Pasta Evangelists targets Winchester High Street with new shopfront plans

Pasta Evangelists is edging toward a Winchester High Street presence, with new planning and licensing filings pointing to Unit 1 at 9-11 High Street, the former F45 Gym space.

The immediate planning ask is about signage rather than a full restaurant reveal, but the move still marks a significant step for one of the best-known names in Britain’s fresh-pasta scene. Winchester City Council’s Public Access system lists the application, and the same unit has also appeared in a separate New Premises Licence notice for Ara Pasta Ltd, of Quadrant House, Floor 6, 4 Thomas More Square, London E1W 1YW. Taken together, the filings suggest a brand preparing for a more permanent foothold on one of Hampshire’s busiest central shopping streets.

For Winchester, the proposal matters because it would repurpose a prominent former gym unit into a food-led destination. High Street sites like this are the kind that can change a stretch of town quickly, especially when a recognisable operator arrives with plans that may stretch beyond takeaway trade.

Pasta Evangelists is not a standard Italian chain. The business began in 2016 as a cook-at-home fresh pasta company, then moved into restaurants, delivery, recipe kits and pasta experiences. Barilla acquired a majority stake in January 2021, underlining how much the brand has grown since its early pasta-box days.

The company’s founder, Alessandro Savelli, says the idea was shaped by the hand-made pasta he made with his nonna in Italy. An official biography says Savelli grew up in Genoa, in Liguria, which gives the brand a clear regional story that still matters as it expands into physical shops.

That expansion has been moving fast. The Caterer reported in 2024 that Pasta Evangelists was aiming for 100 UK restaurants in five years, backed by more than £30m of investment and up to 1,500 new jobs. Earlier coverage said the target was at least 200 stores nationwide, while the company’s current booking page already lists restaurants in Chiswick, Farringdon, Greenwich Cutty Sark, Guildford, New Oxford Street, Queensway and Richmond, plus partnerships in Bristol and Manchester Sale.

Elsewhere, the brand’s newer sites have gone beyond simple counter service, with formats that combine dine-in, takeaway, delivery and masterclasses. The Greenwich opening was also described as featuring handmade pasta made on site and open pasta counters. If Winchester follows that pattern, High Street would gain more than a sign change. It would get another polished fresh-pasta player, and a likely test of how far this part of the city centre can stretch into destination dining.