Born from passion and entrepreneurial spirit, Pasta Evangelists is at the pinnacle of fresh pasta and sauces
There’s a saying that ‘food is love’, and it’s no secret that Italian cuisine is one of the world’s most loved fares. From pasta to pizza, gnocchi, risotto, and beyond, Italian food is renowned for being delicious, accessible, and oozing with exquisite flavors. Epitomizing this culinary legacy, Pasta Evangelists is a name synonymous with premium quality, care, passion, and pure indulgence.
A specialist in fresh, artisan pasta and sauces, the business was founded nine years ago by Alessandro Savelli, Chris Rennoldson, and Finn Lagun – three individuals with a shared dream and a love of great pasta. Cultivated from humble roots, Pasta Evangelists is known for more than premium, handmade pasta. From its home meal kits to hot delivery and in-person dining, the company is committed to offering something truly special, with its dishes expertly crafted by three-starred Michelin chef, Giancarlo Perbellini, and Head Pastaia, Roberta D’elia.
For the first time, Food Chain sits down for an exclusive interview with Chris Rennoldson, Co-Founder of Pasta Evangelists, to learn more about his journey to pasta prevalence and to uncover the secrets behind the company’s growth and success. He begins by sharing his own career background and how his passion for food, combined with hard work and determination, led to the creation of Pasta Evangelists.
“I started my career in finance in London, but I left a job that didn’t work out for me in 2013 and took some time out,” Chris reveals. “I had two hobbies: rugby and food. A lot of people advised me to try making one of my hobbies into my job, so I decided to make food my career. I immersed myself in work experience in restaurants, but soon learned that, at the age of 40, with a family on the way, being a commis chef in London was not the answer for me.”
Following this realization, Chris enrolled in the prestigious Leiths School of Food and Wine in London and spent a year experimenting with culinary concepts, but no ideas stuck. However, his entrepreneurial journey struck gold one night when he met a stranger with a shared passion and an intriguing idea.
“I was introduced to this guy named Alessandro Savelli and we met one Wednesday evening and hit it off. He had this idea for an amazing pasta business, and I loved the idea of premiumizing fresh pasta and transforming it into something better,” Chris continues. “Our mission is to be the authority in fresh pasta and sauces. We started the business in cook-at-home fresh pasta meal kits, not because it was our final goal but because it was a relatively easy way to get started. We began building a customer base, consolidating the brand, and taking orders through a simple website; without having to worry about many of the logistics such as preparing the food, which we did through a co-packer, and began to grow. After a couple of years of operation, we were contacted by Harrods and invited to be a part of their revamped Fresh Market Hall. We pitched our business and were successful, launching in Harrods in 2018. That was our first venture outside of the meal kits and showed the flexibility of the brand and product; since then we started selling the meal kits via Ocado, and in March 2020 we launched our first kitchen for hot food delivery in Clapham. Lockdown then hit, and whilst the cook-at-home meal kit business boomed, we still found time and energy to grow to seven delivery kitchens by the end of 2020.
“Over the course of the next four years, we built an estate of 50 delivery kitchens across the UK. Following that success, the next natural step for the brand is to build wonderful restaurants on the high street where people can come in and enjoy the full Pasta Evangelists experience in person; we now have nine restaurants and plan to open at least ten more in 2026.
“What we offer is a premium product, but one that is still widely relevant,” he says. “Pasta is a wonderfully accessible cuisine; it’s hard to find someone who won’t be able to find something they love in our restaurants. Even if you come to us for lunch two or three times a week, it’ll feel special every time.”
Perfect partnership
Through experimentation and strategic investment, Pasta Evangelists soon rose to fame. From its initial meal kits and Harrods presence to its delivery kitchens and restaurants, consumers across the country are falling in love with the Pasta Evangelists experience. By continuing to champion its omnichannel approach, the company has positioned itself right at the heart of the UK culinary scene. Most recently, the business was proud to open new restaurants in Guildford, New Oxford Street and Queensway.
“Our ambition is to have restaurants across the UK and our Guildford opening was a really important part of that because it was our first restaurant outside of London,” Chris explains. “The Guildford restaurant has been amazingly successful; it marks Pasta Evangelists out on the high street and proves that our model works well outside as well as within London, combining a dine-in restaurant, delivery and the pasta-making classes and events that we hold in each of our restaurants.”
Following nine years of growth and success, Pasta Evangelists is ready to scale to new heights. In 2021, the business was acquired by Barilla Group – the world’s largest pasta producer, which was founded in 1877 and now boasts a multi-billion-euro turnover. Despite its size and geographical footprint, Barilla Group remains extremely connected to its family roots and core entrepreneurial values, an ethos which Pasta Evangelists shares – making the partnership a perfect fit.
“When we first met the Barilla brothers at their headquarters in Parma in Italy, they told us that they loved the business and wanted us to be a part of their group. Alessandro, Finn, and I told them that we were excited to join, but also retain our independence, and Barilla absolutely respected that. Barilla is very aligned to that entrepreneurial spirit and it’s that passion and sense of ownership that really connects us.”
Since the acquisition, Pasta Evangelists has quadrupled in size and, as it prepares for international expansion, its parent company will be instrumental in driving this international growth and success. “We figured that if we were going to take all the complexity of our business to an international market, then it would make sense to target the biggest market in the world, the US. It’s a vast country and difficult to crack, but is definitely worth the risk, and reflects Barilla’s own journey in the 1970s. They’ve given us a wealth of support and understanding,” Chris says. 
Growth trajectory
With its strategic goals set and tenth anniversary on the horizon, Pasta Evangelists is well-positioned to expand and flourish. Born out of pure passion and a love for food, the company will continue to delight customers for many more decades to come, bringing a taste sensation and culinary joy to high streets and doorsteps everywhere.
“Our focus for the next three to five years is to surpass 100 restaurants in the UK and to expand into the US. We’re planning that the majority of that growth will be franchise-driven. At the moment, we operate three of our nine restaurants whilst our two franchise partners operate the others, and we intend to continue with that approach,” Chris reveals, concluding our conversation. “We’re excited to further expand our geography and work with new franchise partners; we see lots of great new opportunities.”