Poker Lessons, Pasta Vision, And Patient Growth : Andrew Macleod of Emilia’s Crafted Pasta

What happens when a teenage poker dealer bets on fresh pasta and refuses to play the debt game? We sit down with Andrew MacLeod, founder of Emilia’s Crafted Pasta, to unpack how card-table instincts, maths, and relentless work built a London restaurant group that pairs soul with sharp unit economics.

Andrew traces the unlikely bridge from high-stakes home games and corporate events to couch-surfing through Emilia-Romagna, learning why simple dough and honest sauces outperform kitchen theatrics. He explains how “how you play is how you live” shaped his approach to risk, and why starting with almost no money forced the creativity that now defines the brand. From securing a unique spot at St Katharine Docks and opening under £100k, to standing outside in winter inviting guests in with a money-back promise, the early grind forged habits that scale: meticulous prep, fair pricing, and craft that is genuinely worth leaving home for.

We dig into the balancing act most operators get wrong: keeping margins healthy without hollowing out the experience. Andrew shares the two lenses that drive every decision—team and guest—before anything else, and how he makes marketing feel the weight of an ops decision and vice versa. The result is a culture where small choices are treated like long bets, because a misplaced counter can hurt a chef for years. We also talk independence and optionality: why growing slowly gave him control over investor conversations, and how patient expansion deepens brand values rather than diluting them.

If you care about hospitality that lasts, you’ll find a grounded playbook here: research like a local, price with integrity, let constraints sharpen the concept, and build one delighted guest at a time. Follow for more founder stories, share this with a friend who’s planning a concept, and leave a review to help others discover the show.

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