Pizza Express is giving away free pizza for Christmas

Lucky diners will receive a £25 voucher to deduct from their bill

The offer applies to customers who dine-in up to 24 December (Pizza Express)

Pizza Express has announced it will be giving away free pizza this festive season in the run up to the big day.

Every day until 24 December, the pizza chain’s ‘little helpers’ will be surprising unsuspecting diners by giving one table in every restaurant open for dine-in services £25 off their bill.

The lucky customers will be selected at random and issued with a Christmas card containing the discount, which can be used to cover anything from pizza to prosecco.

Pizza fans can also benefit from free delivery on pizzas ordered via the Pizza Express website until 20 December or 20 per cent off on collection.

Zoe Bowley, managing director at PizzaExpress, said: “If there’s one thing we think everyone will take from 2020, it’s that the little things count.

“Impromptu meals out with friends, time spent with loved ones, and the small everyday acts of kindness are what make a huge difference.

She added: “We hope that this gesture will help bring smiles to our loyal customers throughout the festive period.”

The news follows the loss of 1,300 jobs across UK Pizza Express restaurants in October, after trading worsened following tighter restrictions.

It came just two months after the chain announced plans to cut 1,100 jobs and close 73 branches as part of a restructuring deal.

Pizza Express managing director Zoe Bowley said the pandemic had had a “profound” impact on the restaurant industry.

“Unfortunately, the recent increase in Covid-19 cases is again causing footfall to decline across the UK,” she said.

“As this is expected to continue for some months, we sadly need to make changes that will impact more of our team members.

"Our people remain at the heart of our business and we are doing what we can to support those who are affected.

“We believe that this difficult decision will give us more resilience through the next six months and help us to continue serving our customers in our restaurants and at home in the years ahead,” she added.

For more information and to book a table, head to pizzaexpress.com.