Since its origin in Italy in the 9th century AD and its gradual spread throughout the world, pizza has been a crowd favorite in countless countries around the globe. Pizza spread to England and throughout the rest of the United Kingdom during World War II and has since gained immense popularity among citizens in that region. In recent years, independent pizzerias have been experiencing increasing growth throughout the United Kingdom.

Since 2014, global fast food sales have been experiencing significant decreases, with popular chains such as McDonalds enduring first-time drops in annual sales. Despite this downward trend in fast food sales, global pizza sales have actually increased by ten to fifteen percent during the past few years. There are multiple reasons for this recent decrease in global fast food sales juxtaposed with an increase in pizza sales.

The Rise of the independent pizza business.

When times of recession hit in the late 2000s, families and groups of friends stopped going out to eat as much as they once had. However, although fast food meals of burgers, fries and similar cuisine is renowned as cheap, ordering a pizza and splitting the cost between several people is both convenient and more cost-efficient than purchasing individual meals at a fast food restaurant. Therefore, more people started opting to order a pizza when they wanted to purchase a quick and easy meal rather than going out to get a burger and fries from a fast food chain restaurant.

Furthermore, people around the world have become much more health-conscious since the turn of the century. Unique exercise programs and fad diets have become global trends and the health consequences of fatty, greasy, and sodium-packed fast foods have been more heavily publicized due to the increasing popularity of healthy eating. Therefore, many people have become more wary of fast food and are reluctant to eat it frequently or even at all. However, people did not feel as suspicious of pizza as they tried to form healthier eating habits. Pizzas from independent stores  are generally considered healthier than classic fast foods because they include fresh ingredients, vegetable and meat toppings, and hearty tomato sauce. When the rising trend of healthy eating took hold, people began avoiding fast food, but pizza sales continued to rise.

Independent pizzerias and mini chains are definitely setting a new food trend in the United Kingdom. These indie pizza restaurants are capitalizing on the demand for cheap, healthy pizza within the country and are finding grand success within this newly popularized food niche. In recent decades after pizza spread to the UK, many pizza shops found success by creating unique twists on classic pizza in order to grab potential customers’ interest and compete with other pizza companies. However, the independent pizzerias that are really gaining ground in the United Kingdom as pizza sales continue to rise there generally sell only authentic Italian-style pizza. These pizzas, which are baked without gimmicky ingredients and with fresh, high-quality dough, sauce, and toppings, attract customers around the United Kingdom that are in search of a modern, authentic pizza experience that offers affordable cuisine that is delicious, fresh, and nutrient-filled.
Pizza sales are only continuing to increase within the United Kingdom. Aspiring pizzeria owners should take advantage of this new food trend to take their chance at creating delicious and authentic pizza that everyone can enjoy.

For more reading on the subject visit:

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/aug/21/pizza-revolution-authentic-neapolitan-italian

http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2015/02/economist-explains-24