Oat and raisin biscuits
The Italian Connection
Wednesday July 4th 2007
Today Italian food is very much in fashion. Barely a week goes by without yet another smart, new Italian restaurant opening in the capital. The Italian connection to food in London, however, can be traced back far longer, dating back to the nineteenth century. The Victorian craze for ice cream saw many Italians in London work as ice cream makers or vendors. During that time London’s Italian community centred on Clerkenwell, which was nick-named ‘Little Italy’. Café and delicatessen Gazzano, on Farringdon Road, founded in 1901 is still there, but the Italian community has long since dispersed, spreading out into London. The nineteenth century also saw many Italians living in Soho, working as cooks or waiters in the West End’s hotels and restaurant. Following the end of World War II, London saw another influx of Italians looking for work, many of whom set up cafes, sandwich bars or restaurants.
Many of Soho’s best-loved, traditional food institutions have an Italian connection, from Italian-run Patisserie Valerie on Old Compton Street to Bar Italia on Frith Street. A Soho landmark, the Algerian Coffee Store, with its jaunty red façade, founded by an Algerian businessman in the nineteenth century, has been run for decades by Paul Crocetta and his family. With the Algerian Coffee Store known for its extensive range of coffees and teas, Paul Crocetta keeps a keen eye on drinking trends. “You’ve got to keep offering people new things,” he explains “you’ve got to keep them happy. We’ve got customers who’ve been coming here for 40-50 years. I’ve seen a lot of changes in the area”.
A few streets away, coffee specialists Angelucci, founded by Signore Angelucci in 1929, is still run by his children, Andy and Alma, and supplies Bar Italia with the coffee for its iconic espressos. Down the road on Brewer Street, is Lina Stores, a classic Italian delicatessen, famous for its home-made pumpkin tortelloni. Gabriella Filippi of Lina Stores remembers the days when Soho had a thriving Italian community. “There used to be ten or so Italian delis around here.” Today, Lina Store and I Camisa are the only two Italian delis remaining. I Camisa, on Old Compton Street, is one of Patrick’s favourite Soho food shops. “Stepping into I Camisa is like being in Italy,” says Patrick. ”There’s that wonderful, savoury smell of Parmesan, Parma ham, dried mushrooms and it’s crammed full of good things to eat.”
Today, however, many of these long-established, small, family-run businesses are struggling to survive. In Clerkenwell, Terroni, the veteran Italian delicatessen dating back to the nineteenth century, which, with its prime spot next to St Peter’s the Italian church, has long served London’s Italian community, is being sold, driven out due to rent increases. Sitting in the small Frith Street shop, founded by her father, Alma Angelucci, expresses a view held by many of the small businesses: “In the 1970s there used to be lots of little shops around here. I’d wish they’d bring it back or give small shops a chance to stay open. It’s the rents that cripple everyone. London – now it’s for the wealthy.”
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