Pasta Evangelists to open 100 UK restaurants in £30m expansion

The Pasta Evangelists founders Finn Lagun, Alessandro Savelli and Chris Rennoldson. Credit: Pasta Evangelists

Artisan pasta brand Pasta Evangelists has announced plans to open 100 restaurants across the UK over the next five years in a £30 million expansion drive.

Working with franchise partners, the business aims to create up to 1,500 jobs, with new locations targeted across the South of England, Midlands and Scotland. The recruitment push will include exploring a dedicated “Pasta Apprenticeship” scheme to attract young talented professionals into the hospitality sector and upskill existing staff.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves welcomed the move, describing it as “great news and another vote of confidence in the UK.”

She added:

Investment like this demonstrates the dynamism and resilience of British businesses, as we deliver on our promise to grow the economy and get more money in people’s pockets.”

The blueprint for success

Founded in 2016 and acquired by Barilla in 2021 for £40 million, Pasta Evangelists has gone from strength to strength. It has evolved from a fresh pasta subscription service to a rapidly growing casual dining brand. The company also supplies products via Ocado, Amazon and Marks & Spencer, and opened its first franchise restaurants in Richmond and Greenwich last year.

CEO and co-founder Alessandro Savelli said:

The demand for our fresh, beautifully cooked artisan pasta is growing. Our intention is to become the UK’s fastest-growing, casual dining hot spot and the hottest place to eat for pasta lovers of all ages. We are actively looking for sites and franchise partners across the whole of the UK and welcome approaches.

Sustainable growth has always been our plan. The hospitality industry is going through tough times at the moment, but we are confident that our business model is robust and dynamic and the proof of this is we have already bucked the trend with the confirmed opening of five more restaurants in the space of 3 months, and more to come.”

The company’s latest openings include a flagship Farringdon site converted from its cookery school into a combined restaurant and pasta academy. July saw its first restaurant outside London launch in Guildford, with three more London sites in Fulham, Queensway and New Oxford Street due in the coming weeks, bringing the total to 11.

Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer Finn Lagun, added:

A big part of our success is being so much more than just a restaurant. We bring a wonderful experiential element to our restaurants – with our key offering being our famous fresh pasta-making courses. Over 100,000 consumers have already learnt the art of making fresh pasta at our Pasta Academy and with our growth plans there is no reason why we shouldn’t eventually see over a million British people learning the art of making beautiful fresh pasta under the expert tutelage of our chefs.”