Who makes the best vegan pizza?

How the best vegan pizza taste test worked

Five members of the olive team conducted a blind taste test to find the most flavoursome shop-bought vegan pizza. We tasted all of the biggest brands widely available in the UK. The group chose joint winners and a runner-up.

The results for the best vegan pizza

Winner: Pizza Express classic vegan giardiniera

About the vegan pizza: This vegan pizza has a wheat flour base and is topped with tomato, vegan mozzarella alternative, artichoke, spinach, red onion, mushroom and tomato purée.

Comments: With a crisp crust, floury base and generous toppings, this vegan pizza with creamy mozzarella alternative looked and tasted the part.

£5.50/272g, ocado.com

Winner for best alternative vegan pizza: Wicked Kitchen margherita pizza

About the vegan pizza: This vegan pizza has a seeded sourdough base topped with tomato and basil sauce, dairy-free mozzarella cheese alternative, semi dried tomatoes and a basil dressing.

Comments: This pizza had more of a flatbread style, with a nice chewy base, fresh basil dressing and creamy dairy-free cheese.

£4/268g, tesco.com

Runner-up: Iceland no cheese Italian garden pizza

About the vegan pizza: This wheat flour base is topped with broccoli, tomato purée, tomatoes, mushrooms and red onions.

Comments: If you want a simpler vegan pizza, this cheese-free option had a pillowy base and sweet tomato sauce.

£2/382g, groceries.iceland.co.uk

Other vegan pizzas we tried

Marks and Spencer Plant Kitchen BBQ pulled jackfruit

About the vegan pizza: This vegan pizza is topped with smoky BBQ pulled jackfruit, vegan tomato sauce, peppers, red onions and a cauliflower sauce.

Comments: We liked the wood fired appearance on this pizza along with its smoky smell and stringy cheese, however the toppings didn't deliver.

£3.50/231g, marksandspencer.com

Waitrose vegan stonebaked barbecue jackfruit

About the vegan pizza: This vegan pizza is topped with barbecue tomato sauce, roasted jackfruit, grated solidified coconut derivative, red onion and chargrilled red and yellow peppers.

Comments: With a crisp crust, subtle BBQ flavour and creamy cheese, this was quite pleasant but we found it too sweet.

£4.99/420g, waitrose.com

White Rabbit smokin’ vegan gluten free pizza

About the vegan pizza: This vegan pizza is also free from gluten. The base is made from a rice, maize, buckwheat, potato starch and corn starch blend and has a topping of tomato sauce, spinach, olives and vegan smoked MozzaRisella.

Comments: This pizza was a little pale in appearance, with a mushy crust and slightly artificial flavour.

£5/340g, ocado.com

Sainsbury’s Love Your Veg! vegan spicy masala chickpea pizza

About the vegan pizza: This spinach vegetable base is topped with red lentil dhal, spiced chickpeas, kale, red onion and chilli.

Comments: The base and chickpeas on this pizza were mushy, and the toppings a little bland.

£3.50/182g, sainsburys.co.uk

Tesco free from margherita pizza

About the vegan pizza: This free from pizza has a gluten free base made from potato, tapioca and oat flour and is topped with a tomato and basil sauce, coconut and potato starch-based mozzarella and cheddar cheeses.

Comments: The base on this pizza was very thin and floppy, with sour-tasting vegan cheese on top.

£3.50/330g, tesco.com

No Dough Pizza Co. vegan margherita pizza

About the vegan pizza: This cauliflower base is topped with tomato sauce, vegan cheese and semi-dried cherry tomatoes. It is also gluten-free.

Comments: This pizza was very soggy and the base crumbled in the oven, with sour, artificial tasting vegan cheese.

£4/270g, sainsburys.co.uk