Britain's Pizza Scene Is Mostly Independent: The Numbers by City
Published 4 November 2026 · Updated 5 November 2026
Big brands dominate the adverts, but nearly four in five pizza places we list in Great Britain aren't part of a major chain. Here's how that varies by city.
Ask someone to name a pizza place and they'll probably pick a big brand. The directory tells a different story. Of the 13,120 places we list in Great Britain, 10,334 aren't branches of the six major chains we track. That's about 79%.
A caveat on the word "independent"
We can only tell a chain branch by its name, and we track six large brands. A small regional group with a few shops counts as independent in these figures, so the true share of single-site businesses is lower. Many of the places listed also sell kebabs, chicken, or burgers alongside pizza.
The biggest cities
| Place | Pizza places listed | Not a major chain |
|---|---|---|
| London | 2,226 | 1,704 (77%) |
| Birmingham | 404 | 326 (81%) |
| Leeds | 265 | 232 (88%) |
| Liverpool | 253 | 219 (87%) |
| Manchester | 210 | 161 (77%) |
| Glasgow | 209 | 163 (78%) |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 184 | 159 (86%) |
| Sheffield | 183 | 158 (86%) |
| Bristol | 158 | 121 (77%) |
| Nottingham | 149 | 121 (81%) |
Place figures depend on how widely we draw each boundary, so treat them as a guide and not a census.
England, Scotland, and Wales
The picture is similar across Great Britain. Wales has the highest share of the three, though on far fewer places.
| Country | Pizza places listed | Not a major chain |
|---|---|---|
| England | 11,617 | 9,138 (79%) |
| Scotland | 834 | 640 (77%) |
| Wales | 616 | 503 (82%) |
The chains, by branches listed
- Domino's: 1,337
- Pizza Hut: 480
- Papa Johns: 475
- PizzaExpress: 384
- Franco Manca: 70
- Rudy's: 40
Finding the local places
On our search, choose "Independent" under More filters to hide the big brands. You'll probably have a lot to pick from.
Sources
Calculated by PizzaNearMe from listings on 5 November 2026, using Food Standards Agency and OpenStreetMap data. "Chain" means Domino's, Pizza Hut, Papa Johns, PizzaExpress, Franco Manca, or Rudy's, matched by business name. Other groups, including small regional chains, count as independent here. Northern Ireland isn't included.