UK, San Marzano tomatoes

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WaterPixie

Regular Member
Joined
2 Apr 2024
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10:26 PM
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Location
United Kingdom
I want to make authentic pizza. My local Italian makes incredible authentic pizzas, but they cost £15.50 each. They're mentally tasty though. It's like.... If drugs were food. When I'm eating the pizza, fresh hot out the pizza fire oven, it's like I'm transported into heaven.

Anyhow. I assume the sauce uses San Marzano tomatoes. I assume the restaurant owner imports many ingredients. He also runs a import ingredients and coffee supply business, but he only sells to businesses. Large quantities of course.

Where can I get certified genuine San Marzano tomatoes from at an affordable price? I've bought some in the past from an online store. Hang on let me check my email and find the order.

The year 2020. Website Blake and Tate.

As you can see below, it was very expensive. I strongly suspect the tomatoes were cheap crap ones. They didn't taste at all sweet, and tasted sour and nasty.
12 x La Fiammante San Marzano Tomatoes - 400g × 1
£25.99​
Subtotal
[td]
£25.99​
Shipping
​
[td]
£6.95​
Taxes
​
[td]
£0.00​
[/td]​
Total
[td]
£32.94 GBP​
[/td]​
[/td]
[/td]
 
badjak said:
If you want to make "authentic" pizza, you first need the right heat and dough
Toppings only come after that.
So, what oven will you be using and what dough recipe?
Click to expand...
This video. The video only tells us how to make the dough. Nothing else.
View: https://youtu.be/8Q_9h6VKm9c

Attached is a pic of flour I will use.

Standard home fan oven. Don't have the flour brand fire oven. They make fire ovens. Very expensive.

Screenshot_20250424_065821_Tesco.jpg
 
Sainsbury's do a good fresh mozzarella, which is always superior to the sliced or ready grated. However, they have sliced and ready grated as well.
You may have to pay a little extra, but high quality ingredients mean a superior pizza.
 
karadekoolaid said:
Sainsbury's do a good fresh mozzarella, which is always superior to the sliced or ready grated. However, they have sliced and ready grated as well.
You may have to pay a little extra, but high quality ingredients mean a superior pizza.
Click to expand...
Which one? I've tried the best tesco have to offer, including the Galbani one that you can get in every supermarket. I never buy already cut. I buy the fresh stuff. And it's utterly crap. No flavour at all. Even the tesco finest.

I've never made a real authentic pizza yet. But I have bought mozzarella for pasta I make and bought the dop tomatoes I wrote about above for making pasta too.

You just can't seem to get good ingredients in the UK.
 
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WaterPixie said:
I've tried the best tesco have to offer, including the Galbani one that you can get in every supermarket.
Click to expand...
I used the Galbani when over there and thought it was good. Still, if you don't like it, in that case, I'd look for an Italian deli. More expensive probably, but authenticity and quality guaranteed.
WaterPixie said:
You just can't seem to get good ingredients in the UK.
Click to expand...
I'd disagree there. You just have to look.
 
WaterPixie said:
Which one? I've tried the best tesco have to offer, including the Galbani one that you can get in every supermarket. I never buy already cut. I buy the fresh stuff. And it's utterly crap. No flavour at all. Even the tesco finest.

I've never made a real authentic pizza yet. But I have bought mozzarella for pasta I make and bought the dop tomatoes I wrote about above for making pasta too.

You just can't seem to get good ingredients in the UK.
Click to expand...

I would suggest you to change the 00 Flour for a Durum Wheat Semolina Flour. 00 Flour is usually an over-processed flour and it gives only a soft texture rather than an authentic flavour. Semolina Flour is quite better and it is the flour they use in Napoli.
 
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WaterPixie said:
You just can't seem to get good ingredients in the UK.
Click to expand...

No offence intended but that's possibly because you're shopping in Tesco, it's not known for stocking good quality produce.
I shop there sometimes when I'm motorcycling about (because they are always the most strategically positioned) and I'm often taken aback by how poor the quality is. It's bad enough that I'll ride out of my way to find a different supermarket if I can.

I have no problem getting deservedly award winning quality food in the UK and I'm a fussy bugger when it comes to quality.
Mozzarella is IMO a boring bland cheese for pizza. It's stringy melted texture is good but I always add another stronger cheese in with it.

If you want top tier ingredients you can buy from small suppliers, I don't know where you're based but there's usually a good cheese shop or deli somewhere, go in and ask them.

If you want to buy from a supermarket you have to go to the places that stock the best. Generally that's Ocado (Marks and Spencers) and Waitrose. Look for the 'Taste' award winners.

You could also ask your favourite pizza place, if they can't sell you any maybe they could suggest something you could buy that's similar.
 
SandwichShortOfAPicnic said:
No offence intended but that's possibly because you're shopping in Tesco, it's not known for stocking good quality produce.
I shop there sometimes when I'm motorcycling about (because they are always the most strategically positioned) and I'm often taken aback by how poor the quality is. It's bad enough that I'll ride out of my way to find a different supermarket if I can.

I have no problem getting deservedly award winning quality food in the UK and I'm a fussy bugger when it comes to quality.
Mozzarella is IMO a boring bland cheese for pizza. It's stringy melted texture is good but I always add another stronger cheese in with it.

If you want top tier ingredients you can buy from small suppliers, I don't know where you're based but there's usually a good cheese shop or deli somewhere, go in and ask them.

If you want to buy from a supermarket you have to go to the places that stock the best. Generally that's Ocado (Marks and Spencers) and Waitrose. Look for the 'Taste' award winners.

You could also ask your favourite pizza place, if they can't sell you any maybe they could suggest something you could buy that's similar.
Click to expand...
Is Ocado marks and Spencer?

Can I get good stuff from my local marks and Spencer? It's a foodhall. They sell ingredients.

You don't shop at cheaper supermarkets at all? You buy ALL your ingredients from expensive places? You must be rich. I'm not 😔.

My local Italian probably only uses mozzarella?

I don't know of anything other than supermarkets and farm shops where I live.

I only own a push/pedal bicycle. So I'm limited how much I can carry and how far I can go. I can do 40 miles in a day, but it takes me 8 hours or more with breaks in between to eat, use toilet etc. Let's say I travelled 20 miles to buy food, if it requires refrigeration, it'll be out of the fridge for the 5 or so hours it takes me to get home. Return journey always takes me longer as I became more and more tired.

I have a cheese shop in my town but they don't sell mozzarella, I asked last year.

I'm based in Kent, UK.

My nearest waitrose is a 1 hour and 15 pedal bike journey away. Not too far.
 
It takes a minute, about 30'ish, but it's not hard to make at home. Don't know how that works out for cost or your time availability but it is an option.
 
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