Harden's survey result
Summary
“Well-cooked, crisp-based sourdough pizzas with an emphasis on toppings” have helped this successful chain achieve a higher food score nowadays than its old rival PizzaExpress (which shares an almost-identical volume of feedback). With its high-growth days behind it, though, its middling ratings support those who feel it “used to be better”; and it risks slipping into a performance that’s neither here nor there. Service in particular is a weakness – it “can be erratic with lots of waiting”; some diners complain of “under-seasoned” or “soggy” recent meals; and its branches have never had much in the way of pizzazz. Overall, it’s still oft-cited as a “safe” and “decent-value” option that’s “perfect for families”, but as it becomes longer in the tooth some sense of reinvention would be welcome. Since 2023, it’s been ultimately owned by Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed Toridoll Holdings, who also own Marugame Udon – hopefully they have some bright ideas on keeping the brand fresh.
Summary
With its “delicious sourdough bases”, and its “excellent choice of toppings with regularly changing specials” from “well-sourced ingredients”, these “buzzing” cafés are still seen as “a refreshing angle on the pizza theme” and – if “nothing special” – “pretty decent and fairly priced”. Those questioning “what the fuss is about” are growing in number though, as its ratings head south into PizzaExpress territory. (In April 2023, the Fulham Shore owners of the group were sold to Japanese investors, Toridoll Holdings, making its future direction hard to call.)
Summary
“A safe option each time, every time” – “they have got the pizza formula spot-on” at this stormingly good chain, which has grown remorselessly throughout recent times on the back of its “enjoyable” offering of “chewy” sourdough pizzas (“I go simple, but they have a good choice of interesting toppings”); plus “a small selection of beers and pluggable Italian wines”. Perhaps some small competitors “do pizza better these days”, but – “despite expansion” – these simply decorated, upbeat venues are “hard to improve on”: “the food tastes fresh and unprocessed”, “they turn around the orders quickly” and “are friendly to boot”. And prices are “very competitive” too (“I am constantly amazed by how they can produce such a good product at such a low price”). “There are never leftovers here. You have to remind yourself just how far things have moved on occasionally... and these places do that”.
Summary
“Seemingly grown very quickly from a small Brixton pizza joint to a national chain” – this 50-plus strong chain has emerged from the pandemic stronger than ever (revenues post-lockdown up since 2019), snapping up recently vacated sites left, right and centre (most of the growth is outside the capital, with about seven new branches planned for the coming year). Their success? “They have still kept the original ethos: simple, authentic sourdough pizzas served quickly with no-label wines”, and it’s “superb value”. Fans feel “it’s so reliable, it's taken the PizzaExpress crown!”… which seems reasonable as Fulham Shore, who own Franco Manca, is run by David Page, who was CEO of PizzaExpress in the 1990s.
For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
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