Is the UK Pasta Chain with the Carbonara of Dreams Opening 300 New Restaurants?

When the Pasta Evangelists team appeared on Dragons’ Den in 2018, the dragons told them they were ‘delusional’ and that their idea was a ‘disaster’. Flash forward to 2025 and the pasta company has just revealed major expansion plans, with a goal of having 100 restaurants across the UK in the next five years and 300 globally in the longer-term. The company’s first dedicated restaurant, a pasta emporium, opened in Richmond last summer with self-serve wine machines, a chef handmaking pasta in the window and some delicious dishes.  Following that, they opened seven other restaurants in areas such as Greenwich, Guildford and Manchester Airport. Now co-founders Alessandro Savelli, Finn Lagun and Chris Rennoldson are looking to invest more than £30 million in even more locations. The team started Pasta Evangelists in a basement in London in 2016 and it went on to become a successful delivery business. The aim was to bring fresh pasta, just like Alessandro’s Italian nonna used to make, to British kitchens. They’ve since gone on to launch 47 takeaway units, a pasta bar in Harrods as well as pasta academies where they share their secrets.  Along the way they’ve garnered support from top chefs like Prue Leith and Gordon Ramsay and online fans have hailed the food as ‘incredible’, ‘spectacular’ and ‘delicious’. The chain’s carbonara in particular is a hit with customers, who have claimed it’s ‘the best carbonara’ and the ‘carbonara of dreams’. Speaking about the expansion plans, Alessandro told the Times he wants Pasta Evangelists to become ‘the UK’s fastest-growing, casual dining spot’. The plan is to ‘flip’ a number of the dark kitchens they already own – these are spaces where professional food is prepared and cooked solely for delivery or takeaway purposes, with no store-front or dine-in area. The business will also be looking to specifically target the South of England, Midlands and Scotland in the UK for new restaurants, creating up to 1,500 new jobs. And a ‘Pasta Apprenticeship’ scheme is also in the works, to help staff develop culinary and hospitality skills.  Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk. Arrow MORE: Walkers is launching two permanent new crisp flavours for first time in decades Arrow MORE: Lidl just launched three ‘divine’ new bakery items — starting from 79p Arrow MORE: I ate at the UK’s most popular seaside restaurant to see if it lives up to the hype