Pizza Pilgrims to expand outside England after record profits

The chain was founded in 2012 by brothers who traveled through Italy for an Apple TV series called James And Thom’s Pizza Pilgrimage

Pizza Pilgrims is expanding (Xavier Buendia )

Pizza Pilgrims has announced plans to expand.

The chain, which already has 22 pizzerias in England, has largely focused on London, where its first pizza slice was sold out of a van in Soho.

It now plans to open four more sites – Cardiff in August and Edinburgh by December, Euston in London in June and King’s Cross, London, in August.

Pizza Pilgrims was founded in 2012 by brothers Thom and James Elliott after they quit their jobs to embark on a six-week pizza “pilgrimage” through Italy.

They scoured the country for the best pizzas, with the results filmed for an Apple TV series called James And Thom’s Pizza Pilgrimage.

Since then they have turned their business from a single pizza van to a multimillion pound business, with a workforce of 480 people serving up to 50,000 pizzas a week.

In the year to June 25 2023, the most recent accounts, revenue increased by 37% from £21 million to £28.7 million, and pre-tax profit more than doubled from £300,000 to £700,000. At the time of the figures Pizza Pilgrims had 20 trading sites.

Then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak use their phones during a visit Pizza Pilgrims in West India Quay, London Docklands, as they prepare to reopen as lockdown rules are eased on July 4th, on June 26, 2020 in London (Getty Images)

The company said the best-selling pizzas in the year under review were the margherita and the double pepperoni and hot honey.

Outside London, Pizza Pilgrims has sites in Leeds, Brighton, Nottingham and Cambridge.

Thom Elliot, co-founder of Pizza Pilgrims, said they remain focused on building a “sustainable business”.

“This year will see four new openings, including our inaugural pizzerias in Scotland and Wales, as we continue to demonstrate that sustainable growth remains an output of running a great business, rather than our sole focus.

“We continue to love the journey and look forward to bringing our team’s legendary Neapolitan hospitality to our growing band of pilgrims in new cities up and down the land.”

During the pandemic the company launched its Pizza In The Post initiative, where customers were sent their own pizza to DIY craft at home.

This has recently been followed by Pizza At Home kits in collaboration with Ocado. Eat-out sales, including Deliveroo, now account for 19% of the company’s income.