about getting pizza delivered? Do any of the chains make suitable bases?

[cedarblue]

i didnt think they did, just p.e.?? oh, why dont they deliver.....?

[Demon]

Some Dominos bases are OK (the think ones I think). You can download ingredient lists here.

Tastes horrible to me though.

Last time I looked, the only suitable base in Pizza hut was stuffed crust but so far I havn't had the guts to go in and ask for a stuffed crust without the stuffed crust!

[Demon]

Do any of the chains make suitable bases?

Most supermarkets do in kit form (bag of flour, bottle of oil, yeast, salt)

[Jamie]

I use dominoes when we want a pizza.. but to be honest I get really bored of the same old topping all the time. I tended to have bbq sauce, peppers, tomato, sometimes sweetcorn and/or pineapple added to that... I'm so over it now. If my other half wanted a pizza delivered as a treat I would probably get one again but I might get it home and put cheezely on it, I've tired that before, sticking it slice by slice under the grill as I want them... but it's a bit messy and hassly.

Tesco do a ready made pizza base which appears vegan though! I think it's a value pizza base, with nothing on it. That's what we've been using lately and it's really good. Thick but soft, not too thick though, which happens sometimes with our homemade bases! We mostly have it with tomato sauce of whatever kind we have around (puree, we've even tried bolognaise sauce but that just tasted like pasta instead of pizza to me!), and whatever veg and sometimes pretend meat we have around, and cheezley if we have it. We had one just the other night with chopped up redwoods sage & marjoram sausages, a couple of small bits of cheesley on it (we didn't have much and it's not very spreadable cause it sticks to itself in your hands!), that was yum!

sorry I've gone terribly off topic. Pizza Express!

[Marrers]

The Bruschetta is vegan . . .also has pesto which I was told was OK and have eaten, but am still slightly suspicious about.

Interesting but I'd be a bit concerned about that since most mainstream pesto contains cheese. I rarely go there unless eating with unadventurous friends or if there are no veggie places in the area but will ask next time I go there unless anyone else finds out first.

[Melanie]

0.o
I think i'm going to stick to making my own pizza/dough balls!
~xx

[Stu]

Dear Stu

Our pizza bases we use do not contain any animal products so vegans can
order a pizza without meat and cheese which would be suitable for
vegans. Please be aware though that our pizza makers are trained to
ensure that no cross contamination does take place and wash there hands
before making each pizza however, an absence of cross contamination
cannot be 100% guaranteed.

Regards


Kerry Lloyd
Customer Service Co-ordinator
Direct Line : 01908 580697
Fax : 01908 281280
Email : Kerry.Lloyd@dominos.co.uk

[Akala]

The ingredients include garlic butter confused:

How do they get away with not stating what garlic butter consists of?
e.g ...garlic butter (what constitutes garlic butter)....

EDIT: I suppose this will put an end to the dough ball confusion. I saw these again and the ingredients are now split into 'dough balls', which appear to be vegan, and the 'dip' which now contains........butter AND buttermilk! Mr Flibble's vegan dough balls in stores soon?

EDIT: What if 'garlic butter' contained butter and buttermilk before they changed the ingredients. Surely they must have been liable to being sued or at least some disciplinary action from the FSA.

[Soyalicious]

Occasionally I go for a Domino's pizza and I find it nicer choosing our own toppings:

We usually go for mushrooms, chillies, pineapple, onion, tomatoes, peppers, jalepenos, pineapple and quite a few other things. Can't remember off the top of my head. I find they're so much nicer without cheese and alot less greasy and heavy on the stomach.

[RachelJune]

I was dragged along to Pizza Express with my fellow secretaries for a work lunch last week. Really wasn't looking forward to it! However the guy who served us didn't make any fuss when I said I was vegan and made sure my meal was really interesting and tasty (despite me just asking for a salad). I would definately go back again. Maybe I'll try a pizza next time..

[EFCliz]

Strada pizza bases are vegan. I had an e-mail off them to tell me. They're really nice too!

