Hot Numbers is a proper Cambridge staple, well known for being an independent roastery that treats coffee with an almost scientific level of precision.

I kid you not, they have laptops plugged into the roasters to track profiles in real time to ensure ethical sourcing is executed perfectly. It’s that obsessive attention to detail that’s seen them expand across three sites since 2011 to become one of the county’s most beloved spots.

Unknown to many, they’ve branched out into stone-baked pizzas. I was keen to investigate because, let’s be honest, if they put half as much effort into their dough as they do their beans, we’re in for something truly special.

The Size

The pizzas are priced at around £13, which is competitive when compared to Cambridge pizzas but they are slightly smaller at 10″. Being a 6’4 bottomless pit along with my 6’3 monster of a son, we decided to order 3 between us just to be safe.

N’duja

The Nduja pizza comes with tomato sauce, mozzarella, n’duja, pepperoni, honey and rocket.

I could actually taste the nduja on my pizza, which is a massive win given I’m usually complaining about that elsewhere (I’m looking at you, Pizza Pilgrims!). The bases weren’t overly soft, but the toppings were nice and juicy, creating a complex texture where everything really seemed to compliment each other.

Lemon Chicken

The lemon chicken pizza came with a garlic butter base rather than a tomato one. This made it feel more like a garlic bread type of pizza. This, along with this being my first time having lemon chicken on a pizza, made this a totally new concept for me…but it really worked. It had this lively, citrusy pop that was genuinely exciting and would have likely been overpowered by a tomato base. The dill yoghurt was sublime and added a nice creaminess to the texture that made the whole pizza complete. I would definitely order this again.

Pulled Pork

The Pulled Pork came with pickled shallots, jalapeños, coffee BBQ sauce and parsley. The base was strong and light with a nice juicy topping mostly credited to the pulled pork. I was disappointed not to be able to taste the coffee flavour in the BBQ sauce. Being Hot Numbers, I was expecting a flavour more on the nose but it was still an all round great pizza none the less.

Cream Cheese Stuffed Jalapeños

These little beauties were probably my favourite of the evening. They came loaded with cream cheese, delivering a fiery punch followed by a thick, creamy texture and a glowing warmth. It was way more complex and delicious than I was expecting; I highly recommend giving these a go.

Parmesan Breadcrumbed Cauliflower Bites

The cauliflower was superb. It was crunchy and feisty thanks to the hot sauce mayo. It’s usually a struggle to make cauliflower exciting without just dousing it in cheese, but they’ve definitely found a way here.

Another great pizza spot

Hot Numbers has clearly brought that same scientific energy from their roastery over to the pizza oven, and it shows in the quality. While the 10″ bases are a bit more of a modest size, the flavours are undeniably there.

In a county like Cambridgeshire that is spoiled for choice with great pizza, these might not take the absolute top spot, but they are a bloody good addition to the menu. It is well worth a visit if you appreciate a kitchen that treats its ingredients with as much respect as its coffee beans.

Thanks for reading!