Size matters when it's a pizza history

This is Scunthorpe
16th December 2005

Employees at the Pizza Hut restaurant at Gunness are backing a fight by their bosses against a European Union ruling.

Currently, the staff offer customers a variety of pizzas in sizes ranging from six inches to the New Yorker, which is their largest pizza at 16 inches. But from 2009, the restaurant chain has been told it must start selling the grub in centimetres.

Spokesman Darrell Wade said: "Pizza stores across the UK are increasingly adopting metric sizes on their menus, but the trend has left many customers confused when ordering.

"Following previous EU directives, Pizza Hut considered phasing in the use of metres and centimetres across its 665 stores, beginning with the launch of its biggest ever pizza - the 16-inch Big New Yorker - on December 1.

"At Pizza Hut, size is important, and we are proud of our inches."

Shane Bryan, manager of the Pizza Hut restaurant on Doncaster Road, said: "I have always known pizzas to be measured in inches.

"Even if we have to change to centimetres, we would still refer to inches in some way on the menu, because it is what people understand and associate with pizzas.

"There would be a need to re-educate people if changing from centimetres to inches, because inches are used in other aspects of society as well, and people are familiar with the use of inches."

Antony Devita, from Antinino's Restaurant on Scunthorpe High Street, said: "I think only Italians should sell pizza. I don't care if they are sold in centimetres or inches, it doesn't matter to me.

"I haven't heard about this new ruling, so it doesn't bother me. I just think the bigger the pizza, the better."

The British Weights and Measures Association is backing the stance taken by Pizza Hut.

A spokesman said: "It's important we retain the imperial system in our everyday lives, whether it's a pint down the pub or a 16-inch pizza."