Meet The Cornish Italian

Meet Ugo Massabo, a 29-year-old Italian cook who has been bringing authentic Italian flavours and dishes into the homes of Cornwall since 2018. From his signature family recipe and award-winning take on tiramisu to his latest delivery of freshly cooked Italian dishes across the county, we find out all you need to know about The Cornish Italian.

TiramisUGO also comes in Vegan, Chocolate and Cornish Rum flavours, something Ugo is close guarded about when it comes to the secret recipes involved.

Ugo’s career was not always intertwined with food, in fact before Ugo discovered his passion for cooking, he was heavily involved in the theatrical arts. Born and raised in Garbagnate Milanese, just north of Milan, Ugo and his family moved to Imperia when he was 10, a coastal city in the Liguria region and the birthplace of his father. A classic guitar player, Ugo spent his adolescence attending concerts and recitals, meeting musicians, artists and creative performers. Then, in June 2005, Ugo’s father passed away and to commemorate him, Ugo organised and held a sell-out music show in his honour. From there Ugo’s career in theatre began, and with the support of his family, he produced five successful shows including performances at Teatro Nuovo of Milan and Teatro Stabile of Brescia. In 2014, after obtaining a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Marketing and Management for the Performing Arts, Ugo moved to the UK from his native Italy, settling originally in London and working for the likes of The Courtyard Theatre, the Royal Opera House and the Phoenix Dance Theatre. His final role in theatre came in 2016, which saw Ugo move to Cornwall as assistant to the Director of Hall for Cornwall.

However, when the Hall for Cornwall closed for major refurbishment in 2018, Ugo found himself made redundant. During that time, he’d met his now wife, Laura, and the prospect of continuing to follow his career in theatre would mean either returning to London or moving out of Cornwall. With a potentially new and uncertain future ahead of him, Ugo found himself looking to his heritage and family traditions. Leaving behind the theatre world for good, Ugo began handmaking authentic tiramisu, using a mixture of local Cornish and authentic Italian ingredients, crafted into glass jars. A family recipe created by Ugo’s father, the dessert had long been a part of his personal history and culinary world, “I needed stability after losing my job and found myself going back to my origins,” Ugo explains, “to the tiramisu I used to make with my dad before going skiing...We used to make it with my dad as a regenerator after a long day on the slopes or to enjoy after a long walk. So, TiramisUGO was born, a small family business, which makes the very best tiramisu using the best ingredients from Italy and Cornwall, the rest is history...”

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. As passionate about nature and staying eco-conscious as he is about creating a delicious product, Ugo champions fresh, local produce, from the St Ewe eggs to the Italian mascarpone cheese. As well as the classic signature flavour, TiramisUGO also comes in Vegan, Chocolate and Cornish Rum flavours, something Ugo is close guarded about when it comes to the secret recipes involved.

“Our Vegan Tiramisu is made with six ingredients like our original, plus a hint of Cornish rum from Rosemullion Distillery. No coconut milk, no cashew nuts, no air miles, the secret stays with us I’m afraid!”

With a gluten free range too, it’s no surprise that this classic dessert swiftly found itself a new fan base in the home of Cornwall and beyond. So much so, that in 2018 TiramisUGO was selected to be an official judge for the Tiramisu World Cup in Treviso of that year, a nod to its impressive reputation as a genuine Italian pudding.

“Since starting, TiramisUGO was growing steadily,” says Ugo, “we were selling directly to farm shops, delis, cafés, theatres and garden centres. Then, Covid-19 hit and all our 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 I decided to offer customers the opportunity to order genuine, Italian ready meals, delivered directly to their door at no extra cost. I called on my heritage and my love for cooking to develop The Cornish Italian

I am now on a mission: to create a real Italian brand like it was made for the Italian market, but in Cornwall. A business born in Italy. Made in Cornwall.

Meal Deal’, high-end Italian deli boxes to go which include breadsticks, delicious homemade pasta dishes and of course, our iconic tiramisu to finish it off.”

Delivering across Cornwall on set days from their base in Truro, The Cornish Italian offers a menu of sumptuous, mouth-watering pasta dishes, from the classic pasta al pesto to filled ravioli’s and saucy gnocchi. Gluten free and vegan options are available and it’s all made fresh by Ugo and his small team in their kitchen. From the unpredictable challenge of Covid-19, The Cornish Italian was a welcomed adaptation, a takeaway for lovers of Italian cooking at its most authentic, using Cornish produce we know and love. Locally reared beef from Etheringtons meets with Italian basil and tomatoes from Italy for Ugo’s flavourful Bolognese, “I love simple recipes, gnocchi with a fresh tomato sauce and extra virgin olive oil and reshly made tagliatelle al ragu alla Bolognese are among my favourite dishes. My mum likes to think her Bolognese is the best. It actually is, but don’t tell her that! For me, my four cheese sauce is the best of the best, we love experimenting with fresh pasta recipes and combinations, but also we are huge fans of high-end patisserie recipes which we have started to introduce with our TiramisUGO and Rosemullion Cornish Rum. “Italian food needs to be simple but full of flavour. We’re very lucky that in Cornwall there is a combination of outstanding ingredients and amazing people passionate about their food that allows us to ensure quality at all times.

“I am now on a mission: to create a real Italian brand like it was made for the Italian market, but in Cornwall. A business born in Italy. Made in Cornwall.”

Despite the challenges of Covid-19, Ugo has taken it on in his stride and from the difficulties faced, new and exciting avenues have been discovered. Looking ahead, with a new website on the horizon, Ugo also has plans to ship his dishes nationwide in boxes insulated with wool from this spring, reaching more homes than ever before beyond Cornwall, whilst retaining his values of community and sustainability, “Our community will always come first, it’s where we belong. We will still deliver locally, and we are also making a huge improvement on production processes and sustainability with a mission to become a B Corp in the near future.”

Food-wise, Ugo continues to champion his ethos of simple, outstanding produce, setting his sights on an upcoming Focaccia al Rosmarino side (Rosemary Focaccia) and a very special TiramisUGO Gelato for the summer, set for release in June this year.

In his own words, Ugo Massabo looks to bring a ‘touch of La Dolce Vita to Cornish shores’ and it can certainly be said that this Cornish Italian’s passion for cooking and evidently delectable results are certainly making life sweeter in Cornwall. l

DELIVERY SCHEDULE

Meal Deals from £10 Including Delivery

Monday – Closed

Tuesday – Truro, Newquay, Padstow, Wadebridge, and Bodmin

Wednesday – Truro, Penzance, Hayle, St Ives and Helston

Thursday – Redruth, Camborne and Hayle

Friday – Truro St Austell, Lostwithiel and Tregony

Saturday – Truro, Tregony and Falmouth

Sunday – Closed

To order your very own Cornish Italian meal, visit www.mytiramisugo.com

Keep up to date with the delicious goings on via social media: A @tiramisu.ugo G @tiramisugoofficial