Pub pizzas make it to National Pizza Awards final

A selection of pizzas being cooked up in London pubs have been chosen as finalists in the 2025 National Pizza Awards.

ACE Pizza (pictured alongside Pizza Punks), Bing Bong Pizza, Little Earthquakes and Short Road Pizza Co. will join 12 other operators at the final in November (full list below).

Respectively, they trade out of Hackney's The Pembury Tavern and You Call the Shots, The Railway Tavern in Dalston and Three Colts Tavern in Cambridge Heath.

Back for a ninth edition, this year’s line-up features an eclectic mix of rising stars and well-known groups from across the restaurant, pub, bar and street food sectors.

The event will see up-and-coming indies like ACE Pizza and Base Face Pizza compete against fan favourites such as Yard Sale and Pizza Pilgrims, with Fulham Shore’s Super Club Roma and Individual Restaurants’ brand-new pizza concept, Forbici, also stepping into the ring.

As well as a signature round to determine the National Pizza of the Year, competitors will take part in a technical challenge, tasked with crafting the ultimate pizza from a selection of sponsor ingredients in a bid to be named Pizza Chef of the Year.

The event will also see the return of the Alternative Slice Award, presented to the competitor who creates the most outstanding plant-based dish from a range of free-from products.

Pizza-packed day

The competition returns to London’s Big Penny Social on Tuesday 4 November. Following a full day of action, winners will be chosen by a hand-picked panel of expert judges (including previous winners), culminating in an awards ceremony later that night.

“The standard of this year’s entries has resulted in our most exciting line-up yet, standing as a true reflection of the calibre of the UK’s thriving pizza market,” says Genna Ash-Brown, editor of Dine Out magazine, which organises the event.

“The diversity of the brands taking part will certainly make for a colourful live cook-off, and we’ll be on the edge of our seats as we wait to find out this year’s Big Cheese. It’s always a highlight of our calendar and a big day for the industry, too. We’ll get the ovens fired up and roaring and look forward to seeing you there!”

The 2025 National Pizza Awards is headline sponsored by Birrificio Angelo Poretti, and sponsored by Clawson Farms, Conglom, Cooks & Co, Cuppone, Eurostar Commodities, Grandi Molini Italiani, LLK, Properoni, Salvo, Sweet Baby Ray’s and TABASCO®

The 2025 National Pizza Awards finalists

ACE Pizza, London
The Capish

Base Face Pizza, London
Seoul Mate

Bing Bong Pizza, London
With A Little H(ELP) From My Friends

Fatto a Mano, London and Brighton
Popeye Pizza

Forbici, Manchester
Porchetta Completa

Franco Manca, National
Tre Porcellini

Little Earthquakes, London
Fennel Salami Bolognaise

Mamma Dough, London 
John O’Goat

Pizza Pilgrims, National
Golden Autumn

Pizza Punks, Glasgow
Double Pepperoni, Burrata & Hot Honey

Rudy’s Pizza Napoletana, National
La Fiamma

Short Road Pizza Co, London
SRP Marinara

Super Club Roma, London
Into The Woods (& Out Of The City)

Yard Sale Pizza, London
Bright Young Thing

Zia Lucia, London
Britalian Blaze

Zizzi, National
Fiora Rosa