Pizza is a staple in many UK households, and Aldi is now offering some pretty impressive options. I decided to taste test five of Aldi’s cheese and tomato pizzas – both fresh and frozen – to find out which one was the best value for money
Cheese and tomato pizza remains a go-to dinner choice across the UK. It’s speedy, straightforward, and often hits the spot alongside garlic bread or a fresh salad. While nobody would argue that homemade pizza or an authentic Italian pizzeria version reigns supreme, supermarkets are now delivering some genuinely impressive alternatives.
With this in mind, I set out to test Aldi’s cheese and tomato pizzas to determine the best value for money. I sampled five different pizzas, spanning both fresh and frozen varieties at varying price points, to discover which delivered the finest taste.
Here’s how they ranked:
5. Everyday Essentials Cheese & Tomato Pizza, 58p for 114g or 99p for 293g
Score: 2/5
Essentially just a bready pizza base topped with tomato paste and a light scattering of cheese, this wasn’t destined for any accolades. That said, the overall taste was acceptable. The cheese offered a salty, tangy kick, while the tomato paste provided a pleasant sweetness, creating some balance.
The primary letdown with this pizza is the base itself. While the flavour is adequate, the texture falls disappointingly short. It’s somewhat soggy and evokes memories of school dinner pizza. All told, it’s passable and would likely improve if you threw on some extras yourself — perhaps ham, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, or even a drizzle of Marmite.
4. Takeaway Classic Crust The Big Cheese Pizza, £2.49 for 531g
Score: 3/5
‘Takeaway’ perfectly sums up this pizza, as it tasted precisely like something you’d collect from one of the major takeaway pizza chains. The sauce was rather sweet, the cheese so thick it created an almost impenetrable blanket over the sauce when removed from the oven, while the crust was thick and crunchy.
I had no real objection to this pizza, though the flavours were fairly unremarkable. The sweetness of the sauce complemented the heavily salted cheese reasonably well, but beyond the sweet tomato, there were no detectable notes of garlic, basil or oregano. The generous cheese layer was quite enjoyable initially, though as the pizza cooled down, it dried out rapidly and took on a rather cardboard-like quality.
The single element of this pizza that genuinely stood out was the crust. It definitely evoked memories of a takeaway pizza crust and boasted a satisfying crunch that would be lovely when dunked in sauce.
3. Stonebaked Margherita Pizza, £1.99 for 305g
Score: 3.5/5
This is typically my preferred choice. It cooks in just 12 minutes and delivers a genuinely pleasant classic margherita taste. The sauce is wonderfully infused with herbs and garlic, while the cheese provides those satisfying stringy pulls when cooked to perfection. I’m also fond of how the tomato sauce extends right to the edge of the crust, ensuring every slice is packed with flavour. The only drawback with this one is the base. Although the crust is pleasant enough, it can get a little soggy, leaving toppings sliding all over the place. For that reason, I tend to pop mine in for slightly longer or crank up the temperature a notch to keep everything where it should be.
2. Specially Selected Mozzarella & Slow Roasted Tomato Wood Fired Sourdough Pizza, £2.89 for 210g
Score: 4/5
This is a ‘personal pizza’, making it an ideal portion for one. Coming from Aldi’s Specially Selected range, my expectations were high — and on the flavour front, it certainly didn’t disappoint. The creamy mozzarella, slow-roasted tomatoes and basil pesto combined to create a wonderfully authentic taste. The ’30-hour slow-fermented dough’ base, crafted from ’00’ flour, truly set it apart. Rather than being doughy, the texture was delightfully crisp with a charred finish that gave it the feel of a freshly baked pizzeria pie.
Where it fell short, however, was the distribution of toppings — it was decidedly stingy. Some sections were completely bare of cheese, while others were heaped with tomatoes and mozzarella. This made for a rather inconsistent eating experience, with some bites hitting the mark and others falling flat. At £2.89 for a premium small pizza, I expected a little more care, which is why I deducted a point.
1. Carlos Stonebaked Sourdough Mozzarella Pizza, £2.49 for 355g
Score: 4.5/5
I wasn’t anticipating this frozen pizza would emerge victorious, but I was genuinely taken aback by the quality of the flavour, toppings, crust and base. The pizza features a rich, flavourful tomato sauce, creamy mozzarella, a spinach and basil sauce and diced tomatoes. The sauce had a lovely garlicky kick and was bursting with herby notes, which I thoroughly enjoyed, while the chopped tomato added an extra depth of tomato flavour that was utterly delicious.
The basil and spinach sauce brought a welcome freshness without dominating the cheese and tomato elements. The sourdough base came out crisp with a satisfying chew and was properly seasoned. The only genuine downside was the cooking duration. The packaging suggests it takes 12 minutes in the oven, but it actually needs closer to 20 to ensure the cheese is completely melted and the base is properly crisp. For that reason, I deducted half a point.
The verdict
All things considered, the frozen Carlos Sourdough Mozzarella Pizza emerged as my top pick, and at £2.49, it represented excellent value for money too. If you’re looking for something slightly more upmarket and don’t fancy eating a large pizza solo, Aldi’s Specially Selected Mozzarella and Slow Roasted Tomato Wood Fired Sourdough Pizza is a strong contender. If you’re watching the pennies, you can’t beat Aldi’s Stonebaked Margherita Pizza for under £2.
