We all know it's hard to please everyone, but when it comes to pizza, battle lines have been drawn: pineapple has become a particular point of contention, and let's not even get started on the controversy around crusts.
But in a bid to promote a little more peace in this divided world, Hell Pizza has launched a new limited-edition dish that may just do the unthinkable: cater to both vegetarians and carnivores alike.
Inspired by the Kiwi classic, the new 'steak and cheese pie' pizza is 100 percent vegetarian, featuring Fable's plant-based steak - made from shiitake mushrooms - traditional gravy, cheddar, mozzarella and flaky puff pastry. The pizza can even be customised for vegans, with a dairy-free mozzarella available.
A recent survey revealed one in 10 New Zealanders - or roughly 500,000 - are now vegetarian, meaning there's a significant market for meat-free pizzas featuring plant-based alternatives.
But for the carnivores also wanting to sink their teeth into a slice, Hell has also launched an optional condiment to accompany the new offering: To-Meat-O Sauce.
Infused with traces of real blood and delivered in a hospital-style blood bag, the tomato sauce is the first of its kind in Aotearoa, according to Hell's founder and director, Callum Davies. The recipe is handmade in store, based on a classic Kiwi-style tomato sauce, and infused with beef stock and capsules of deer blood.
The product has been designed to ensure all New Zealanders can enjoy the unique twist on a Kiwi classic, said Davies - but for the nine in 10 who can't say adios to the animal products, the To-Meat-O Sauce may add some appeal.
"The humble steak and cheese pie is a meaty Kiwi classic, and although we may have interpreted this as a meat-free pie pizza, we've created a bloody good tomato sauce in case any of our carnivorous friends get their noses out of joint," Davies said.
"We realise we need to be creative to encourage the most stubborn of meat-eaters to try new plant-based proteins. We did this with the infamous Burger Pizza a few years ago, and this is the next chapter for HELL in that space."
The new limited-edition 'steak and cheese pie' pizza is available nationwide now. The To-Meat-O Sauce is an optional condiment at no additional cost.
