Why pasta isn’t just made—it’s earned, tested, and lived
Not long ago, I stood in the kitchen of Factory 51, plating another pasta dish for one of our regulars. That moment wasn’t just about food—it was about delivering something honest, satisfying, and grounded in tradition. At the time, I’d already been a restaurateur for over a decade. Yet even with all that experience, pasta still felt like the one thing I hadn’t truly mastered.
To become a pastai doesn’t mean you’ve arrived. It means you’ve committed to a craft you revisit constantly—with more patience, more care, and more humility every time.
A Pastai Is Not a Title—It’s a Discipline
My training didn’t happen in a factory. It happened in a restaurant. Like many of us, I learned through repetition—service after service—refining technique and learning how pasta behaves under pressure. Any chef can make pasta, but becoming a pastai means something deeper.
It takes patience when the dough resists, discipline when the cut isn’t clean, and curiosity to keep improving. Most of all, it’s grounded in respect for the process.
Being a pastai means embracing the work, not just chasing the result. It’s a mindset that sees pasta not as flour and water, but as the outcome of thousands of micro-decisions. You show up, adjust, and improve.
From the Kitchen to the Craft—How It All Began
After ten years at Factory 51, I understood what kitchens needed from pasta. I’d experienced the prep stress, the cost juggling, and the letdown of receiving “fresh” pasta that had already started to oxidise. I dealt with inconsistent supply from small local producers and the slow, underwhelming performance of dried pasta that took sixteen minutes to cook.
VEDE wasn’t born from a branding idea. It came from frustration—choosing between chaos and compromise. I wanted to create pasta that tasted handmade, held up in service, and delivered value per plate. Kitchens shouldn’t have to rely on pasta specialists to achieve consistency.
Why We Focus on Fermentation and Process
At VEDE, we begin with a three-day fermented pâte fermentée sourdough starter. After that, we allow the dough to ferment again before shaping. This method wasn’t created to sound impressive. It exists because it produces better pasta—pasta with elasticity, flavour, and strength.
We also invested in custom equipment to make Southern Italian stretched pasta at scale—something no one else in Australia was doing. That includes orecchiette, strascinate, cavatelli, and fogliette de ulivo. These traditional shapes are the kinds of pasta chefs want to serve but rarely have the capacity to produce in-house.
This is not pasta from a recipe. It’s the product of repetition, refinement, and the commitment that defines what it means to be a pastai.
Understanding the Challenges of “Fresh” Pasta in Australia
Australia has long had access to fresh ravioli and tortellini. But when it comes to the long and short pasta shapes that dominate most menus, options are limited to dried, in-house, or short-life fresh.
Here’s what many kitchens face:
- Deliveries of “fresh” pasta that are already 12–24 hours old
- A shelf life of just 3–5 days
- Oxidised pasta unless turnover is high
- Full responsibility for waste, storage, and quality
Our solution is different. VEDE pasta is frozen fresh in 135g nests, with an 18-month shelf life. It cooks in 2 to 3 minutes and delivers consistent results. You get flavour, structure, and speed—without the pressure.
Stretched Pasta That Connects Diners to a Story
When the right pasta lands on the plate, the whole table slows down. Diners recall trips to Puglia or meals in Naples. The pasta doesn’t just carry sauce—it carries memory.
Stretched pasta shapes capture this feeling especially well. They’re textured, rustic, and rooted in Southern Italy. That’s why VEDE chose to specialise in them. Today’s diners are well travelled. Many seek food that connects them to a place—or introduces them to a new one.
Yes, chefs can buy dried orecchiette. But they’ll wait 16 minutes and receive a product that costs the same as our fresh—with a fraction of the quality.
Making Quality Accessible for Every Venue
Our pasta performs in high-end venues, but it was built for more than that. It works in clubs, resorts, pubs, and hotels.
- A cooked 200g serve costs around $1.50
- MOCO Food Services handles distribution
- Packed in 3–6kg boxes
- No clumping, no waste, no guesswork
- Ideal for kitchens needing quality and consistency
The Truth About Egg Pasta
Let’s be clear—unless egg pasta is made with pure yolks and skilled hands, it doesn’t add flavour. Pasta like that is expensive to produce—often suitable only for premium $40 mains.
Most venues can’t support that price point. That’s why we focus on fermented, egg-free pasta made from high-quality semolina. It gives you clean grain character, reliable cook performance, and broader appeal.
Your Pasta Choices Reflect Your Kitchen Values
If your pasta is the same product your guests can buy at the supermarket, you’ve given away your edge. People notice. In 2025, they expect more.
Being a pastai taught me this: people don’t just want food. They want something made with care. Pasta, when done right, still offers one of the most honest, memorable ways to give that.
Why VEDE Pasta Is Built Differently
VEDE isn’t a white-label brand. It’s a pasta range created by someone who has worked both the pass and the pasta bench.
Being a pastai isn’t about ego. It’s about showing up with intention. It’s about trusting the process. And it’s about never cutting corners.
That’s what we’ve built at VEDE. That’s what we hope to share with your kitchen.
—
Beau Vedelago
Pastai | Restaurateur | Founder, VEDE Pasta