It’s International Hawaiian Pizza Day in August, and whether you love pineapple on your pizza or would rather eat a stranger’s toenail, one thing is certain: it’s a topping that people have a LOT of opinions about.

Now, if you were to ask us “Does pineapple belong on pizza?”, naturally, we’d say yes. Life is about mixing it up, and that definitely includes the sweet with the savoury. But pineapple isn’t the only controversial topping out there that’s proved itself to be dramatically divisive, so we’ve decided to weigh in once and for all.

From jackfruit pepperoni to chillies, read on for our hot take on seven of the most controversial pizza toppings.

Apparently, non-dairy cheese is sacrilege to a lot of pizza purists. We’ve all heard the claims that it just doesn't taste the same and will never be able to compete with the real thing. Well, we hate to break it to you, but our vegan Sheese® has tricked a few mouths and converted more than a few pizza lovers. 

It’s an award-winning, dairy-free cheese made by specialist cheesemakers on the Isle of Bute, so we think they know a thing or two. We dare you not to like it.

Honestly, if it’s not vegan cheese causing debate, then it’s basically any cheese besides mozzarella.

Our thoughts? Mozzarella is the OG of pizza cheeses, and it’s undeniably delicious. But parmesan, cheddar, ricotta… There are so many wonderful cheeses, and they all deserve a spot at the pizza toppings table. 

In fact, you’ll even find halloumi on our pizza, The Cypriot, which we launched in 2024. Yes, it’s as mouthwatering as it sounds and if you want even more halloumi to satiate your cravings, grab a side order of Halloumi Fries with our Heinz Sweet Chilli dip.

Sweetcorn is a seemingly harmless pizza topping offender that gets a mixed reception. Personally, we love it, but we are somewhat biased in our stance; so we decided to look at the hard facts and discover the UK’s 10 most popular pizza toppings. Our findings? It turns out that only 42% of people rate it as a topping for pizza, though, more than half of 18 to 24-year-olds said it's a top treat.

Whatever the reason for the slight generational discrepancy, we’re big fans of those sweet little yellow kernels. And like corn boy, we’ll praise it all day long.

Can we all take a moment to spare a thought for the classic margherita pizza? It might be deemed “basic” by the types of pizza connoisseurs who customise their pizza toppings like life itself depends on it (it sort of does, when you’re hungry). But here’s where we stand: some of the best things in life are effortlessly simple, and that’s a fact.

The humble Cheese & Tomato is a favourite on our menu, and we’ll never judge you for not opting for something “braver”. Italian-style mozzarella, our signature pizza sauce, and maybe even a Garlic and Herb Dip if you want to push the boat out. It’s a winning combo.

Now you don’t need to take our recommendations at face value, but we’re firm believers in trying before denying. Push the boat out with our Jackfruit "Pepperoni", spice it up with lashings of chillies, or take the plunge with pineapple in honour of International Hawaiian Pizza Day.

Still not convinced? We understand. If you already have your favourite Papa Johns, head over to our menu to order, just keep an open mind of the topping options that might tempt you.