italian delicatessen
20
ITALIAN DELICATESSEN
One-stop-shop for all who love food PICCOLA ITALIA
32 South Farm Rd, Worthing BN14 7AE 01903 204725 http://piccola-italia.co.uk
A
uthentic, traditional, seasonal, community. Delicatessen Piccola Italia embodies all of these qualities, as a result of owners Shaun and Mike’s passion for simple and wholesome Italian ingredients, combined with a welcoming and warm approach to customer service. The pair took on the Worthing deli six years ago; it was founded by Mike’s family in 1973, but had been sold outside of the family and closed within 18 months. Mike and Shaun decided to take the business on and revive it, and the deli is now rooted in the local community, and is a one-stop shop for anyone serious about Italian cooking. All of the products sold in the deli are authentic - there’s that word again - Italian goods imported mainly from the south. With pasta, passata, olives, meats, coffee, cannoli, sweets, pestos, oils, butter, you’ve got everything you need to make a hearty Italian meal. And it’s not just food. Piccolo Italia also sells espresso machines, washing powder, and other things you would find in a traditional Italian shop; which is why it’s so popular with Italians. With a real family feel, the pair serve a range of coffees for customers to enjoy while they shop, and customers often spend hours at the deli catching up with Shaun and Mike, swapping recipes and enjoying the experience of food shopping. Shaun talked about the importance of food for Italian families - how it is at the centre of family time and social lives, and how it brings people together. That understanding of the Mediterranean way of life is why the shop is so popular with Italians in the area.
“We have got a huge community down here, all the way from Eastbourne, Hastings and Bexhill to Portsmouth and Southampton, and they all come here,” said Shaun. “It’s about the products and the reputation, people know what they are going to get when they come here. “The food that we sell, we try to keep it regional. The Italians that came to Worthing are primarily from Naples.” He explained how Mike was brought up with a traditional Italian family, celebrating the festas (party) throughout the year, with a real sense of community. Food was a big part of that. That’s why Mike runs festas several times a year in Worthing, bringing the local community together with hearty food. As well as the food cupboard staples - the pair promote ‘good old-fashioned, basic cooking’ the deli also serves antipasti and other take-away Italian treats. Italian cook Gino visits the deli on Saturdays, to make ‘proper Neapolitan pizza’ with ingredients from the shop.
It’s little touches like this that give the place a real authentic, community-focussed feel that makes Piccola Italia a little piece of Italy in Sussex.
EATING IN
ITALIAN DELICATESSEN
One-stop-shop for all who love food PICCOLA ITALIA
32 South Farm Rd, Worthing BN14 7AE 01903 204725 http://piccola-italia.co.uk
A
uthentic, traditional, seasonal, community. Delicatessen Piccola Italia embodies all of these qualities, as a result of owners Shaun and Mike’s passion for simple and wholesome Italian ingredients, combined with a welcoming and warm approach to customer service. The pair took on the Worthing deli six years ago; it was founded by Mike’s family in 1973, but had been sold outside of the family and closed within 18 months. Mike and Shaun decided to take the business on and revive it, and the deli is now rooted in the local community, and is a one-stop shop for anyone serious about Italian cooking. All of the products sold in the deli are authentic - there’s that word again - Italian goods imported mainly from the south. With pasta, passata, olives, meats, coffee, cannoli, sweets, pestos, oils, butter, you’ve got everything you need to make a hearty Italian meal. And it’s not just food. Piccolo Italia also sells espresso machines, washing powder, and other things you would find in a traditional Italian shop; which is why it’s so popular with Italians. With a real family feel, the pair serve a range of coffees for customers to enjoy while they shop, and customers often spend hours at the deli catching up with Shaun and Mike, swapping recipes and enjoying the experience of food shopping. Shaun talked about the importance of food for Italian families - how it is at the centre of family time and social lives, and how it brings people together. That understanding of the Mediterranean way of life is why the shop is so popular with Italians in the area.
“We have got a huge community down here, all the way from Eastbourne, Hastings and Bexhill to Portsmouth and Southampton, and they all come here,” said Shaun. “It’s about the products and the reputation, people know what they are going to get when they come here. “The food that we sell, we try to keep it regional. The Italians that came to Worthing are primarily from Naples.” He explained how Mike was brought up with a traditional Italian family, celebrating the festas (party) throughout the year, with a real sense of community. Food was a big part of that. That’s why Mike runs festas several times a year in Worthing, bringing the local community together with hearty food. As well as the food cupboard staples - the pair promote ‘good old-fashioned, basic cooking’ the deli also serves antipasti and other take-away Italian treats. Italian cook Gino visits the deli on Saturdays, to make ‘proper Neapolitan pizza’ with ingredients from the shop.
It’s little touches like this that give the place a real authentic, community-focussed feel that makes Piccola Italia a little piece of Italy in Sussex.
EATING IN
