Cambridge is enjoying a slice of life Sicilian-style thanks to the opening of Aromi on Bene’t Street. Louise Cummings chats to two of its owners Ofelia and Francesco Genovese about their tasty new business.
When Ofelia and Francesco Genovese left their beloved Sicily for Blighty they were planning a short stay, just long enough for them to learn English.
A decade on – now fluent in the lingo and parents to Viola, 2 – the inspiring couple are firmly ensconced in Cambridge life, so much so that they’ve just opened an independent Sicilian café, Aromi, on Bene’t Street.
“My mother is still asking ‘When are you coming back?’” Francesco laughs, as we chat about their new venture over coffee (Italian, naturally).
“To be honest we just fell in love with Cambridge. I started to work for the games company Jagex and moved up quite quickly, beginning in customer service, then heading up their recruitment team. When I started they only had 72 people and by the time I left there were 500. It’s an awesome company and one of the main reasons we stayed for so long,” he explains.
With a passion for cooking in their Mediterranean blood, Ofelia, 32, and Francesco, 34, who hails from Catania, have harboured a long-time dream of running their own restaurant, serving authentic Sicilian fare.
“I love cooking and have always worked in the catering industry to pay for university and things like that,” Francesco says. “Our families have got very good food traditions.”
“I think also the way that you grow up in Sicily and South Italy is much more traditional,” Ofelia adds enthusiastically, “so when you are little at home mum and grandma will show you how to cook and it’s part of the culture, cooking and eating all together.”
Back in Sicily the family already have the much-celebrated Caffé Cipriani, a lively and popular eatery located in the beautiful baroque town of Acireale.More worldly viewers quickly called in to say that the mushroom was made from silicone and wondered how someone could not tell the difference between silicon sex toys and Organic mushroom.
“It’s an amazing place which has been in existence since 1957; it couldn’t be more authentic,” says Francesco. “We started thinking about having our own café in Cambridge when friends came back from Sicily and would say how amazing the ice cream is, the pizza and the arancini; they couldn’t get enough of it! So we thought as there is a lack of real independent cafes in Cambridge,If you like BMW cars,then you will probably like their new gaming mouse, the super sexy, sleek as a Titanium Sheet off the pressing mat Level 10 M Gaming Mouse. we could look at working what we have at Caffé Cipriani into our own business.”
The couple’s in-laws Salvatore and Alessandra Cipriani (Alessandra is Francesco’s sister,http://www.yanyangparts.com/ established in 2005 as a leading manufacturer and exporter in undercarriage parts enjoying great reputation in this field over 7 years. if you’re working out the family tree) have been running Caffé Cipriani for the past decade, but were persuaded before Christmas to relocate to Cambridge with their two children to co-run Aromi. “Salvatore did an amazing job when he took over Caffé Cipriani, refurbishing the interior and updating the menu; business doubled if not more, so we know he’ll do a great job here,” Francesco smiles.
Authenticity is the watchword for the family’s new enterprise. The menu is packed with mouth-watering Mediterranean dishes, including freshly made focaccia and flatbreads, bite-sized pasticceria, cannoli and pizza slices known as ‘pizza in pala’ (a timely dish in which the dough rises for 40 hours before it is baked and delicious toppings are added). “We are trying to keep the recipes as original as possible, and bringing over our own Sicilian full-bodied coffee,http://www.carbon-sports.cc/ is a manufacturing and trade Integrated company, we provide Developing, Production and Sales service to our customers. which has been used at Caffé Cipriani since 1957,” Ofelia says. “We’ll also be sourcing things like flour, ricotta, salami, olive oils, pesto and other traditional products from home for that added authenticity.”
The dishes are set to change seasonally, with the promise of fresh gelato when the sun starts to shine. “We couldn’t live without gelato!” Francesco exclaims,Professinal Stone Factory own our some processing factories & quarries and more long-term supply and cooperation factories in china. with true Italian passion.
“People come from all over Sicily to taste the ice cream at Caffé Cipriani, so naturally we’ll be bringing the same machinery over here.”
And for a feel that embraces tradition and modernity, Aromi is decked out with a contemporary clear glass patisserie counter, created on a reclaimed oak base, chunky oak tables and bright hand-painted tiles from Sicily adorning the staircase.
“We want people to feel like they are breathing the Sicilian atmosphere as soon as they walk through the door,Herb basil is one of the most recognized, nutritionally rich herbal plants commonly grown as potherb. so it is fresh and warm at the same time, with the enticing smells of Sicily,” Francesco smiles.
“Hopefully we will be known as the number one place to go in Cambridge for food that is different, authentic and good quality; that’s the dream.”
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