CNN spotlights London's emerging pizza scene

CNN on May 21 used its main X account to push a CNN Travel feature arguing that “London pizza” has become a recognizable scene, even if it still lacks the codified status of Neapolitan or New York styles. The linked article, published May 21 and reported by Sam Peters with photographs by Toby Hancock, presents the case through a gallery of London pizzerias and interviews with restaurant operators, reviewers and food writer Clare Finney. The core claim in CNN’s piece is not that London has invented a single fixed pizza template. It is that the city has produced a hybrid style shaped by multiple traditions and by the city’s mix of cooks, neighborhoods and customers, according to the people CNN interviewed. (x.com) ### What exactly is CNN saying exists in London? CNN’s May 21 article says “London pizza” has not yet joined the established list of destination-linked classics such as Neapolitan, Roman, Sicilian, Chicago, New York and New Haven. But the article says people active in the scene believe it now deserves that kind of recognition. (localnews8.com) Gerry del Guercio and Paul Delany, who run the Bite Twice food review series on Instagram and TikTok, told CNN the London version tends to combine high-quality ingredients associated with Neapolitan pizza, the size and visual appeal of New York slices, darker char and longer cooks associated with New Haven and Roman styles, and more experimental doughs. Del Guercio described it as having “no rules,” while Delany called it “a philosophy.” (localnews8.com) ### Who are the people making that case? Bite Twice is central to CNN’s framing. The article says del Guercio and Delany have reviewed around 600 pizzas in London and that the project eventually led them to open their own restaurant, Carmela’s. Clare Finney, a UK food journalist and author, gave CNN a broader cultural explanation. (localnews8.com) Finney said she first wrote about the concept in 2019 and told CNN that the appeal of London pizza is partly that it is difficult to define. She also described it as “a real celebration of the many different and distinct communities that make London what it is.” ### Why is New York part of the argument? CNN’s article opens with a provocation about New York. Del Guercio and Delany told CNN they were “underwhelmed” by New York pizza and said they had not found anything there they liked better than their London favorites. At the same time, the article says London’s scene is borrowing heavily from elsewhere rather than rejecting outside influence. (localnews8.com) Del Guercio told CNN that Carmela’s drew ideas from “every major pizza city,” including the U.S. East Coast, and said other London-style pizzerias had done the same. That makes CNN’s piece less a purity argument than a story about adaptation and remixing. ### Which pizzerias does the CNN feature point readers toward? CNN’s gallery highlights operators including Carmela’s, Breadstall and Napoli on the Road. The article says Sebastian Vince developed Breadstall’s approach during the Covid lockdown period, first as a takeaway baking business in Clapham before expanding when restrictions lifted. CNN says his method uses a mix of pre-fermented and fresh doughs, known as a biga, to produce a crust that is both crispy and chewy. (localnews8.com) The gallery image text also identifies Napoli on the Road and notes that its pizza chef was named the world’s best in 2023, one of the credentials CNN uses to support the idea that London’s pizza scene now has international-level talent. ### So what is the takeaway from CNN’s post? (localnews8.com) CNN’s X post on May 21 is essentially a pointer to a larger CNN Travel argument: London’s pizza scene is no longer being treated as a side note to Italian or American traditions. The article presents “London pizza” as a loose, still-contested category, defined less by one recipe than by a citywide habit of mixing styles, dough techniques and influences. (localnews8.com) Readers who want the full list can find it in CNN Travel’s May 21 gallery, which pairs pizzeria recommendations with photos and on-the-record comments from del Guercio, Delany, Finney and restaurant operators including Vince. (localnews8.com) (x.com)