A local pasta manufacturer and restauranteur is supporting two Olympic athletes by supplying them with his fresh, gluten-free legume pasta.
The Pasta Man, which is owned by Roberto Pittalis of Café Lilli in Norton, Teesside, has partnered with the Teesside Tornado, Richard Kilty and his wife, Dovile Kilty, in a deal that will see him supplying the athletes with his freshly made, gluten-free pasta made from legumes.
Roberto said: “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to supply Richard and Dovi with my pasta. Richard is a frequent visitor to my restaurant, so I have got to know him well over the years. When I heard he had gone gluten-free, I knew it was a chance to get my vegan pasta into the world of high-level sport and nutrition.”
The Teesside Tornado, Richard, said: “I went gluten-free back in July after finding out I was intolerant. Since switching, I have seen a big improvement in my energy and performance, but I was really missing one of my favourite foods – pasta!
“Thankfully for myself and my wife, Roberto came to the rescue. His freshly made, gluten-free, legume pasta is amazing. Most health foods don’t taste great, so to have a vegan pasta product that contains as much protein as meat or fish and tastes delicious, too, is a revelation. I was so pleased to become an ambassador because it’s a product I am very passionate about.”
The partnership will mean The Pasta Man supplies the athletes with pasta every week, and in return, their performance and health will be monitored for improvements. Richard will also share recipes and updates on his social media channels and at in-person events.
Richard added: “I’m really proud to be on board with The Pasta Man and his amazing product. It will play a vital part in fuelling my training and nutrition into the next Olympic Games in Paris.”
Roberto’s all-natural, vegan pasta can be purchased directly from The Pasta Man webshop – www.thepastamanshop.co.uk/shop