Pizza Hut, which has traded for 35 years in the UK under this name has decided to overhaul its image and menu by changing its name to Pasta Hut.

The renaming is part of company’s £100m 6-year refurbishment strategy to revamp the interiors of the chain’s restaurants, increase the number of outlets and offer a new menu to the customers.

It spent £17m in renovation of its 700-strong UK chain and plans to invest an additional £24m towards refurbishment and opening of new stores in 2009 and 2010.

In order to comply fully with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) guidelines it has made its recipes more nutritious and introduced a new menu for pasta.

The company had implemented measures to reduce salt content in its food in 2004 and is working to attain FSA’s salt targets set for 2010.

The company has successfully removed all traces of hydrogenated vegetable oils from the menu and has undertaken an ongoing programme for the removal of saturated fat.

It will now serve “hidden vegetables” in menus for children and offer a complimentary side salad.

According to Pizza Hut chief executive officer Alasdair Murdoch, the company had incorporated several improvements in the business in the last few years and wanted people to sit back and take notice.