AWARD-WINNING Italian restaurant and fast-casual food brand Indegno is set to launch in the UK this November, having seen impressive growth across its three locations in Bologna, Italy, since the company’s formation in 2019.
The brand specialises in the crescentina – a traditional, humble, dish from Emilia Romagna consisting of delicious fried dough that comes filled with high-quality and fresh Italian ingredients. Indegno promises to offer an inclusive Italian experience, offering ingredients with true provenance to every visitor at its first London location set to open in Shoreditch.
Indegno has seen strong success despite the impact of the pandemic, with turnover having grown 187% from 2021-2022 alone. Co-founded by Andrea Liotta, Edoardo Malvincini and later joined by Marco Liotta, a Michelin-star pastry chef, a bar manager and a lawyer respectively, Indegno expanded to two further locations in Bologna in 2022, and now employs 14 staff members.
Andrea Liotta, co-founder of Indegno, said: “Launching our first UK venue is a really important milestone in the story of Indegno, and something that we have worked incredibly hard to achieve since the opening of our first store on Via del Pratello in Bologna.
“Indegno was born out of a memorable night out, during which our co-founders were caught with a craving for a crescentina – a traditional countryside snack served at village fairs – with nowhere to find one in the city. After our initial brain wave to set up a store, we began months of preparation to perfect the recipe in our spare time, hunting for the most delicious artisanal ingredients from likeminded collaborators that delivered the best possible quality produce available.
“We have continued to refine our operations over the years, carefully crafting ‘the Indegno way’ – a modernised recipe that formed our vegan dough, made from a mixture of organic flours and authentic ancient grains. These are then left to rest as long as necessary before being rolled out fresh in the morning – ready to be folded, fried and filled!”
Earlier this year, Indegno received an award from Italy’s largest food network Gambero Rosso, for the best street food of its region, Emilia Romagna. The brand has been mentioned in Lonely Planet’s Guide to Bologna, and consistently ranks among the best performing restaurants in TripAdvisor in Bologna, the food capital of Italy.
Indegno’s mouthwatering signature dishes include the Indegna, a classic crescentina filled with artisanal mortadella sausage made in Bologna with handmade parmesan cream. For those looking for an extreme crescentina experience, guests can indulge in the rich 50 Special, a crescentina formed of grilled porchetta, homemade potato croquette, caramelised onions and melted scamorza cheese.
The vegetarian Futura and vegan Bentivoglio both feature the plant-based pulled pork from Planted, the first includes stracciatella cheese and dried tomatoes, whereas the vegan option includes slow cooked onions and tomatoes. Both are popular among meat-free diners, while Indegno’s tortellini and cappellaci cones are also fan favourites.
Andrea added: “We can’t wait to share our Bolognese heritage with the UK, and really hope our new customers will enjoy the inclusive atmosphere that we have developed in-store, which is well regarded in Italy as expertly led, focused on quality ingredients and welcoming, both by customers and staff. We’re an exceptional place to work and dine, with a forward-thinking yet refined outlook on the food landscape we want to hone, and we are excited see what the future holds as we expand internationally.”
Indegno’s first UK restaurant will officially open its doors to the public later this year, with further information to be announced soon.
To find out more about Indegno UK, visit: www.indegno.eu/en-gb
