It is when in the hands of Gigi owner and pizzaiolo, Marco Matino, whose vegan pizzas enjoy a cult following in Newtown, and whose business has now expanded to the Gold Coast.

It was a controversial move back in 2015 when Matino decided to take all animal products off the menu.

Classics such as stringy mozzarella and prosciutto were replaced by more creative plant-based combos, such as roast potatoes with truffle paste or a rich and delicious calzone with pumpkin.

The move caused some backlash amongst salami lovers.

But the ever-present queue along King Street testifies to the pizzeria’s continual success.

“In 2015, after opening our eyes to the cruel reality of animal agriculture, as well as realising it was the leading cause of environmental degradation, the only option for us was to remove animal products from the menu at Gigi,” the pizzeria said in a statement online.

“We didn’t know what effect our decision would have on the business, but it didn’t really matter because we were looking at the much bigger picture!

 “Thankfully we had and continue to have the amazing support of our customers, new and old.” 

A recent study published in the journal Science revealed that avoiding meat and dairy is the single biggest way to reduce your impact on Earth.

The new analysis shows that while meat and dairy provide just 18 per cent of calories and 37 per cent of protein, it uses the vast majority – 83 per cent – of farmland and produces 60 per cent of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Now, in a big win for the Gold Coast, Gigi has expanded to The LC Market Place in Miami, where customers can gorge on vegan pizza by the slice and arancini which are completely gluten-free.

It’s another step toward promoting a healthy, ethical and inclusive eating environment.

The food-court is Australia’s first foodie marketplace dedicated exclusively to plant-based eating.

Gigi is one of 14 pizzerias in Australia certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, the non-profit Italian organisation with a mission to protect "true Neapolitan pizza".

Pizzaioli who get the tick of approval from the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana must prepare pizzas to rigorous standards set by the original home of pizza, Naples.

These standards are set out in an 11 page document, which is available in PDF online.

Only fresh, non-processed ingredients preferably imported from Naples or the Campania region should be used.

The cooking of the pizza must be done exclusively in a wood fire oven which has reached the cooking temperature of 485°C.

A vera pizza napoletana must not be larger than 11 inches, with a raised edge crust of about one inch and a thin centre.

The pizza should be soft and elastic, and easily foldable.

The centre should be particularly soft to the touch and taste where the red of the tomato is evident, and where, in the case of the pizza marinara, the green of the oregano and the white of the garlic have perfectly amalgamated.

In the case of the pizza margherita, the white of the mozzarella should appear in evenly spread patches, with the green of the basil leaves slightly darkened by the cooking process.

While the classic margherita no longer features on the Gigi menu, the pizzeria maintains its certification with the traditional marinara, with tomato, oregano and garlic.

The marinara was arguably the first pizza to be invented in Naples.