Pineapple pizza debate hots up as pizzeria in England sets $167 price tag

NORWICH, England – A trendy pizzeria in the English city of Norwich has declared war on pineapples, charging an eye-watering £100 (S$167) for a Hawaiian in a bid to put customers off the disputed topping.

Lupa Pizza recently added pizza topped with ham and pineapple to its account on a food delivery app, writing in the description: “Yeah, for £100 you can have it. Order the champagne too! Go on, you monster!”

“(We) vehemently dislike pineapple on pizza,” said Lupa co-owner Francis Wolf. “We feel like it doesn’t suit pizza at all.”

The other co-owner, head chef Quin Jianoran, said they kept tinned pineapple at the restaurant in case someone ordered it, but this has yet to happen.

As pizza has become popular globally, foreign innovations in toppings have often left Italians perplexed and aghast.

A January 2024 survey by British polling and research company YouGov showed that more than 50 per cent of Britons either love or like pineapple on pizza, 16 per cent disliked it and nearly 20 per cent hated it.

Some well-known British personalities have weighed in on the debate, with former politician Ed Balls saying pineapple on pizza was an “appalling” idea.

Hawaiian lovers took to Lupa’s social media in defence of the topping, with a user saying “pineapple on pizza is life”. Another said Lupa’s war on pineapples was a “great bit of harmless marketing”.

At the Norwich pizzeria, customers were also divided.

Builder Simon Greaves, 40, said that putting pineapple on pizza was wrong, and should not be done. But 14-year-old Johnny Worsley said the Hawaiian was his second favourite after pepperoni.

“But I wouldn’t pay £100 for it. I don’t think anyone will,” he said. REUTERS