[david.summo]

Why is it pizza hut dont do vegan stuff in england, i heard they do in america?

[Risker]

Their allergen list is pretty comprehensive, I'm sure you could pick some vegan stuff off it and ask them to make it for you.

Just looking through it and it says Mediterranean Vegetable Penn is vegan

[wmenke]

Pizza Hut does do a little vegan stuff in America. Their Hand-toss and thin dough are both vegan, but not the breadsticks or pan dough

[veglover89]

anyone know if cheeseless papa johns is alright? i went on their website and didnt seem to contain anything suspect//

[Troutina]

Its fine!
I work there, so depending where your local branch is, they would probably be fine with you bringing in your own Cheezly!
If you're anywhere near Surbiton, come in and I'll make you a Cheezly pizza

[Demon]

The Bruschetta is vegan . . .also has pesto which I was told was OK and have eaten, but am still slightly suspicious about.

Interesting but I'd be a bit concerned about that since most mainstream pesto contains cheese. I rarely go there unless eating with unadventurous friends or if there are no veggie places in the area but will ask next time I go there unless anyone else finds out first.

You're right Marrers - I just had an email from Pizza Express saying the pesto does contain cheese. Sorry if I misled anyone. They were quite keen to know which restraunt said there was no cheese but I can't remember now.

[Cumin]

Some weeks ago, we were assured by the waiter in the Pizza Express in Cheltenham that the pesto had no cheese so we ate a pizza with it on.
However, I was then told by the PE in High Wycombe that it did. They apologised profusely, but it's that someone got this in writing from them.

[alisont]

When i was in the Birmingham Pizza Express Sat I asked for the gardinaira pizza without cheese as i was vegan - the waiter said and no pesto its not vegan, he was really up on what was vegan - offering the garlic bread, dough balls etc with oil instead of butter.

Another branch said the pesto was vegan - but i avoid pesto due to my cashew nut intollerance - they said it did have nuts in.

It does seem to vary from branch to branch!

[KrissStress]

I've never seen why there even needs to be cheese in pesto. You can't really taste a difference when you make it without...

here in the U.S. I typically stick to calzones or strombolis when we're at pizza shoppes - we tried splitting a pizza once, half cheese and half not and I ended up not even taking any. BIG mistake. I'll stick to making my own dough and pizza at home...

[Cumin]

Another branch said the pesto was vegan - but i avoid pesto due to my cashew nut intollerance - they said it did have nuts in.

It does seem to vary from branch to branch!

Note that it's only the knowledge that varies; The pesto ALWAYS has cheese in as it comes from a standard supplier. I was told this on good authority by a manager in one branch.

[Sandy777]

Their allergen list is pretty comprehensive, I'm sure you could pick some vegan stuff off it and ask them to make it for you.

Just looking through it and it says Mediterranean Vegetable Penn is vegan

I had some time to kill recently when I was in Dundee and went to Pizza Hut and got that med veg penn and I'm not kidding you, it was quite possibly the worst pasta dish ever. It tasted really rubbish, crappy nondescript veg and the sauce was indescribable, salad wasn't brilliant, wine was ok though ! I vowed never to return!

[Marrers]

. . . wine was ok though !

They do vegan wine?

[Demon]

Looking at the latest dietary requirements list, most of the bases are vegan

http://www.pizzahut.co.uk/restaurant...ments-1107.pdf

Last time I looked (a couple of years ago), the only one which was suitable was stuffed crust (the one they add cheese to)!

[Sandy777]

They do vegan wine?

Argh!! I never checked, - it didn't even occur to me, what a numpty. I hate it when that happens.

We have 2 leather couches at home and it was at least a couple of months before I even clicked on properly. My husbands colleague asked him if I sat on the floor, - as I went to ask why I looked at the couches and actually jumped as I realised. No wonder my hus says I live in aery faerie land!
( he offered recently to replace them, as soon as we move flat and sort an alternative, which was nice of him, he chose them)

Marrers, when in the Co-op I found wine that said suitable for vegetarians, is it totally kosha?