Review: Pizza Pilgrims Cambridge launches new summer dishes

Pizza Pilgrims Cambridge, located at 59 Sidney Street in the city centre, has introduced some new additions as part of its summer menu.

The new menu launched across the chain’s 22 UK branches on 9 June, just in time for the summer season.

As well as changes to some of its popular existing pizzas, the menu features three new pizzas:

The Amalfi Coast, topped with Cetaran anchovies from Amalfi, piennolo del vesuvio tomatoes, fior di latte mozzarella, olives, capers, garlic herb oil, basil and chilli - a nod to Southern Italy’s coastal flavours.

The Principessa, topped with hand-cut Prosciutto di Parma, piennolo del vesuvio tomatoes, parmigiano reggiano, buffalo mozzarella, rocket leaves and extra virgin olive oil.

The Burrata & Pesto, topped with Genovese basil pesto, Puglian burrata, piennolo del vesuvio tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil.

Two new sides include a creamy burrata Caprese salad and the lightly-smoked Napoli salami topped with black pepper.

Also launching is a hot honey crust dipper, joining Pizza Pilgrims’ existing range and forming part of their new Dip to Donate initiative, where proceeds from each dip sold support the brand’s charitable fund.

To complete the summer menu, two seasonal cocktails, a watermelon & strawberry daiquiri and a spicy pineapple margarita, have been added.

Now I’m quite adventurous when it comes to trying ‘weird and wonderful’ fusions, but I’ve been to Pizza Pilgrims before and some of their combinations - carbonara pizza and the ‘Americana’, which was topped with hot dog sausages and French fries, for example - have been a bit ‘out there’, even for me!

So the three new pizzas for the summer menu seemed a bit more down-to-earth and like something one might find in Napoli.

I went for the Burrata & Pesto pizza, as I love pesto and eat it quite regularly. Burrata is a creamy Italian cheese with which I wasn’t really familiar, but I liked it - although I have to say it isn’t my favourite Italian cheese.

The pizza itself was very nice, but I have to say I think I enjoyed The Principessa (which my wife had - she let me try a bit) more, its two cheeses, parmigiano reggiano and buffalo mozzarella, combining beautifully to create a winning taste sensation.

There is an excellent selection of dips (pesto aioli, garlic & herb, nduja, and white trifle) and we had the pesto, garlic & herb, and white truffle - and all added a delicious extra element to the pizzas.

We also shared one of the new sides between us - the lightly-smoked Napoli salami topped with black pepper - and that was extremely tasty as well.

Drinks-wise, we tried the new cocktails (watermelon & strawberry daiquiri and spicy pineapple margarita) and both were very refreshing, ideal for a hot June evening.

Happily, these new and authentic pizzas will become part of the restaurant’s main menu after the summer is over, the very friendly assistant manager informed me, meaning there is no rush to come in and try them.

However, Pilgrims does have a special guest pizza for each month, and this month’s is the ‘Zucchini Nerano’ - so anyone wishing to sample it has until 30 June.

Pizza Pilgrims was founded in 2011 by brothers James and Thom Elliot, after they had decided they wanted to make traditional Neapolitan pizza.

They flew to the toe-end of Italy, picked up a three-wheel Piaggio Ape van and drove the 4,500km back to London, stopping off along the way at all the best pizza destinations.

The pilgrimage, as it became known, was born.

After learning all they could about the art of pizza making, they began serving their pizza at London’s Berwick Street Market.

For more on the Cambridge branch, which opened in 2022, go to pizzapilgrims.co.uk/pizzerias/cambridge/.