“At Tom’s Pasta, we just like to treat people like friends that we have invited into our own home for a meal. Warm and comforting, casual and affordable. We want to make sure that everyone who leaves our restaurants are full, happy and will return again.”

Tom Haydon

Founder of Tom’s Pasta

Our Urban Explorer

Could you please introduce yourself to our guests?

I’m Tom, the founder of Tom’s Pasta, a restaurant located in Hackney Down Studios where we primarily serve freshly handmade pasta and comfort dishes for our guests.

What can first-time visitors expect upon visiting Tom’s Pasta?

At Tom’s Pasta, we just like to treat people like friends that we have invited into our own home for a meal. Warm and comforting, casual and affordable. We want to make sure that everyone who leaves our restaurants are full, happy, and will return again.

What was your inspiration for starting Tom’s Pasta?

I have always loved cooking at home and have been in the hospitality industry since I was 16 years old, but it was not until later in life that I started taking up cooking as a hobby because I love to eat and cook so I thought it would be a great idea to level up. I started learning how to make my own pasta from scratch at home, simply by watching YouTube videos. At the time, I really wanted to take this hobby seriously, so I started working for the Italian restaurant Luca one day a week for free to learn how to prepare fresh pasta properly. After nearly a year, I started to do some pop-ups across the summer and quit my job in 2020, which happened to be just right before Covid.

Tom’s Pasta has such an inspirational “follow your dreams” story behind it, in which you actually started your business out of a hobby you love and you quite your job before the pandemic. How did you navigate through these difficult times?

When the pandemic hit, I shifted gears and focused on delivering lasagna to homes because many families with children needed something delicious and that was also easy to prepare. It was also a great way for me to get out of the house, connect with the community and make someone happy with fresh food. During this time, I was fortunate enough that business started to pick up, so I eventually moved into Hackney Down Studios to open up Tom’s Pasta.

We believe you are the ideal ‘Urban Explorer’, and we would love to get to know your thoughts on the term ‘Urban Explorer’ and how you see yourself as one.

To me, an urban explorer is someone who is true to themselves and seeks out various facets of the city that they can personally connect with. They are not easily influenced by the opinions of others and prefer to seek these experiences on their own and decide for themselves.  

With everything changing so quickly and frequently and having to adapt to different ways in the industry currently, what does a day in the life of Tom Haydon look like?

I will generally start my day off by grabbing a cup of coffee in the morning before walking over to work, which is a two-and-a-half-minute commute to the restaurant. It is amazing if you are here until midnight because it means you can just dawdle home and then get in. Once I am settled into the restaurant, I will follow up with admin work, such as scheduling the staff, making calls to accountants, and submitting orders to suppliers to ensure all of our products and ingredients are ready and stocked for night service and for the week. From 5pm to 9:30pm, it is a dinner service, so we are usually quite preoccupied. As somebody who is running the business day-to-day, I want to make sure that all my staff and guests are well taken care of.

The Pasta of Champions

Tom’s Pasta is known for its commitment to quality and simplicity, focusing on its specialties, particularly its famed Lasagna dish. Could you tell us what is your favourite dish if you could only choose one?

I really enjoy a very slow-cooked tomato sauce with copious amounts of basil and garlic. Just slow-cook this tomato sauce for four or five and add in freshly made Tagliolini pasta and it is perfection! It is delicious yet simple, where you can make it in a rush, and it is just so comforting – I think that is what pasta should be about. It is my favourite!

When it comes to putting together a menu, can you walk us through the whole creative process – from the conceptual phase through to testing and finally, putting it on the menu?

When I first started the business, I needed to work out what I could do on my own. For so long, I was alone in the kitchen without any help so I knew that I needed to create a menu that could be easily executed by me. Secondly, I let nature do the talking; if tomatoes are in season, I may be inspired to create a fresh tomato salad. It all depends on the seasonality. 

What do you love most about your job?

Honestly, I think it is the freedom to literally do what I want. As somebody who spent so much time in his twenties killing himself for other people and working 80-hour weeks for a salary, it is reassuring to know that all of the hard work that I put into this restaurant now goes to me and my future.

Who has been your greatest culinary influence?

The greatest culinary inspiration for me is Jamie Oliver. When I was growing up, he would always be on the television, cooking fun, easy and accessible recipes. What I admire most about him was that he was always trying to teach people how to eat better. That was very influential to me.

What is next for Tom’s Pasta?

Eventually, I would love to have my own independent space for Tom’s Pasta so I can truly create an immersive experience for my guests. Someday, I would also like to open up a small deli to sell food and sauces that I have made that could be easily prepared, making it more accessible for people to enjoy Tom’s Pasta right in the comfort of their own home. And finally, I would like to become better at my craft and just keep making good pasta for everybody to enjoy!

Travel Inspiration

What are the 3 things you love most about London?

1. Summer in London – Sitting on a bench with a pint in the summer.
2. Culturally diverse – You can go one street apart and have a completely different cultural experience.
3. Endless opportunities to explore – No matter what your interests are, there is something for everyone here. Essentially, you can do anything you want.

In 3 words, how would you describe London?

Busy, fun, multicultural/diverse

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