Where have all the pasta shops gone in Devon? That void is what Brain Bailey, owner of The Express Pasta Company, fills in Newton Abbot. Brian has managed his independent business since 2016, getting his start as a catering van in the Newton Abbot Markets before securing the premises on Bank Street in 2017.
Since then, Brian’s café has been a staple of the community, serving both locals and out-of-towners, some of which come from Torquay just to have lunch there. Brian shares his journey opening The Express Pasta Company after getting his start as a retail manager.
What led you to open the Express Pasta Company?
I spent nearly 30 years working in and managing supermarkets. I predominantly worked for Somerfield, which was then taken over by Co-Op, so I was unfortunately made redundant. Six months after, I worked for Morrisons in convenience retailing for three years before I got made redundant again for a second time.
That led me to apply for other jobs, including looking after a local charity’s retail site, where I got told that my 30 years of retail experience wasn’t enough. Maybe I just didn’t fit their charity, or I was going to cost too much, but it spurred me enough to go and do something for myself.
Even though I’d only known how to do retail in the supermarket before, serving food at events came up as a possibility. When my son was little, he loved sausage rolls or pasta, but if you went out anywhere for the day, you couldn’t get hot pasta anywhere, so the idea was born from that.
I set myself up to be a mobile caterer, bought a van and gazebo, then set up in Newton Abbot Markets to test the waters. We were well received and busy, and we’re still here to tell the tale.
How do you create that strong sense of community within the café?
When I opened, the pasta café was meant to be takeaway only, which changed very quickly since I was getting repeat customers from day one. I brought in more people and got to know my regulars, like the adult social service clients supported by their carers, and I’ve made some good friends from the café as well, so we get a real diverse range of people coming in.
The café is a safe space that isn’t too bustling and can be nice and relaxing, and it works since people choose us over some of the bigger, louder cafes. Newton Abbot is very good as a historical market town, and people are good at supporting independent businesses over bigger chains.
A couple of ladies who live in Torquay come over once a month to just visit this place. I met them a few years ago when they were just doing their normal shopping from Asda, and now it’s become a regular thing where they’ll just grab some lunch here on a day off. I know a little about their family, they know a little about mine, so it’s more than sitting down on your own with a coffee, there’s a bit more interaction with everybody. It’s something I’ve just relished. Being a chatterbox helps as well.
Are there any skills you’ve taken away from your retail experience?
Are there any skills you’ve taken away from your retail experience?I was very fortunate I had good mentors when I was training to be a store manager. Budgeting, managing costs, as well as taking hidden costs such as electricity and waste into consideration are skills I’ve taken to my own business. You have to be good at customer service working in supermarkets, which is really important in a hospitality business like this otherwise people don’t come back.
How much collaboration is there between you and other businesses in Newton Abbot?
As an independent business, you need to talk to other independent businesses, otherwise it’s very difficult if you’re on your own. I live next door to Hayley Kyte from Yellow Umbrella Gifts, I know Karen in the Country Table Café, Lauren in The Clock Tower Café; there’s room for all of us in our own niche of the food business. We can share best practises, services that might benefit each other, and it’s a release of your day if something’s not quite worked as you would’ve hoped. We’ve all got to try and work together.
What have been the challenges of running the Express Pasta Company?
What have been the challenges of running the Express Pasta Company?The early part of the year is always our quietest business period. People have limited funds because of Christmas, so it’s always a worry to get through that first quarter making sure there’s enough money in the bank and no unexpected bills just to survive until the weather picks up. That’s why I work on my own just to save costs. I think this year is going to be a concern with the National Insurance increase and all the tax rises due in April. It’d be interesting to see how it affects this year’s takings.
What are your future goals for The Express Pasta Company?
Renegotiate the lease so I have another nine years, increase the amount of events we do, and who knows? Down the line, it would be nice to roll out The Express Pasta Company into other towns in Devon since we’ve established the brand, so we’re just building on that.
Do you have any advice for anyone wanting to start their own pasta café?
Do your research, put together a good business plan, and look for a niche in the market. It wasn’t my intention to have the café here at first, but I realised there was a gap in the market since there was nowhere else doing pasta when I opened this. Visit lots of cafés, and don’t be afraid to talk to the owners since I got so much advice from them when I first opened, even down to where I could get certain ingredients.
When I first got made redundant, I so wish that I hadn’t gone back to work in the retail sector. I wasn’t brave enough to do it, but I wish I’d started earlier because I’d have learnt a lot more and would’ve been further along the journey. The key thing is to just do it and have some faith in yourself.