How PizzaExpress cooks up the perfect seasonal specials

The brand’s Food & Beverage Director shares the inside process of creating a new menu.

Recreating the ambience of summer through food without creating friction in the kitchen is PizzaExpress’ main strategy when developing new menu offerings that fit the occasion.

Just recently, the Italian pizza brand unveiled its summer menu which features the La Cubana pizza and Pizza Pal Float.

In an interview by QSR Media with Jane Treasure, Food & Beverage director at PizzaExpress, their aim when creating new menu offerings is to provide customers with even more choices. 

"We wanted to create new items that were perfect for the warmer months. Nothing says summer more than a refreshing sorbet float and our new La Cubana pizza,” Jane said.

The process of conceptualizing and finalizing the La Cubana pizza involves considering what works best for the occasion and what customers want to see on the menu. 

"One of our key considerations is operations: what can we do that doesn’t make things operationally challenging for our restaurant teams but also provides something that our team and our customers are excited by," Jane said.

The La Cubana pizza, for example, introduces succulent pulled pork as a new ingredient, complementing existing ingredients such as roasted peppers, tomato and red onion salsa, and fresh lime.

Quality and flavour

When selecting ingredients for seasonal specials, PizzaExpress takes various factors into account to capture the taste of the season. The brand considers what is in season and what flavours evoke the feeling of summer. According to Jane, one of the most important factors to consider is how the flavours pair together. With the La Cubana, the freshness of citrus and a tomato and red onion salsa ensures a well-balanced pizza, given the intense flavour of the pulled pork.

Quality is also consistent amongst PizzaExpress restaurants. The dough of every pizza is made at a central bakery in Oxfordshire. There, the dough is then kneaded by Pizzaiolos (pizza chefs) at each restaurant and topped with a passata made from 100% Italian tomatoes. For the La Cubana, the base is adorned with pulled pork, red and yellow peppers, red onion, mozzarella, fresh coriander, and lime.

It’s also important for PizzaExpress to let customers know that they are listening to their feedback.

“In fact, the La Cubana was even named by our customers, and we love getting them involved in this way,” Jane said.

Logistics and supply chain

With one central bakery for all of its restaurants, how does PizzaExpress deal with logistic challenges?

Jane said PizzaExpress works closely with its partners to ensure a seamless supply chain and operational implementation, guaranteeing the best-tasting pizza for its customers across all locations.

“Our supply team is very experienced in sourcing ingredients for our seasonal specials, and we all work together with our suppliers to provide the highest quality product to meet our own, and our customers', expectations,” Jane said.