200814 | Italian living in Cornwall will deliver his amazing puddings to your door
Italian living in Cornwall will deliver his amazing puddings to your door
Ugo Massabò is becoming renowned for his delicious tiramisu desserts
Ugo Massabò is becoming an instantly recognisable presence on Cornwall’s roads thanks to his rare Piaggio Ape three-wheeler which has been delivering his traditional Italian meals to hungry homes during lockdown.
He’s also becoming famous for his absolutely delicious range of tiramisu desserts, TiramisUGO, which are wowing sweet-toothed fans in the county.
Ugo’s rise as one of Cornwall’s most talk-about food producers has come out of adversity after leaving the theatre world, which was the original reason he left his home country for Britain.
Food was the last career he envisaged. The 28-year-old originally staged productions and worked for theatres in Italy before moving to London to pursue his dream job in theatre production.
After working for the Royal Opera House and for a dance company in Leeds, Ugo got a job as corporate support officer at Hall For Cornwall and moved to Cornwall four years ago.
However, he left when the venue’s huge refurbishment programme started.
Initially, Ugo was at a loss as what to do next.
It was his partner, Laura Cossu, who suggested he should start a business concentrating on something he really loved – and he really loves cooking.
Laura – who is half-Italian and half-Cornish, and a primary school teacher in St Newlyn East – now helps run the business. The couple are getting married in October.
Ugo said: “I was co-producing shows and working on budgets at Hall For Cornwall – all that helped when it came to setting up TiramisUGO.
He came upon the idea of making tiramisu – using his late dad Piero’s traditional recipe – and putting it in a jar, so it could be eaten anywhere. Again, his previous life in the theatre gave him an idea – it was the equivalent of ice cream in a tub.
“The values of life and the courage to experiment come from the time we passed together in the kitchen making tiramisu,” said Ugo, who lives in Tregony.
Using the best ingredients from Italy (Italian coffee, mascarpone cheese, Vicenzi Savoiardi sponge) and Cornwall (St Ewe eggs), the tiramisu comes in four flavours – the original coffee like Ugo’s dad used to make, vegan (you’ll be hard pressed to tell the difference between the original), chocolate and Cornish rum.
As a fan of tiramisu, I have to say these are among the best I’ve ever tasted; perhaps THE best.
Ugo said: “Keeping it simple, we offer traditional variations of the dessert and a unique alcoholic option using the premium Cornish rum from Rosemullion Distillery. We like our tiramisu for its ability to represent Italian tradition through its quality, lightness and simplicity.”
Ugo started small, with “Italian passion in Cornwall”, without a loan or financial investment.
The business, which is based in a kitchen factory in the bucolic grounds of Tregassow Manor near St Erme, has grown organically.
“I started to do Truro Farmers’ Market, whose chairman Graham Bradshaw became a role model and mentor, teaching me all about working in the food trade,” said Ugo. “Cornwall should be proud of him.”
It was only February last year that TiramisUGO started trading but already Ugo and his product has made its mark – being named a Taste of the West gold award winner.
He started making 50 a week on his own using a recipe honed by his late father Pietro, who was MD of the Pall Corporation in Italy. He’s now making between 350 and 600 jars a week.
Ugo’s so good he was even invited to judge the Tiramisu World Cup in Italy.
He said: “Very famous chefs were talking to me like I was a famous chef! I was very proud that a company from Cornwall was part of such a prestigious competition.”
He says setbacks in life have made him strive to make the business a success.
“When my dad died my life changed completely. You have to face difficulties in life to make you grow – my father dying did that for me as did losing my job.”
Ugo also faced a further difficulty when lockdown put a possible deal with Fortnum and Mason on hold.
“Lockdown meant the momentum of my business was gone," he said.
However, never one to give up, Ugo came up with another business venture.
Mum Daniela, a “force of nature” like all good Italian mamas, had moved over from Italy to help with the business. She had received a letter in the Polgooth parish for anyone who could offer meals to local residents who were shielding at home during the pandemic.
Ugo drafted a menu straight away, which received 60,000 views when he shared it on Facebook.
The Cornish Italian was born, offering a full Italian meal for delivery, which soon expanded to cover from Bodmin to Penzance and over 6,000 meals.
It’s just £8 per portion – a choice of pasta meal, a selection of grissini and a TiramisUGO dessert. Delivery included. Again his late father played his part – the pasta is made using his old machine.
Ugo and his three-wheeler deliver on Tuesday to Newquay, Padstow, Wadebridge and Bodmin, Wednesday to Penzance and the far west, Thursday to Redruth, Camborne and Hayle, Friday to St Austell and the Roseland Peninsula and Saturday to Truro and Falmouth.
“Cornwall has never seen delivery on that scale by a business of our size,” he told me.
If you haven’t tried these delizioso Italian delights yet, maybe it’s time to get a delivery from the Piaggio Ape.
The TiramisUGO jars are available from independent food outlets across Cornwall and online. The Cornish Italian can also be found online including Facebook.
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