Nairobi — Consumption of pasta meals has increased by 99 percent in Kenya in the last 12 months, new data from Glovo has revealed.

This was announced during World Pasta Day yesterday.

According to the data, five units of pasta were delivered through the Glovo App every hour, as well as a 57.8 percent year-on-year (YoY) increase in customers with pasta orders.

Pasta is especially preferred for dinner, with 32 percent of daily consumption happening between 5 and 7 p.m.

".........our platform has witnessed a substantial 72.3% increase in the number of partners offering pasta-related products compared to the previous year," Glovo Kenya Interim General Manager Ivy Maingi said.

"Notably, the segment experiencing the most remarkable growth is the SMEs, with an impressive 101% increase," she added.

"This reiterates Glovo's positioning as an enabler for SME growth and an industry advocate working to create access to a wider range of choices in local communities."

Nairobi leads in consumption at 87 percent, followed by Mombasa with five percent and Ngong, Rongai, and Karen with four percent.

Other towns that experienced huge uptakes are Syokimau with 928 percent, Kisumu (262 percent), and Thika (203 percent).

The top five most-ordered pasta dishes in Kenya are Chicken Alfredo, Traditional Lasagna, Fusilli Pesto, Spaghetti Bolognese, and Linguine Carbonara.

Globally, among the biggest 'Pasta containing chicken' and 'Pasta containing meat' fan countries, Kenya ranks number two for both.

The top partners in Kenya with the most pasta orders are Naivas, Carrefour, Chandarana Foodplus, and Quickmart in the groceries category, and Little Italy, Artcaffe, Cj's Restaurant, Mambo Italia, and La Salumeria in the restaurant category.