Highly rated Greater Manchester pasta specialist Sugo has changed its name to Sud following a long-running dispute with a Glasgow restaurant of the same name.

Founded in Altrincham in 2015 by brothers Alex and Michael de Martiis (pictured left and right), the venture now has branches in Sale and Ancoats – the latter hailed for its “simply stunning pasta” in the 2023 Harden’s Guide.

The dispute began in 2019 when customers bought vouchers online from Sugo in Glasgow and attempted to use them in Manchester. Apparently the Glasgow business had applied to trademark the name two years earlier.

The brothers announced the name change with an Instagram post this week: “SAME US. SAME MISSION. SAME PASTA KITCHEN. FROM TODAY OUR NEW NAME WILL BE SUD PASTA.

“We’re aware that we can’t stop the speculation. However, all we’ll say is that our home is in the kitchen, not the boardroom. We love our new name. We love what it stands for. We love our ‘A Southern Italian pasta kitchen’.

“By the way, Sud means ‘South” in Italian.”

By strange coincidence, this is the second time in four months that a pasta specialist has had to change its name in similar circumstances. Last October, chef Phil Howard’s new London restaurant in Piccadilly added an N to its moniker, becoming Notto instead of Otto.