Italian

Facts, Figures, History & Market Reseach

HISTORY

Early Italian history begins with the break-up of the Empire of Crete in 1200 B.C.. Its people started to wander around the eastern mediterranean, sacking and looting at will and setting up cities in Greece and Asia Minor. One of the groups became the sinister and mysterious Etruscans who settled in Umbria from Southern Anatolia and created an urban, oligarchic life in central Italy when Athens was still at its height. The Etruscans gained widespread influence over Tuscany, Umbria, Rome and Capua and the Romans did not combine to drive the invader out until 509 B.C., nineteen years before Marathon. The Romans took much from the architectural, gladiatorial and even financial teachings of the Etruscans and later absorbed the theatre and arts of the Greeks who followed the Etruscans but from the south of Italy and Sicily.

Rome was supposedly founded around 800 B.C. but had to deal first with the Etruscans then the Gallic tribesmen from the north before establishing an ascendancy and capturing Naples in 326 B.C. Then followed Carthage in 264-241 B.C. then Sicily and even Spain. Steadily Roman influence expanded to create the magnificent Roman Empire whilst at home, the kitchens of the nobility were turned over to knowledgeable Greek slaves who became, in effect, the first professional chefs. Interest in food and drink in Rome rose to unprecendented levels, spurred on by the knowledge imported from Greece and the cultures of the conquered nations and all the culinary wonders the known world had to offer poured into Rome. It is unsurprising, therefore, that despite the fall the the Empire, all things Roman continued to influence countries throughout the world, especially their food, which had a profound influence on French cuisine and on other cuisines around the world even today.

In 1945 Gaggia altered the espresso machine to create a high pressure extraction that produced a thick layer of crema. By 1946 cappuccino had been christened for its resemblance to the colour of the robes of the Capuchin monks. The unique selling point of the classic café had arrived

Restaurant history in UK
The Italian restaurant sector in Britain has been in existance for much of the 20th century with early pioneering restaurants such as Ristorante Italiano in Curzon Street which opened in 1936. In 1990 restaurant patronage was estimated at 14% for Italian as against 27% Indian, 19% Chinese and 41% British but in the past 10years the popularity of British restaurants has declined and all the others grown. Largest areas of concentration of restaurants apart from London are Scotland, Surrey and Sussex with Yorkshire having double the number of Lancashire. Essex is the best served of the Home Counties and Sussex is a popular location for Italian restaurants.
The Italian community in London dates back to the early nineteenth century. These were mainly educated political refugees and settled around Clerkenwell and Holborn in London. By 1881 there were 3500 and by 1901 the number had risen dramatically to 11,000.
The first Italian connection with catering came when Swiss Italian Carlo Gatti started selling ice cream in London in 1850. His product rapidly became famous and he died a millionaire in 1870. Over one hundred years later the frozen ice cream industry is worth over £2.6 billion a year. Pursuing the catering connection Terroni & Son opened in Clerkenwell Road in 1890 and G. Gazzano & Son in Farringdon Road in 1901.
The first cafe restaurant, which doubled as a delicatessen, was Salvo Jure which opened in Brushfield Street E1 in 1859 near the Spitalfield Market. From the 1890’s onwards a new grouping of Italian immigrants began to settle around Soho in London following the hotel and restaurant trades. The Italian Society of Mutual Aid for Hotel and Restaurant Employees was actually set up in 1886 in Gerrard Street, now centre of London’s Chinatown. Many of these new immigrants worked in London’s restaurants and then started their own restaurant as did the four Bertorelli brothers who created Bertorelli’s in Charlotte Street in 1913.
The Contis, Rossis, Sidolis, Basinis, Gazzis, Servinis and so on come from the plains of northern Emilia-Romagna. Much of the Italian population of south Wales and elsewhere in UK hales from Bardi in Emilia-Romagna over a century ago, having forsaken their poverty-stricken homeland for Britain's 'gold-lined' streets The Bernis (later famous for Berni Inns), the Rabaiottis, the Sidolis and the Bracchis as well. Indeed, 'bracchi' is still a generic name in Wales for a café.
By 1911 there were 12,000 Italians in London which had fallen to 11,000 by 1921 after the First World War. Gradually Italian restaurants became fashionable such as Leoni’s Quo Vadis in Dean Street - recently sold to Marco Pierre White and converted - Bertorelli’s and Quaglino’s. In 1934 Pizza Paradiso opened in Store Street WC1 followed by Ristorante Italiano in Curzon Street W1 in 1936.
The Second World War was a major setback for the industry as Britain went to war with Germany and Italy. The Second World War proved a tricky time for the UK's Italian community. Churchill's instruction to imprison every Italian male between the ages of 16 and 70 as an enemy alien ("Collar the lot!" he famously said, after Mussolini joined forces with Hitler in June 1940) created general panic and considerable antipathy. By 1951 there were still only 10,000 Italians in London. Gradually they became accepted as part of London’s cosmopolitan life again and Italian restaurants boomed, pushing out of London all over Britain.
Established in 1966, Raimondos was one of the first Italian restaurants to open in the north of England
Birmingham's oldest Italian, La Galleria, opened in 1977
Newcastle-upon-Tyne's first Italian opened in 1965.
Pasqualino Fulgenzi is still at the helm at the Roma, in Collingwood Street. Salvos in Leeds opened 1976
Charlotte Street W1 is the site of the original Bertorelli's founded over 90 years ago (1913) by the Bertorelli family
First San Rocco restaurant opened in 1971 in Manchester
Spaghetti House in London's West End first opened in 1955
By 1971 there were 30,000 Italians in London and many more thousands all over the country, most of whom were still involved in the catering industry. By 1998 there were nearly 5000 Italian restaurants in Britain, 2900 of which were pasta or pizza establishments and the balance full service restaurants with an annual turnover approaching £1 billion. The pasta market alone in 1997 was worth £571 million and major chains have grown up such as Pizza Hut, Bella Pasta and, more recently, ASK, Pizza Express, Its and Est Est Est and there is every sign that growth will continue fuelled by Spanish and Portuguese moving into what they see as a profitable sector.

Comment

Britain lags way behing the rest of the western world in pasta consumption per capita so there remains tremendous room in the market for growth. Even the French, not particularly known as pasta eaters, eat it two or three times a week. The pasta market continues to grow 10% year on year and the ready meal market at around the same level as home meal replacement grows. Lasagne based ready meals are the most popular by value followed by pasta meat but this is a considerable growth in pasta veg. Just as the retail sector is experiencing healthy growth assisted by continuing innovation, so the restaurant sector seems to be experiencing a resurgence with reports of many now doing better than some other ethnic sectors.

2006 : The past four years have seen a re-surgence of Italian restaurants as access to European, but not necessarily Italian, staff has become easier. From 1995 to 2002 growth was about 12% or just under 2% p.a. but from 2002 to 2005 numbers have increased 10%, or just over 3% p.a. The main area of growth has been in the group operations such as Ask/Zizzi with over 280 outlets and Pizza Express with a similar number. Other group brands include Bella Italia, Caffe Uno, Deep Pan, Pizza Hut, Frankie & Benny and several small groups such as Al Forno.