Cheap, convenient, comforting, healthy and delicious, pasta is arguably the meal solution most perfectly in tune with our times. And it’s had a simply storming year.

Total value sales are up 10.3% to £363m, driven by double-digit growth in shapes, spaghetti and fresh cut pasta, with leading brand Napolina posting value growth of 8.8% to £30.1m and nearest rival De Cecco’s sales rising 28.6% to £10.8m. Volume sales have also risen, albeit at a slower rate.

Sales of pasta sauces, meanwhile, increased by 6.5% in value and 5.5% in volume, with ambient sauces comfortably outperforming chilled offerings.