richard So farewell then, Luigi Terroni & Sons, one of the best Italian delicatessens in London. Where the staff were friendly and knowledgable and you could buy a vast array of tasty foods. Cooked meats, cheese, bread, cakes, wine and pasta of all imaginable shapes and sizes. Now sadly ceased trading for reasons not explained, although doubtless yet another victim in this country’s relentless march towards a bland, corporate and increasingly sinister McFuture.
I’m sure as I write this some faceless, tasteless, chinless middle manager is measuring it up to be yet another Tesco Metro. And no doubt on the grand opening people will flock there and marvel at the choice … Bernard Mathews turkey ‘ham’, both types of cheese (Cathedral City AND Dairylea), Mothers Pride, Mr Kipling Raspberry Flavoured Swiss Roll, Blossom Hill Cabernet Sauvignon and Heinz Spaghetti Bolognese.
We deserve what we are given.
Hi there! whoever you are.
My name is Nunzio and guess who I am?
I was one of the eight people who worked for Terroni and Sons!!!
So, you can image how do I feel right here right now
while I am watching those two shop’s picture on your web.
I feel very bad.
On August the 2nd after 9 months of work and great time with my lovely customers I left London to my holydays in Italy and…and When I back no more shop no more job no more anything!
Working at Terroni’s was great,more then I job.
The staff Anna,Luca,Nico,Veronica,Celita, Ivano,myself.
I miss all of you.
Knowing why is not enough! Since then my life is changed and God only knows how much I would like it back.
With the closing down of Terroni more than Italian history is lost but London’s history itself! but these are only words for you McFuture………….
Hi Nunzio, thanks for taking the time to post a comment.
You are of course right when you say the closing of Terroni (and independent shops like it) is a great loss to the culture of London. More widely it represents an incremental but significant step towards a joyless and culturally barren high street lacking any real choice or individuality.
Sorry to hear your employer treated you in such a shoddy way.
I hope everything works out for you.
Take care.
R
Dear Richard thank you very much for taking the time to post me.
From your comment I understand Terroni is still close and nobody has done nothing so far.
If I only had the money to buy it…
Please let me know if a tycoon will buy and keep the shop as it is (an italian deli,of course) and I wil cross the channel again to get back my lovely job! And once again thank you very much for your support.
Any news? please let me now,whoever you are.
Thank you.
N.
Hi Nunzio
No news yet, it is still standing empty.
As soon as something happens I’ll let you know.
Take care.
R
Hi Richard,
Thank you very much.
Hi:
I loved Terroni & Sons. It seems their parent company – Foodhouse(UK) Ltd., decided that they weren’t making enough money through the shop. They have also refused to honour any credits (I have a £50 gift voucher from Terroni) although they have not wound up the company.
I would love to hear from any other customers of Terroni who are either owed money or are otherwise out of pocket from their sudden closure.
Peter
Hi Peter,
I am glad to hear that someone else is taking time to leave a message to this blog.
Thank you.
My hope to get my job back is endless.
Hi everyone.
Not sure yet but ready to back in town with a last hope to get the shop to its own customers.
no promise but trying to take action.
Hi Nunzio.
Good luck … what’s the plan?
R
I would like to know more about the products available at Terroni in the past. It is very sad that the shop has closed. Please can I have some information. The people were very obliging and could not help the customers enough.
The owners should be ashamed of themselves!!!!!!!!!!
My Grandfather, Duilio Terroni was the original owner of Terroni & Sons along with his cousin. Both my mother and uncles worked in the shop. I spent my childhood eating all the olives out of the barrels in the shop and playing down in the cellar. Unfortunately my Grandfather died in 1988 and the shop was sold on.
I’ve still got photos of the original shop from way back, before the new owners expanded it.
I was heartbroken to find out Terroni’s has been closed down. It was a proper institution and will be greatly missed.
I’m trying to find a lost ancestor whose name was Tolle Baldacci (b.1876 in Italy) He married a Maria Terroni in London in 1905 and they moved to Philadlephia. Then the trail goes cold and his brothers and sisters could never find them. I’m quite sure that Maria was a member of this Terroni family. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I’m also very sad that the shop is closed.
I went to school with Stephanie Terroni and we were good friends afterwards. I didn’t know the shop had left the family. Angie Burdett you must be a relative of Stephanie’s. If that is right, give her my regards. We lost touch, sadly, the way people do when they move on in life. Josie Purcell nee Brinkley
Please can someone contact Angie Burdett,my wife is writing a book and she needs to speak to Angie Burdett.
