I try Pizza Express' Classic American to see how chain food compares to independent Preston pizzerias

In the realm of food joints which are fundamentally in the business of serving the kind of food which people typically grab whilst stumbling home after a Friday night skinful or on a Saturday with the kids, it stands on a tier above.

And so, when assessing Preston’s pizza-based offerings, it’s only right that we give one of the UK’s premier pizza pie-peddlers a shot at the crown.

Heading into the restaurant on Winckley Street, the first thing that struck me was how nice the premises were - the cobbled street, the lush greenery of Winckley Square in the background, the tasteful interior decor this place wouldn’t look out of place in London or Rome (inclement weather aside).

Inside, the decoration was understated but classy, the music was pleasant, and the staff were lovely - 5/5 on that front. Now down to the main event - the pizza.

Having ordered a classic American owing to its ingredient-based similarity to a basic pepperoni, I was soon presented with a lovely looking pizza, all rich reds and splodges of creamy cheese. The dough was nice and light, if a little lacking in its own flavour palette, but it had a nice flop to it and it didn’t feel too stodgy. Solid. 3.5/5.

Now to the sauce and the cheese. The tomato sauce was excellent - really rich and deep with proper tangy tomato-y flavour, but the cheese was slightly underwhelming. The pizza needed more of it, for a start, but it was also a little bland as opposed to the creamy version I was after, and the odd bite tended to drag the toppings off each slice. 3.5/5 overall.

To the toppings - I was disappointed by the pepperoni on this pizza for the simple reason that, despite it being smoky and tangy and powerful, the taste was one dimensional. Each mouthful was dominated by smoke and spice and pepperiness to the detriment of everything else; it was like eating a pizza covered in Pepperami, which is okay but boring. 3/5.

Finally, to value for money: I paid £13.45 for what was essentially an okay pizza, but a meal which didn’t exactly blow me away. The size of the dish was average, the toppings were okay but basic, and the overall quality was decent without being memorable. Granted, the setting and staff were excellent, but to get that little change from £15 feels steep. 2.5/5.

Dough: 3.5/5

Sauce & cheese: 3.5/5

Toppings: 3/5

Vibe: 5/5

Value: 2.5/5

TOTAL: 17.5/25