Move over, toast! Aberdenshire food company Macphie is betting on pizza as the next big thing in breakfast.
Glenbervie-based Macphie, which makes ingredients for leading food brands, has cooked up a range of pizza toppings more suited to the breakfast bar than the dining table.
Looking for a cereal substitute? Have a toffee apple crumble pizza. And if you crave a fry up, try some eggs and beans with your deep-dish.
There’s even a Hollandaise sauce for a classy eggs benedict-style blow-out.
Macphie’s marketing and insights manager, Kirsty Matthews, said the new toppings developed by the north-east company push the boundaries of what’s possible.
“More and more unique and wonderful pizza options are popping up on restaurant menus,” she explained.
“The latest breakfast pizza trend has seen the concept we dreamed of as kids being brought to life, inspiring our chefs to let their imaginations run wild, creating some delicious and unique recipes to add to morning menus.”
Can breakfast pizzas catch on? We ask Aberdeen’s Fireaway Pizza
The concept drew lukewarm backing from one Aberdeen pizza expert.
Vijay Varma opened Fireaway pizza in Mastrick last year and serves up hot slices with all kinds of toppings.
Asked if eggs and beans would be a hit with his customers, he said: “Maybe, you never know.
“People can be pretty crazy and they like trying everything.”
Vijay pointed to social media videos of chefs putting omelette on pizza as an example of breakfast trends in takeaway.
But he said eggs are not about to knock traditional toppings such as pepperoni off the top of the pizza popularity charts.
“Definitely not,” Vijay said.
“Meathead and pepperoni are our two most popular pizzas. And they are really popular.”
Pizza on the rise since pandemic
According to Macphie, pizza is enjoying a moment, with sales increasing “significantly” despite the pandemic.
But breakfast pizza is the coming trend, the company maintained. Currently featuring on just 3% of restaurant menus, that number is expected to jump to 15% in the next four years.
But why stop at breakfast? Macphie said all kinds of food can furnish pizzas.
“The opportunities are endless,” said insights manager Kirsty. “Think fish and chips, nachos and sour cream, vegan macaroni cheese or a Sunday roast on top of a pizza.”
