I decided to try a pizza from Iceland when a friend recommended them. She told me that they offered a good range, and cost only £1 each. What also appealed to me was the fact that they offered a vegetarian such as myself more choice of toppings than good old tomato and onion. I picked up a couple to try but the one that I am reviewing today is the "Thin and Crispy Four Cheese Pizza". I like both thick based pizzas and the thin crusted ones, providing they aren't so crispy they are in fact difficult to get your teeth into!

The four cheeses mentioned on the packet are mozzarella, red cheddar, Edam, and Monteray Jack. All of these are vegetarian versions which is very useful for me. If I make my own pizza, I have to be careful to use cheese that is in fact vegetarian. This can vary from brand to brand and worse still many are not labelled as veggie friendly even if further research reveals that they are. There isn't any additional vegetables used in the topping, but it is easy to add some if you want to. Apart from the cheese, the only other flavourings are the tomato sauce spread on the base and some herbs - garlic, oregano, paprika and pepper plus chilli oil. This is another reason the pizza appealed to me - the flavourings listed are what I would add to a pizza I made myself.

The pizza is frozen, and comes in a cardboard box, with an inner plastic shrink wrap style covering. The fact it is frozen means it has a long "shelf" life. It is a flat box too, so it is thankfully easy to store even in a crowded freezer such as mine. It doesn't need to defrost so it is very quick and simple to prepare. All you need to do is unwrap it and place it directly on the oven shelf. I have introduced these to my brother, who cooked his on a baking tray. He complained that the bases were always too soft. He switched to following the instructions, and dispensing with the tray and that made the world of difference. It is important for the heat to reach the pizza from all directions, I think. The cheese does melt as it cooks, as you would expect it to, which means that some occasonally drips on to the oven floor or shelves. I would rather this happen than have a less well topped pizza though!

I was not impressed with the amount of cheese I could see when I first opened the box. It looked a thin layer even if it was well spread out. Once it was cooked though, the cheese seems to double as it melts, and I was perfectly happy with the amount of topping in the end. It smells very cheesy too. I couldn't taste much Edam, but the other ones give plenty of flavour. The herbs aren't strong either, but as this is called a four cheese pizza, I am happy for the cheese to take the lead as regards taste. The tomato base is more obvious in taste and helps to add colour too. It isn't the most colourful of pizzas, despite the fact red cheddar has been used but I still think that a pizza coated with plenty of melted cheese looks rather appetising! The base really is both thin and crispy. It tastes really fresh, which surprised me as it is a frozen product. It holds the topping well, and is great to bite into because it isn't too hard or chewy. I love the contrast between the crust and the soft melting cheese on top. I also like the fact the cheese isn't stringy to the point it is hard to eat.

I usually share one pizza [335g], with 2-3 other people, with side dishes such as potato skins and wedges. It isn't huge but we all get a decent sized slice each. If we want more, the pizza is so cheap it doesn't matter. I have bought this pizza several times now, sometimes to use as is, sometimes as an easy base for vegeatble toppings such as mushroom and peppers.

I wuld definitely recommend that you give this pizza a try. It is really good quality in both taste and texture and it is amazing value at £1. I like to keep a pizza in my freezer for lazy cooking days, and this one from Iceland will definitely be my first choice!