From rolling pins to national game-changer — why a Brisbane restaurateur built the pasta supply he couldn’t find.
I’ve spent most of my career running smart casual venues, not chasing pasta stardom. But pasta? It kept showing up — as the pressure point, the bottleneck, the thing that could make or break a service.
For over a decade at Factory 51, we dished up thousands of pasta plates a week. We were proud of them — yet behind the pass, pasta was a pain.
It clumped. Then it broke. Eventually, it slowed down service, letting the team down.
There wasn’t a single product on the market that matched what we truly needed: bold flavour, zero fuss, and performance under pressure.
That’s why I built VEDE — a solution made by someone who knew exactly what the pass demanded.
1. What I Saw Overseas
During a deep-dive research trip through Italy, France, and the US, I discovered something unexpected:
Chefs overseas weren’t hand-rolling pasta daily. Instead, they were sourcing fresh-frozen pasta — and it was completely normal.
Frozen long cuts and regional shapes? Totally common.
Supplier-made fresh pasta? Standard operating procedure.
This wasn’t a shortcut — it was a smart system. It saved time, reduced waste, and gave chefs confidence in every service.
Meanwhile, back home in Australia, the pasta supply scene looked like it had stopped at ravioli. So, we created VEDE to close that gap.
2. Why Sourdough? Here’s Why It Works
We didn’t follow the egg pasta trend — and there’s good reason for that.
Egg prices are unpredictable. Egg pasta is fragile. It clumps easily. It’s not inclusive. Plus, the shelf life is seriously limiting.
In response, we built VEDE around a pâte fermentée sourdough base — aged for three days, rested for another hour, then extruded and snap-frozen in 135g nests.
This delivers:
- 100% Australian semolina — no egg, no dairy
- Deep aroma, mild acidity, and clean fermentation
- Zero clumping or sticking
- 18-month shelf life
- Under 3-minute cook time
- Up to 50% expansion when cooked
It’s naturally digestible. Vegan-friendly. And built for foodservice from day one.
Explore more: The Health Benefits of Sourdough Pasta
3. Local Fresh Pasta Has a Shelf Life Problem
Every chef has run into this situation:
Fresh pasta arrives with 3–5 days of shelf life. It was made yesterday — and already, you’re chasing time.
For the first day or so, you’re using old prepped stock. Then, if it’s not all cooked by day three, oxidised pasta becomes part of the menu.
That’s a waste of time, money, and trust. However, VEDE changes the game.
With our frozen fresh sourdough pasta, you get:
- 18-month shelf life
- Zero waste from spoilage
- Consistency from the first plate to the last
It’s convenient. More importantly, it’s smart.
4. The Only Stretched Pasta Machine in Australia
Stretched pasta isn’t easy. It’s a rare craft — and scaling it seemed impossible.
That’s why we engineered the only commercial machine in Australia capable of replicating the traditional hand-stretching process.
That’s how we make:
- Orecchiette
- Cavatelli
- Fogliette de Ulivo
- Strozzaprete
- Strascinate Nero
These aren’t just shapes. They’re tension-built, sauce-hugging, authentic Southern Italian pastas.
They look and eat like they came straight out of Puglia. And that’s exactly what we’re going for.
5. The Egg Pasta Myth
Egg pasta often gets the spotlight. But here’s the truth:
Unless it’s handmade using only egg yolks, it doesn’t bring much to the plate.
It breaks under pressure. then clumps in service. Result: drives up your food cost.
Our sourdough dough? It performs better in nearly every way.
VEDE is:
- Stronger
- More elastic
- Naturally flavourful
- Consistent from box to box
And at around $1.50 per 200g serve, it delivers commercial value you can’t ignore.
6. Made for Chefs, Not Shelves
We don’t sell to supermarkets. VEDE is a foodservice-only brand. That means your pasta offering won’t be copied by a local retail chain.
Each cut is:
- Snap-frozen in 135g IQF nests
- Sold in 3–6kg cartons
- Cooked in under 3 minutes
- Expanded by 50% when cooked
- Consistent under pressure, every time
No clumping. No sticking. Just smooth service when it matters most.
7. Where You Can Get It
We’ve partnered exclusively with MOCO Food Services — one of Queensland’s most trusted distributors.
As a result, VEDE is available across:
- Brisbane
- Gold Coast
- Sunshine Coast
- Ipswich
- Toowoomba
- Scenic Rim
- Lockyer Valley
- Byron Bay & Northern Rivers
Already a MOCO customer? Search “VEDE Pasta” in your portal.
New to MOCO? Request samples or pricing here.
8. From Factory 51 to VEDE
Factory 51 taught me something important: pasta can be the hero of a dish — if it doesn’t destroy the pass.
That kitchen shaped our process. It showed us the gaps. It gave us the push to build something better.
Today, VEDE is helping other venues do the same.
Final Word: Pasta Doesn’t Need to Be This Hard
Still rolling dough by hand and relying on suppliers who can’t keep up? Still letting pasta slow down your pass?
You don’t have to.
We’ve built a better way to serve pasta — and now, it’s ready for your kitchen.
Frozen fresh. Sourdough-based. Designed for chefs.
Want a box? Ask us for a sample. Be the first in your area to serve real stretched pasta — without touching a rolling pin.
Let’s raise the bar for pasta in Australia.
—
Beau Vedelago
Restaurateur & Pastai