Focus on Pasta & Pasta Sauces

Few foods enjoy the cultural cachet, versatility and affordability of pasta or are quite as loved. Once considered an occasional dinner option, it’s now firmly a British staple.

According to Kantar, more than 83% of UK households purchase pasta every year, spending over £203m in the 12 months to June 2025. That’s around 324,000 tonnes of pasta.

Globally, Italy is still the world’s biggest pasta consumer at 23.3kg per person, while the UK ranks 26th at just 3.5kg per head. But the UK market is changing fast. Pasta used to be two shelves of fusilli. Now it’s a whole wall of choice.

Shoppers are no longer happy with the familiar shapes of penne and spaghetti; they’re branching out into bucatini, trofie and other less familiar styles. This explosion in pasta formats is redefining the category and with it, consumer expectations and the pace of innovation.

Why Durum Wheat and Provenance Matter

The growing appetite for authenticity and quality is shining a spotlight on provenance, especially when it comes to durum wheat. It makes up only 5–8% of global wheat production and is mainly grown in Canada, Italy, Turkey, Algeria and Morocco.

Even Italy, with its deep pasta heritage and status as a leading exporter, still relies on imports for over 40% of its durum needs (as shown in the graph below). It’s a reminder of how global and interconnected supply chains really are.

That dependence became clear during Canada’s severe drought in 2021, which cut yields by more than 45% year on year, underlines the risk of leaning too heavily on one geography. Industry leaders agree that meeting global demand will require a mix of secure international sourcing and innovation in how durum is cultivated.

There are signs of progress closer to home. Research and pilot projects show that durum wheat can be grown in parts of the UK, and some artisan producers are already doing it. But scaling it up consistently remains a challenge. To reach commercial viability, the UK would need varietal breeding, co-investment in milling, and price premiums to make it worthwhile for farmers.

For now, British durum is likely to stay a niche, premium provenance story, while the mainstream market continues to rely on diverse global sourcing. Scaling British durum is possible, but it won’t happen without serious investment.

The Competition Between Fresh and Dried Pasta

One of the biggest shifts in recent years has been the rise of fresh filled pasta. By mid-2024, it was seeing strong double digit value growth and, for the first time, overtook dried shapes in revenue.

Kantar data shows fresh filled pasta volumes grew by nearly 7%, compared with around 2% growth for the category overall.

Dried pasta still makes up the bulk of volumes, but it’s facing pressure on value as more shoppers trade up to premium fresh options or niche artisan dried ranges. The rise of fresh filled pasta isn’t just about convenience — it shows how premiumisation is aligning with modern lifestyles. People want quick meals with restaurant-quality flavour, and retailers have responded with rapid innovation and expanded premium own-label ranges.

The Combinations Behind Pasta Sauces

The boom in fresh pasta is also reshaping the sauces market. Traditional tomato based sauces are still the go to for long-form dried pasta, but fresh filled pasta calls for lighter accompaniments that complement rather than overpower the filling.

This has driven demand for sauces like brown butter, sage, light cream, pesto, mascarpone, garlic and nduja. Retailers and brands are responding by promoting pairing ideas to help shoppers find the right combinations.

Premium and more adventurous flavours, from specialist pesto's and cream-based sauces to regional Italian recipes and chef-led ranges, are also gaining attention. Meanwhile, established brands are feeling the squeeze from own label and have reacted with smaller pack formats and reformulated recipes. In some cases, big brands have even been accused of “shrinkflation”, something shoppers have definitely noticed.

The Continuous Innovation of Own Label and Brands

Own label continues to dominate the pasta aisle, accounting for around 90% of UK volumes. Retailers are using tiered ranges to keep shoppers across different occasions and budgets, while also investing in premium new product development, packaging upgrades and provenance-led storytelling.

Discounters are growing too. Aldi now holds a 15.2% share and Lidl 10.5%, while Tesco and Sainsbury’s have strengthened their positions at the premium end of the market. Own label is no longer seen as a cheaper alternative — it’s a strategic growth engine in its own right.

Innovation shows no signs of slowing. Artisan bronze-cut and heritage grain pastas, PDO and PGI-certified products, and gluten-free or high-protein variants are all expanding consumer choice. Social media is adding fuel to the fire, driving interest in playful pasta shapes and inspiring new recipe ideas.

From quick-cook formats to paper-effect packaging, retailers are finding the sweet spot between affordability, provenance and premium lifestyle cues — keeping pasta and sauces some of the most dynamic categories in UK grocery.

At Atlante, we’ve spent more than 30 years bringing authentic Italian food to UK tables — connecting every link in the chain from field to fork. Our deep relationships with growers, suppliers and retailers allow us to balance provenance, innovation and value, helping pasta evolve with changing shopper needs while staying true to its roots.

As the category continues to grow, we remain committed to delivering products that celebrate quality, tradition and the joy of great food.

Our perspective on the evolving pasta market was recently featured in The Grocer’s “Pasta Changes Shape: Trends in Pasta & Sauce 2025” highlighting Atlante’s category insight and leadership in this space.

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