A TAKEAWAY has been left red-faced after offering customers baked “Aborigines” as a vegetarian pizza topping.

Pizza-lovers were left gobsmacked when the indigenous Australians appeared twice as a vegetarian option on a takeaway menu from Super Pizza on the corner of Victoria Avenue and Fairfax Drive, Southend.

The embarrassing error was seen by thousands after leaflets were distributed to homes across the area.

Stunned diner Richard Coombes, 27, from Rochford said: “I couldn’t believe it when I saw it.

“I’ve heard of typos but this takes it to another level.

“I had to ask my girlfriend to check if I was seeing things.”

Aboriginal Australians are known to have lived in Australia for at least 40,000 before British colonisation began in 1788.

Mr Coombes added: “We definitely steered clear of the vegetarian option after that.

“I love the Aussies but I wouldn’t want to eat them on a pizza.”

Staff at Super Pizza on Victoria Avenue have since explained the odd topping had been an innocent typo and should have read “aubergine.”

A spokesman said: “It was a mistake.

“We don’t want to comment any further.”

A newly corrected version of the menu has since been printed and distributed.

A spokesman for Super Pizza Ltd explained individual branches are responsible for their own leaflets.

Just Eat, who provide an online ordering service for the takeaway shop, declined to comment.