Pizza takeaway has lovely, friendly staff and really tasty food

Having served takeaway pizza to customers in Lynn and the surrounding area for more than 25 years, Galliano’s Pizza in Gaywood is something of an institution.I first became properly aware of Galliano’s a few years ago when my sister recommended it, and I’ve since tried its offerings just once before.My partner Lee remembers getting takeaway from there during school lunchtimes in the late 90s as well – and I’m sure many others have similar memories of the independent business over the last few decades.

So when we settled on ordering food in with my parents on a Thursday night a couple of weeks ago, we decided to give Galliano’s another go – the first time in a couple of years for Mum, Dad and I, and in a few decades for Lee!Handily, the menu is very easy to find on the business’ website and we soon worked out what we wanted to try.It took a number of attempts to get through as the line was busy with what must have been other hungry customers, but, when we did, the voice on the other end was friendly and helpful.

This was particularly the case when I checked which of our chosen sides were vegan, and was told that the fries would be if cooked within the fryer set aside for vegan items and those with gluten intolerances. We picked three 10-inch (six slice) pizzas to share between the four of us, four sides, four cans of drink and a dip for a total cost of £67.30.Choosing to collect rather than have it delivered in the hope it would be quicker (and only living around a 10-minute drive away), we were told our wait would be 40 minutes. As we were engrossed in a fast-paced TV show, the time soon passed and we took the short drive there, parking behind the Lynn Road takeaway at the car park near Gaywood Library.

Going in via the entrance at the back of the shop, we got the impression that a woman just ahead of us in the queue was very friendly with the staff – perhaps they had come to know each other well thanks to Galliano’s – which is always nice to see in an independent business.The shop itself is quite unique in that you can see the team adding the finishing touches to the dishes – and there are also a small number of gifts for sale.Again, the workers we encountered were really welcoming and helpful, and, after our food was handed over and paying the bill, we were keen to head back home to tuck into it.

Once served up, the dishes were still at a good temperature and looked appetising – as though they would be a suitable accompaniment to continuing that aforementioned TV show. Lee chose the 10-inch Neptune pizza on a thin base which comes with anchovies, prawns, mussels and tuna (£12.50) and ‘toppers’ fries, with bacon, meatballs, spicy sausage and cheese, drizzled with garlic mayo – or barbecue sauce (£6.90).For his personal taste, he felt that his pizza was a bit on the greasy side and he would have liked some more toppings – but, he finished everything on his plate.

As for the ‘toppers’ fries, he said they were lovely but that they featured more bacon than the other toppings.“It’s the first time I’ve eaten there since high school and it’s nice to see that it’s still going strong,” Lee said.Meanwhile, Mum and Dad shared a 10-inch Italian pizza on a deep pan base which is topped with bolognese, peppers, meatballs and olives (£12.50)

Their pizza was accompanied by garlic bread (£2.50), a small portion of seasoned potato wedges (£3.20) and a large portion of fries (£3.90) – the latter I also shared with them. Mum also ordered a garlic mayo dip for £1.20. They said that their pizza was “very filling”, singling out the “creamy nature” of the cheese, along with a “good selection” of toppings.Next time, my parents agreed that they would get a thin base as they felt that with the side orders, they had become full up on carbs fairly quickly.

“The garlic bread was crispy and flavoursome but not too greasy,” they said, while the chips and wedges were also “not greasy at all and very tasty”.As for my meal, I had ordered a 10-inch vegetarian on a thin base which came with mushrooms, peppers, sweetcorn and I swapped the onions for pineapple (£12.50) – yes, I am one of those controversial people. I also requested vegan cheese for an extra £1.40.I thought my pizza was delicious and well-cooked with a really good combination of fresh ingredients on a base which also tasted freshly made. The chips were moreish and struck the right balance of crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I was also very happy to see that vegan cheese – which had a fairly strong but enjoyable flavour – was on the menu, and that there were also vegan versions of meatballs and sausages on offer as toppings. It’s good to know that they cater for those with gluten intolerances as well.

Although we did not make use of them this time, Galliano’s does have meal deals on its menu, as well as pastas and bakes, burgers, children’s meals and desserts.In addition to its ‘chef’s suggestions’ pizzas – which we ordered from – customers can also choose from the ‘speciality pizzas’ or create their own.Working out to around £17 each, this wasn’t super cheap as far as takeaway pizza goes but we were glad to support a well-established independent food business – it can’t always be easy competing with chains.We also didn’t feel that it was extortionate and we enjoyed it, but we know what we would order differently next time. Here’s hoping that Galliano’s continues to build on its successes of the last 25 or so years, serving customers for many decades to come.Ratings out of five:Food: We had mixed reactions to our meals, but the overall consensus was that it was really tasty and flavoursome. ***Staff: Really helpful and friendly – clearly, they are on conversational terms with customers who they’ve made connections with over the years. ****Price: Not super expensive but at the higher end of the scale for takeaway pizza. ****