62. Emilia’s Crafted Pasta

Founder: Andrew Macleod
Founded: 2016
Website: www.emiliaspasta.com

Emilia’s Crafted Pasta champions the essence of real Italian cuisine – warmth, generosity, freshness, and simplicity lie at the heart of this brand. That, and affordable, delicious pasta made fresh every morning.

Andrew Macleod founded Emilia’s Crafted Pasta in 2016, using his travels around Italy – namely, the Emilia-Romagna region – as inspiration. From his experiences, he created a traditional restaurant business that focuses on serving the best fresh pasta at affordable prices.

There are currently two restaurants, both London-based and each with a different vibe. The St. Katharine Docks site embraces a rustic and intimate atmosphere that harks back to the small trattorias of Modena’s side-streets. The second restaurant, in Aldgate, has more of a city ambience that nods to the more extroverted side of Italian culture.

No matter which restaurant you visit, however, you’ll find a pasta counter in full view of diners and an open kitchen where dishes are prepared with care and precision. Passion is a key ingredient for this startup, but there’s a science behind each recipe too.

The geometry of pasta shapes, and the science behind sauce pairings, lie at the heart of Emilia’s Crafted Pasta right next to the emotive love of Italian cuisine. The attention to detail and careful assessment of pasta’s weight, size, length, and shape when deciding sauce pairings shines a light on why this brand has managed to take pasta to the next level.

Emilia’s Crafted Pasta has moved up the Startups 100 list since featuring last year, and shows no signs of slowing its growth. Macleod has big plans for Emilia’s Crafted Pasta, and is looking to open a third restaurant this year.