Мать из Тайнсайда возродила семейный бизнес по производству джелато, основанный прадедушкой в начале XX века

The mother reviving her Italian family’s 1900s gelato business generations on A family tree discovery led to the launch of a retro ice cream business A surprise find while researching her family tree whipped up huge interest for a North Tyneside mother who is now connecting past and present with the launch of a new retro-look ice cream business. Amy Bastianelli, from Marden Estate, had been digging into her Italian ancestry when she began to learn about the lives of her great-great-grandparents. "I found out that they sold ice cream over 100 years ago in Newcastle," says the 39-year-old. The couple, Benedetto Bastianelli and Angelina Valente, had left Italy in the early 1900s - as did many at the time in search of a better life - and upon arrival in Newcastle they made the city their home where "they started selling ice cream and hot chestnuts", she says. Sadly, Benedetto was to die young, at the age of 28, leaving Angelina to continue the work and support their family. Amy, who found Benedetto's death certificate giving the cause as pneumonia, also located a photo of Angelina: "It means so much to be able to put a face to the woman who continued our family’s ice-cream story". There is an old newspaper cutting too, referencing Angelina selling ice cream and roasted chestnuts outside the former Glendale pub in Byker in 1934. Amy learned her great-great-gran had also helped support and provide work for other Italians coming to build new lives in the North East. "It wasn’t simply an ice-cream business; it became part of the local community and a new beginning for other Italian families too." She was fascinated by all she found, saying: "After discovering more about Benedetto and Angelina’s story, I felt inspired to bring our family legacy back to life." And the single mam's own story - about how she went about achieving that aim - proves just as interesting. The idea for her own ice cream business began, she says, with a £50 buy on Etsy marketplace. There a vintage tricycle caught her eye and a nostalgic vision took shape. That trike is now being restored, with its Bastianelli Gelato Italiano branding to be completed, and Amy is assembling a period outfit to complement the traditional picture. That means she will be wearing an A-line knee-length skirt; a cream shirt; a cap, headscarf and boots - and she also has her great-great-grandmother's brooch to top off the look. Her tricycle ice cream business will launch at an event at the Salt Market Social in North Shields on September 4, then she and her trike will be off, serving authentic Italian gelato and artisan sorbets. These are being supplied by Cremoloso, a London-based family-run business making quality ices using Italian techniques and ingredients. Served in tubs bearing the Bastianelli Gelato Italiano name, her alternating ice cream flavours - such as hazelnut, Sicilian lemon, vegan pistachio and yoghurt and wild strawberry - will be named after her family members. A vanilla gelato is called Angelina while a Belgian chocolate flavour is Benedetto. Others bear names of the couple's parents while one, a salted amaretto which apparently was chosen as the UK’s number-one flavour at the 2021 Gelato Festival competition, is named after Amy's brother Mario. She is also planning a future Ciliano addition, a signature flavour, which will be created for her young son. She sees the new business as building something for the future - "that my little boy, Cillian, can carry forward and be proud of one day" - as well as remembering the family's past which otherwise would have be lost. "That makes the whole journey incredibly emotional and meaningful for our family." Her grandfather Ronald Sebastenelli senior - Benedetto and Angelina's grandson - has been fascinated to share in her discoveries. Having been told nothing of the family history, the 87-year-old is now seeing it being brought back to life and, with the new ice cream business name restored, he's "over the moon". Amy's sharing of news of her business venture has led to the uncovering of more relatives living locally. "Because of my posts on social media I've found other family members in the local area who I didn't know existed!" She posted in a family group too and now has other relatives searching their photo albums. Already two found images show another family connection to ice cream. Her granddad's uncle John Sebastinelli - the surname having morphed from the original due to men being addressed 'Sir Bastianelli' - also had an ice cream van. One picture shows John with Michael Quadrini and son - of the famous Newcastle nightclub family - and another features his ice cream van, which he would also drive on his visits to see family, causing confusion in the street as children ran to buy ices even though he did not play the chimes when not open for business. It's taken around six months' research and about a year in total to get to where Amy is now and she says: "It's been an amazing journey." Of her grandfather, she says: "He didn't know anything about Benedetto. "It's been amazing for him to find out about his grandparents and where they were originally from." They have discovered that Benedetto is buried in Heaton Cemetery, with Angelina buried not far away. Up to that point, "nobody knew where he was," says Amy. Back then it was common to have a so-called 'pauper's grave' for those who might not have able to afford a private burial and now Amy, who has been to the cemetery to place flowers, is now considering buying him a plot. It had proved difficult tracing information in his native country so part of researching her roots led Amy to hire a private investigator over there whom she credits for the information she now has about her great-great-grandfather's relatives. He was born in Sant’Elia Fiumerapido, in the Lazio region of central Italy, and she is now a member of its village group. "It's been wonderful." While her new business fulfils her dream, the story is not over for Amy. Having found more family members in Italy, a next step will be travelling over to meet them. But for now she has her hands full with the upcoming official launch of Bastianelli Gelato Italiano. Over the years Amy has worked in Subway on Wallsend High Street, as manager of Park Hotel in Tynemouth and at the family cafe La Riviera at Cullercoats, where her mam still works. But she says she has health challenges which have made it difficult to return to conventional employment so her new venture will afford her flexibility to work around her and six-year-old Cillian’s needs. There has already been lots of interest in it and her hope is to supply local cafes with gelato. She is also currently looking to secure a pitch in Cullercoats. And she could well be seen pedalling her trike around the coast. She admits she likes the idea and says some have told her "you can't do that!" but she laughs: "I want to!" The launch of Bastianelli Gelato Italiano will be at the Salt Market Social on September 4 from 6pm until 11pm. 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