If you read this Angie,you will remember my wifes grandma,her name was nana Rosa.
Rosa Wheater and Rosa’s mother Ermelinda used to come toTeroni,s some saturday mornings in the 70,s and 80,s,often with my wife and her siblings.It was always an epic event;the nonnas would both have their hair done beforehand and get dressed up.They would be greeted like celebrities at the door of Teroni,s.Nonna Ermelinda would sit on a chair tasting coffee or liquer.They would stock up on boxes and boxes of pasta which would then be stored under their big beds!!! They would chat and kiss and shout and talk about food and family and buy up half the stock.My wife remembers trying olives from barrells too !!!! The nonnas would be in high spirits for days afterwards.My wife remembers these days so well and is currently writing a neapolitan recipe book about her nonnas and their food at Terroni & Sons .
Regards,
Nigel Fenwick
Terroni will be back soon
hey when does it come back?
hi just wanted to check has the shop terronis re-opened !!! ive noticed work being done dose anyone know of anyone knows of anything please let me know im missing there panninis 🙂
I am looking out of my office Window at the finishing touches (signeage/awnings) to the new Terroni shop being put in place…
Hi Lloyd
Excellent news… shame I no longer live in London.
R
And the good news is that Terroni will be re-opening at the end of January. You can follow the progress on Twitter @_terroni
Best Regards,
My mother was queenie Terroni her fatherv was the voriginal owner of the shop then her brother Duilio owned it most of his family are deceased except for Micheala and Andrea his grandchildren i am in regular contact with them.
my mothers maiden name was Terroni her father was the original owner and then my uncle took over i keep in touch with his granchildren
It’s open again if anyone is interested.
Thanks Rachel, excellent news. Any chance they could open a branch in Yorkshire? R
I will drive down from Norfolk purely to walk around that shop once again. Is it as good as ever???
Hmm. The shop bit is a lot smaller and they have a lot less stuff. Lots of the same sort of thing – pasta, cake, sauces and wine etc. I wouldn’t come down from Norfolk… Half of the old shop is a cafe area selling sandwiches and deli stuff. I wish them luck.
Thanks Rachel, I will look in on my way through to I Camisa in Soho then.
Hi all,
What an interesting varied splash of comments! I am of italian descent myself (my nonna and nonno came from Avellino in the 60s) but am fluent in Italian, like many people my age in Sussex.
I have witnessed (albeit a small) decline in the Italians attending events like the “dinner and dance” and the “Santa Messa” at St Mary of the Angels in Worthing. For me, its quite a shame. Its difficult to keep up the tradition when not many people follow. I have often been to the Procession in London in July and the overwhelming feeling you get, being in the presence of so many Italians is phenomenal. (does anyone know what I mean?!!?!?!?!) We should try to keep events like this going and attend them to make them popular events.
Im guessing, just like many when they came over in the 60s, that we should all stick together, invite and welcome all races and support eachother in what we do, its true what they say…if you dont use it, you lose it 🙁
Mike
Luigi Terroni was the original owner and he came to England before WW1 and his wife was called Maria. They came from Pavia in northern Italy. They stayed in London and had two sons, Luigi and Mario. My uncle Mario had one son, my cousin Paul and he lives in Essex. After the original Luigi died the shop was run for many years by cousins and eventually sold but the shop retained its old name Terroni but it was no longer owned by the same family.
My mum was a Terroni her brother Duilio owned the shop for many years . The origianl owners were my gt grandparents and my mums dad was Giovanni / lUIGI AND mARIO HAD ABOUT 4 SONS AND A DAUGHTER OR 2 MAYBE
My mum was a Terroni her parents were Giovanni and Maria. The origianl Luigi owner of shop had 4 sons and 2 daughters my mums uncles and aunts Mario was my mums cousin his dad was Robert i think, i still keep in touch with members of the Terroni family
My mum was a terroni
I’d love to get in touch with Angie Burdett to talk about Terroni for a film / archive project about Clerkenwell. Please could you email? Nic
My family on mothers side owned shop Luigi terroni was my great grandfather. I keep I touch and are close to family members. E mail me please.
Hi Maria, could you drop me a line at littleitalylondon@yahoo.com?
best wishes
Nic have sent e mail