Alessandro Savelli, the founder of Pasta Evangelists, the UK’s original fresh pasta company with recipe kits and takeaway delivered straight to your door, alongside pasta making classes and a pasta bar at Harrods, discusses his inspiration alongside the challenges of running a fast-paced, multi-faceted growing business.
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How did you get the idea for Pasta Evangelists and how has that idea changed from the start to the business you run now? The idea came from a pasta making masterclass I attended in London with my wife. The experience was a beautiful reminder of growing up in Liguria, where I’d watch my nonna, Maddalena, make gnocchi as a treat on the weekends. I was inspired by the genuine craftsmanship on show at this masterclass. I wanted to create a business that “evangelized” the real fresh pasta making, a tradition that has existed in Italy for hundreds of years.
How do you define comfort food for the modern diner? These days, prime quality products are everywhere, from ice cream and burgers to pizza and tonic water. Thankfully, this means you don’t need to compromise on quality to enjoy comfort food. For me, the best kind of comfort food is nourishing and thoughtfully prepared. For me, the best comfort food is elevated with gourmet ingredients, whether it’s a shaving of fresh summer truffle over mac and cheese, or choosing the highest quality pecorino romano to make a simple, but sublime, cacio e pepe.
How do you develop the recipes and keep the offering diverse and exciting? Travel, family traditions and lots and lots of tastings! Many of our dishes, such as our Harrods favourite, Chef Mario’s chicken cacciatore, are family recipes passed down through generations to the Italians on our team.
What are some trends in cuisine you are seeing that are really exciting? What about ones that are frustrating? Fads are frustrating. Instead, Pasta Evangelists takes inspiration from the Mediterranean diet, which has been tried and tested since antiquity. The idea here is simply that, if you eat the right variety of foods in a balanced way, you will get enough of everything you need. Whether it’s evolving our range to introduce whole grains, or more plant-based dishes, we are keen to ensure we are offering a great variety of quality, whole foods.
What in your mind makes the perfect meal? Simplicity. I love dishes with just a few ingredients. When you strip a dish back in this way, you can experience the full spectrum of flavour from your ingredients, whether it is the distinctive sweet-sour taste of an authentic balsamic vinegar from Modena, or the savoury heat of Calabrian ‘nduja.
How did the partnership with Harrods come about and what are the challenges to running a brick-and-mortar business? Our partnership began with a small deli counter in the Harrods Food Hall back in 2018, two years after we launched our fresh pasta recipe kit service on pastaevangelsits.com. From there, we built a relationship that evolved over the years, resulting in the opportunity to open a Pasta Bar in their prestigious Dining Hall in 2021. Running a restaurant comes with its own unique challenges: I would say people and service has been our biggest learning curve. We are extremely focused on training, ensuring teams are equipped to give the consistently high customer experience that customers expect.
What do you love about pasta and Italian cuisine? The most magical thing about Italian pasta culture is the variety. There are so many shapes, sauces and recipes to discover, literally hundreds and hundreds, from across Italy’s 20 different regions. Some of these shapes date back centuries, such as corzetti, a unique, engraved pasta found in my region, Liguria. Pasta is amazing because there is so much more than meets the eye: through pasta, you are able to discover the story of Italy, its philosophy, history and culture.
What does no one tell you about running a business? I think entrepreneurs have a responsibility to be honest about how often we experience failure, and how long the journey can feel at times. I certainly wasn’t prepared for that. Take fundraising, for example. It’s important for entrepreneurs to know that, just because a first meeting didn’t lead to investment, you shouldn’t strike a target investor from your list. Keep in touch, send personalised updates, especially where material change has taken place since you last met. Success rarely comes from one lucky break, but by persevering, no matter how many times you are knocked back.
What do you love about Italy? The generosity of the people. Italians value conviviality and making time for others.