Even though Oscar & Rosie’s is no more (Rest in Peace), the Lace Market and Hockley area of Nottingham has no shortage of pizza joints. From Pizza Punks to Pizzamisú, we are spoilt for choice - and the latest kid on the block is Pizza Pilgrims, situated on Carlton Street opposite Pho. An established chain down in the South, I had to check it out for myself to see what the hype was all about.
Accompanied by a vegan friend on the day, we opted to share a pizza between the two of us, which meant that we were limited to the vegan options on the menu. But I soon realised that we weren’t limited at all - there was plenty to choose from, since you could switch any pizza to their vegan house-made cashew based vegan cheese, Notzarella, at no extra cost. As a vegetarian myself, I had no objections to taking the extra step.
Eventually, we settled on the Pizz’ & Love pizza. Described on the menu as “a vegan celebration of Italian veggies,” it was an authentic Neapolitan-style pizza with a tomato base, topped with wild broccoli, mushrooms, olives, red onion and artichoke hearts, and finished with vegan basil pesto. The topping-to-dough ratio was just right, meaning that the pizza wasn’t so heavy that it was impossible to eat.
We were delighted with the range of toppings, but having said this, we felt we wouldn’t get the full vegan Pizza Pilgrims experience if we didn’t try the Notzarella. So, for a small price, we opted to add it onto our pizza. Anyone with a plant-based diet will confidently tell you that vegan cheese can be a bit hit or miss (mainly the latter) but impressively, it was almost impossible to tell that this wasn’t the real deal.
So, if you find yourself in Hockley and you fancy a pizza, I know there are almost too many options to choose from at this point, but add Pizza Pilgrims to your list and you might discover a new favourite. I also have to give an honourable mention to their funky decor - make sure to snap some pics for Instagram while you’re in there. Gemma Cockrell
5 Carlton Street Nottingham, NG1 1NL
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