Over eight million hungry Brits ordered extra pepperoni on their pizzas this year, according to pizza takeaway restaurant, Domino's.
The meaty favourite was the most requested additional topping – followed by 6,641,509 requests for extra roast chicken, and 5,481,032 extra servings of sweetcorn.
The Domino's data also revealed the popular chain has served up almost a billion slices of pizza in the last 12 months, from its 1200+ outlets across the UK.
And the controversial pineapple also featured among the top 10 favourite pizza toppings to be added on – with 3,633,505 orders for extra helpings of the exotic fruit.
In fact, almost half (48%), of the 2,000 pizza lovers polled by Domino's, reckon pineapple really does belong on pizza – significantly more than the 30% who disagreed. And only 22% remain indifferent in the fiery debate.
It also emerged that the fruity topping adds to the notorious North-South divide – with South Wales, particularly the town of Caerphilly, adding the most pineapple across the nation per capita, the internal data showed.
Meanwhile, Northerners stand against pineapple, with Sunderland and South Shields adding the least per capita.
Tastes vary drastically across the nation, with the North West handling their heat as hot sauce fanatics, more than any other region (16%) – while their North East neighbours prefer the cool and classic garlic and herb dip as the ultimate crust dunker.
Yorkshire and The Humber stick to traditions with a tomato sauce base, but those in Northern Ireland get more adventurous when they need a post-hangover pick-me-up.
And London consumes more pizza than any other region, with the average person tucking in to it three times a month. However, the South East takes first place for the biggest single order – a dizzying 1,163 pizzas.
Sam Wilson, of Domino's, said: “Unboxing the UK’s pizza preferences has been as delightful and exciting as opening the lid on your favourite meal.
“Not only have we uncovered the country's favourite pizza choices, but we might finally have an answer to the question that pizza fans have argued over for decades – does pineapple belong on pizza?
“And all thanks to the people of Caerphilly. Not only do they make cracking cheese, but they know their pizza toppings, too.
“Whether it’s pineapple or no pineapple, pepperoni or plain old cheese and tomato, there’s no right or wrong way to enjoy your pizza. If anything, the research highlights there’s more ways than ever to enjoy a slice of the action.
“As a proven mood-booster on match days, or satisfying the weird and wonderful tastes of the nation, it can’t be denied pizza is the ultimate crowd pleaser.”
It also emerged that Brits are also prone to crave the savoury snack for a much-needed mood booster, with the busiest day within the last year revealed to be December 10, 2022 – the day England lost to France at the men's football World Cup – when more than 600,000 pizzas were ordered.
It comes after the research, carried out via OnePoll, also revealed some would be willing to try more unusual toppings – such as smoked salmon and cream cheese (22%), beetroot and goats’ cheese (20%), and macaroni and cheese (19%).
And as the festive season approaches, 15% even said they wouldn’t mind a bit of reindeer meat adorning the doughy goodness.
Strange pizza-eating habits include scraping the toppings off and eating them separately to the rest of the dish, eating pizza followed by a scoop of ice-cream, and turning the leftovers into soup.
Sam Wilson, of Domino’s, added: “Whatever's on your slice – whether it’s sweetcorn, pineapple, or even tuna – we love to see our fans make it their own, and that includes how they’re dunking.
“We love creating new and amazing flavours, and will keep inventing them to satisfy the growing taste of our customers.”
DOMINO’S TOP 10 MOST REQUESTED ADDITIONAL TOPPINGS THIS YEAR:
- Pepperoni – 8,062,682 additions
- Roast chicken – 6,641,509 additions
- Sweetcorn – 5,481,032 additions
- Ham – 4,558,847 additions
- Mushrooms – 4,326,733 additions
- Pineapple – 3,633,505 additions
- Onions – 3,573,558 additions
- Cheese – 3,330,375 additions
- Green jalapenos – 3,104,084 additions
- Green and red peppers – 3,007,032 additions