Former plasterer Matt Kenyon, who appeared on Dragons' Den with his wife and business partner Imogen Royall, says his British spelt pasta company, Northern Pasta Co., now turns over £1 million a year. The pair secured a joint £50,000 investment from Peter Jones and Deborah Meaden on the BBC series.
Speaking to Metro, Matt described going into the Den as absolutely 'nerve-wracking'. He said: 'We did a little bit of work beforehand, just things like breathing and calming exercises. That definitely helped. Obviously going in, you're thinking, "Well, this could go one of two ways," and it could potentially be a really bad thing for the business. There was that nervousness around not knowing how it was going to be received, or how you were going to be received.'
However, the most surprising element for Matt was 'honestly how positive it all was'.
Sales surge after TV appearance
Since the episode aired, Northern Pasta Co. says its average daily sales have jumped by more than 675%. Asked about the £1 million turnover target for 2026, Matt added: 'Yeah, we are on track for that. With all the opportunities that are arising, we're very confident that we can meet next year's target as well.'
The rapid growth comes as Northern Pasta Co moved into a new 12,000 sq ft factory in Carnforth, Lancashire. The new site has allowed the company to increase production capacity from around 2.25 tonnes of pasta a week to 13.5 tonnes.
Factory move and new equipment
With a decade of experience in construction, Matt oversaw the build of the company's new factory himself. He said: 'The main thing is probably the move. We've moved into a 12,000 sq ft space, which is much bigger than where we were before, and it's just given us that flexibility to grow.'
The Dragons' investment also helped the company buy new equipment, including a packing line and extrusion line. The sudden growth has meant the team has had to work hard to keep up with demand. Matt said: 'It has been manic. We've just had to really go for it. We were hoping to make a little bit less initially, just to get used to the machine, but we had to jump in at the deep end.'
Despite the success, Matt admits the scale of the transformation hasn't always sunk in. He said: 'It's happened quickly. It didn't always feel it, but definitely in hindsight it's really happening quickly. We can be super proud of what we've done and where we're going.'
Staying true to their own path
Despite the attention Dragons' Den has brought the business, Matt says he and Imogen aren't interested in simply copying other successful food brands. He said: 'We don't necessarily try to emulate others. We just do what we feel is right and obviously take advice from people. We're just trying to make our own path.'
Dragons' Den is available to watch on BBC One on Thursdays from 8pm.
