Bringing a touch of La Dolce Vita to Cornish shores and beyond

It all started back in 2018 when Ugo, now 32, escaped the theatre world and using his late father's recipe, began hand-making outstanding tiramisu in environmentally friendly glass jars from exceptional Cornish Italian ingredients.

An award-winning product, TiramisUGO scooped up a Gold Taste of the West in last year’s 2020 awards, as well as a One Star Great Taste award.

The business was growing steadling, selling directly to farm shops, delis, cafes, theatres and garden centres as well as at local farmers markets.

Then, Covid-19 hit and all the events of the year were cancelled, whilst lockdown restrictions forced our usual outlets to close.

That’s when family values saved us once again as Ugo decided to offer customers the opportunity to order genuine, Italian ready meals, delivered directly to their door at no extra cost.

He called on his heritage and his love for cooking to develop The Cornish Italian.

High-end Italian meals boxes to go which include breadsticks, delicious homemade pasta dishes and of course, our iconic tiramisu to finish it off.

  

TiramisUGO 2020 | Brand Film from Oatey Media on Vimeo.

 

We were very proud of delivering more than 200.000 meals across Cornwall between 2020 and 2022....

Until...the inflation and the cost of living crisis hit our market. In January 2023, the largest annual increases in food were in milk, cheese and eggs at 31.1%. As artisan producers we had two ways to continue to grow and meet our customers: to close the business or alternatively to be resilient and change our business model by meeting our customers face-to-face cutting the delivery costs and keeping our quality high. We decided to build our first ever FOOD TRUCK PROJECT. THE CORNISH ITALIAN TRATTORIA ON WHEELS.

 

With its humble but classy approach, the ITOW is able to cross boundaries introducing Cornwall to convenient, top quality authentic Italian dishes (as Italians would eat at home). A refreshing alternative to the most common food trucks’ offer. The Trattoria is now used for private parties and functions and at festivals (Falmouth Food Festival and Truro Christmas Market).

 

After seven months (2022-2023) of serving delectable street food from his trattoria on wheels, Ugo's dedication and passion caught the eye of Jules Chenoweth. Chenoweth extended a generous offer for Ugo to transition from roadside vendor to esteemed restaurateur, inviting him to transform a once prestigious wine shop in Cornwall into their very first restaurant venture. This opportunity marked a significant leap forward for Ugo and his family team, propelling them from the bustling streets to the elegant ambiance of their own establishment. It signified not just a new chapter, but a bold stride into the promising future awaiting them.

WELCOME TO THE CORNISH ITALIAN