National Pizza Day UK 2023: when is celebration - are Domino’s, Papa John’s and Pizza Express doing deals?

National Pizza Day 2023 is finally here - we’ve put together the latest deals from some of the UK’s biggest pizza restaurant chains
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National Pizza Day 2023 is finally here.

The annual foodie celebration is the day to pay homage to the beautiful dough-based dish from Italy and to indulge in your pizza fantasies. Whether that’s adding pineapple as a topping or dipping your crust into a vat of garlic mayo, now is the time to do it.

The UK’s biggest takeaways and restaurants sometimes offer big savings on their pizzas on and around National Pizza Day. With the Six Nations and Super Bowl taking place soon afterwards, it means you might be able to combine your love of sport with your passion for food.

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And even after it ends, there are plenty of indulgent foodie events that are fast-approaching. Pancake Day is coming later in February, while Easter is taking place in April, which means a hot cross bun and chocolate feast is on the horizon.

So what exactly is National Pizza day - and where can you grab a deal? Here’s everything you need to know.

When is National Pizza Day 2023?

For pizza fanatics up and down the land, National Pizza Day 2023 has finally arrived.

The annual event takes place on the same date every year. It means this year’s edition is taking place today (Thursday 9 February).

National Pizza Day is the day to wear stretchy clothes and work up an appetite (image: Adobe)National Pizza Day is the day to wear stretchy clothes and work up an appetite (image: Adobe)
National Pizza Day is the day to wear stretchy clothes and work up an appetite (image: Adobe)

What is National Pizza Day?

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National Pizza Day does what it says on the tin - i.e. it’s a celebration of all things pizza. Whether that be a calzone, pizza bread or even a chocolate-topped dessert pizza (yes, that’s a real thing).

However, it’s unknown why 9 February was chosen as the day on which National Pizza Day falls, or who started the tradition - not that we’re complaining. Pizzas have been around for centuries - possibly thousands of years - with early versions of the dish being recorded in Roman poet Virgil’s ‘Aeneid’ when some of the characters eat “thin wheaten cakes as platters for their meal”.

The dish we know and love today only came into being relatively recently, according to History Today, with instances being recorded in 18th century Naples. Despite the dish’s Italian origins, the biggest National Pizza Day celebrations tend to be seen in the United States.

What deals are on offer for National Pizza Day 2022?

Some of the UK’s major pizza restaurants may offer big National Pizza Day deals for Thursday and beyond. NationalWorld has listed the deals that have been confirmed, and what you can potentially expect from those who have not made an announcement yet:

  • Domino’s

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The pizza delivery giant did not offer any specific deals on the big day last year, and it is unclear whether or not it will be doing anything this time around. However, it usually offers discounts for its incredibly naughty pizzas and sides.

  • Papa John’s

Papa John’s launched a 50% off for people spending more than £30 on National Pizza Day last year. It also ran a competition that gave one lucky winner a year’s supply of its pizza.

It isn’t running an offer per se this time around, but it has launched a competition today that could bag you one of three £20 pizza vouchers to spend at the takeaway.

  • Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut is offering 50% off its pizzas today when you spend £25 or more. The offer is available nationwide on collections and deliveries, but does not appear to be open to customers who dine in.

  • Pizza Express

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The high street pizza chain offered 20% off via delivery or collection for its top four bestsellers for almost a month after National Pizza Day last year. This offer included the American Hot, Padana, Pollo Forza and Vegan Giardiniera.

At the moment, it looks set to incorporate National Pizza Day into its Valentine’s Day offer. Several Valentine’s offers on its website have already gone live. The chain has announced it will be giving out 250 free pizzas for today only at its new site in Brighton.

  • Franco Manca

The sourdough specialists are not currently offering a pizza deal (last year, they released an extremely cheesy special edition). But they have pledged to donate a pizza to charity for every pizza people buy from them on Thursday (9 February).

  • Wildwood

The high street Italian chain is the only foodservice firm with a national reach that NationalWorld has seen offering a National Pizza Day deal.

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It says it will offer 25% off all pizzas (excluding its classic or large Margherita pizza) between 8 and 10 February (Wednesday to Friday) when dining in-house. If you can’t wait that long, its offer has already launched for delivery via UberEats or Deliveroo.

  • Vapiano

The Italian restaurant, which has six sites across London, Manchester and Edinburgh, is offering 50% off all of its pizzas on Thursday specificially for National Pizza Day. All you need to do to get your pizza deal is sign up to the Vapiano newsletter and have a sit-down meal.

  • Deliveroo

It’s not only sit-in deals that you’ll find if you fancy a pizza today. Takeaway delivery app Deliveroo is offering exclusive discounts for people ordering pizzas from Zizzi and ASK Italian today.

Those fancying a Zizzi can bag 20% off the entire menu for one day only. Meanwhile, ASK Italian devotees can get 20% off the entire menu or a free side of chips if they spend at least £20.

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