Dr. Oetker launches its first vegan pizza in UK

Dr. Oetker Ristorante has announced the launch of its first vegan pizza in the UK, Ristorante Pizza Margherita Pomodori.

The Italian inspired pizza features Ristorante’s signature thin, crispy base and tomato sauce, topped with a melted grated pizza topping, juicy sun-dried and cherry tomatoes, along with a basil “pesto-style” garnish.

“Consumers should have the same indulgence and taste of a vegan pizza delivered to them as a non-vegan option – for Ristorante this is all about delivering the perfect balance of thin & crispy crust and Italian inspired toppings,” commented Josephine Skinner, senior brand manager at Dr. Oetker.

“To achieve the same fantastic quality and taste that we hold ourselves to across our product portfolio, our development team worked extremely hard to perfect a grated pizza topping that’s delicious and satisfyingly melting, providing the perfect balance with our signature thin and crispy base.  After testing with a panel of vegans and flexitarians, they found that the final formula ensures Vegan Margherita Pomodori provides a great vegan pizza delivery.”

The vegan frozen pizza market has grown by 49 per cent since 2020 and is now worth £9.6m in sales, with 42 per cent more vegan frozen pizzas bought in grocery this year than the previous year (IRI 52 w/e 27-03-2021. With plant-based eating occasions rising by 17 per cent in January 2021 alone, the brand noted that the market is set to continue to grow in consumer demand.

“While there are frozen vegan options within the pizza category, there is no standout, mainstream Italian inspired option from a pizza brand consumers know and are familiar with – and now with Ristorante, we bring an option that provides the fresh pizzeria taste of Italy to the table,” Skinner added.

Ristorante Pizza Margherita Pomodori, certified by the Vegan Society, launches nationally from 25 May with an MRRP of £3.69.