Northern Pasta Co. is entering its next phase of expansion after appearing on BBC’s Dragon’s Den on 17 September 2026. Founders Imogen Royall and Matt Kenyon accepted a joint investment proposal of £50,000 for a 10% stake from Peter Jones and Deborah Meaden.
Founded in 2022, the British spelt pasta producer began with a small market stall in the North of England and an annual output of approximately 1.6 tonnes. The company has since undergone rapid growth. Weekly production stood at 2.25 tonnes at the beginning of 2026, but continued investment has helped raise capacity to 13.5 tonnes per week — six times higher than in January.
The business expects to exceed £1 million in turnover during 2026 and intends to continue expanding over the next three years. This progress reflects wider food and beverage industry trends, including increased demand for distinctive British products, scalable food manufacturing trends and continued investment in food processing technology.
A key element of the company’s development is its 12,000 sq ft facility in Carnforth, Lancashire. The site has undergone extensive refurbishment during the past year, while the production workforce has increased from four to ten employees. The company has directed its funding towards new equipment and employee training, supporting the wider food and drink industry innovation taking place across the sector.
When the facility reaches full capacity, Northern Pasta Co. expects its output to be ten times greater than before. The site will eventually produce in one day the quantity that previously required almost two years to manufacture.
The business has also strengthened its senior leadership team with two new appointments. Grace Chau has joined from Merchant Gourmet, where she spent five years and most recently held the position of senior brand and innovation manager. Her experience will support the company’s approach to food and drink marketing, product development and brand growth.
Matt Young has taken up the role of head of sales. He brings nine years of experience in developing challenger brands and previously worked as national account controller at The Jolly Hog. His appointment is expected to support the company’s retail expansion and respond to evolving food distribution trends.
As Northern Pasta Co. grows, its plans will also need to reflect changing food and drink consumer trends, food and drink sustainability expectations, food and drink packaging requirements and evolving food and drink regulations.
Commenting on the news, co-founder Royall said: “We’re on a mission to make the best pasta in the world, and we’ve just built the home to do it in. What took us a whole year on the market stall, we now make in a week – and soon, we’ll make in a single day what once took us the best part of two years. This is pasta made slowly, by people who take it seriously.”
