E HAIL THE ICE CREAM DONS AND THEIR DELICIOUS DYNASTIES
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The Soave family originated from the town of Cassino, not far from Rome. Like many Italians of the same generation, the family made the decision to leave in search of a better life and in 1914 emigrated to Scotland.
The family cafe began in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, and remained there during the first half of the century.
In the early 1950s, uncle Angie bought Muirhead Cafe, which is where Eric continues to run the firm, having taken over from his uncle in 1972.
He now supplies shops and cafes across Scotland. t-grandfather eft Italy for work, his s to go to Florida but up in Milnathort, re, where he opened rida cafe. ay, Joanna is the h generation of the mily and still spends most days in the traditional cafe, now with her baby daughter Anita. She said: “Giuseppe made vanilla in the traditional way and we still use a vertical reezer – it’s a way f storing it which eates a different xture. We use almost ctly the same recipe have kept it as true to ots as possible.” Gerardo Porrelli immigrated to Scotland from San Biagio in southern Italy in 1925 in search of a better life. Settling in Paisley, he opened a shop, then invested in a horse and cart going round the houses at that time. By the 50s, this had turned into a fleet of ice cream vans. Now grandson Enzo runs the business with his wife Ines and daughter Serena. Building a new factory in 2008 was a turning point for the business, who now supply several major supermarkets including Aldi, under the brand name Dario’s, named after Enzo’s son. In 1915, Pietro Equi and his uncle Dante left Coreglia Antelminelli in Tuscany to seek their fortune. While Dante ended up in New York, Pietro got as far as Hamilton, where he started a cafe in 1922.
He was later joined by his two sons Vincent and Robert, father of current boss David.
“My dad taught me how to make ice cream when I was 18, although I’d worked in the shop since I was eight,” said David. “We’ve taken the old recipe and improved it.”
After expanding the business, David says Equi’s went from being the fourth-biggest company in Hamilton to the second-biggest ice cream business in Scotland – opening their own shops and supplying others.
He is building a new factory to keep up with demand for the 800,000 litres Equi’s now produce. In the 1890s, Luca Scappaticcio set out from his home in Cassino for a life in Scotland, where his passion for cooking secured him a position in the kitchens of one of the country’s more prominent hotels. Here, a Swiss chef taught him how to create luxury ice cream. In 1908, he opened the first S. Luca ice cream parlour in Musselburgh, choosing to name it S. Luca and not L. Scappaticcio so as not to tongue-tie his customers. Michael has been working in the shop since he was 18 and continues to run the firm today with his cousin Yolanda.
Sunday Mail
Great-grandparents Rosa and Bennett came to Scotland from Cassino in 1908, settling in Dysart, Fife, before opening a shop in St Andrews, where they learned the ice cream trade. Later, it became a soda parlour and tobacconist and in the 1960s, it was turned into a modern gelateria. Nicola is the fourth generation of the family to run the business, with husband Owen. She invented the Dime Barflavoured ice cream after craving it when pregnant.
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