Some people are of the opinion that pizza is a complete dish in itself and that it would be an insult to the chef if you were to pour sauce over it or sprinkle extra seasoning on top. Needless to say, I am not one of these people; I think that any food I order, whether in a restaurant that has been awarded 3 Michelin stars or from a local fast food delivery establishment, is mine to do with as I wish and it is only natural for me to want to spice things up a little, if you will excuse the pun, on occasion.

If you have never considered improving the taste of pizza with condiments, take a look at my top five suggestions and try them for yourself the next time you order a Hawaiian or a Meat Feast. You never know, you might enjoy it!

1. Parmesan cheese – I am a real fan of this sometimes pungent Italian cheese and firmly believe that it needs to be freshly grated if you want to really benefit from the flavour that it can add to your food. Whilst it may be cheaper and more convenient to buy dried parmesan cheese in a handy shaker, once you try it fresh, you will never go back. You have probably already tried it on spaghetti Bolognese, lasagne and other tasty, traditional Italian dishes - now do yourself a favour and throw some over your pizza the next time you are vegging out in front of the TV and having a bite to eat.
2. Tomato ketchup – I know that there are sure to be quite a few readers who are recoiling in disgust at the thought of smothering their pizza in ketchup but bear with me here. Firstly, there is no need to go mad, a small dollop on the side for you to dip into whenever they fancy is more than enough for many people and secondly, the slightly tart taste of a good ketchup when compared to the sweet purees commonly used on pizza bases makes for a nice contrast rather than an overload of tomato flavour.
3. Dried chilli flakes – If you like your food hot and spicy, this is a great condiment to have on the table when you’re eating pizza. Relatively few restaurants kitchens cater to those of us with a serious chilli habit but this doesn’t mean you have to miss out when you go Italian. Sprinkle some flakes on the top of each slice and feel the flavour explode in your mouth with every bite. As well as being a great addition to any pizza, this condiment can rescue the blandest of toppings so I recommend keeping some handy at all times.
4. Bacon bits – Perhaps not a condiment in the traditional sense of the word, bacon bits nevertheless taste great when sprinkled over many different dishes and if you are using an online pizza delivery service for the first time, I think you should keep some of these handy just in case your food needs a little extra something to make it special. Personally, I like bacon bits with ham and pineapple toppings or plain cheese pizzas, rather than with something that already has a lot of meat on it.
5. Blue cheese dip – As you might imagine, this is a great choice when you are eating a plain pizza that is perhaps a little on the dry side but it’s worth trying with almost any toppings, no matter how moist they may already be. If you enjoy this type of dip with nachos and other dried snacks, I encourage you to try it next time you are having pizza and I am sure you will love it as much as I do.

Those are my favourite condiments when I’m enjoying a slice or two at home and I don’t have any hard and fast rules as far as mixing and matching them on the same night. I suggest that you buy two or three the next time you go shopping (if you don’t already have any at home) and give them a try whenever you have the opportunity. Experimentation can be great fun!