The Italian Cafes of South Wales
ARTICLES of GENERAL INTEREST
THE ITALIAN CAFES OF SOUTH WALES
In my last article I discussed how the local Silure tribe attempted to hold out against Imperial Rome’s invasion of south Wales. This month’s article is about another Italian “invasion”. The Italian cafés of south Wales represent one of the most remarkable examples of cultural integration in British social history. Established by Italian immigrants from the late nineteenth century onwards, these cafés became an essential feature of life in the mining valleys. They provided food, refreshment, warmth and companionship to mining communities while introducing elements of Italian culture that would become firmly embedded in Welsh society.
The story begins during the coal boom of the late Victorian era which attracted workers from across Britain and Europe including the future café owners who mostly came from the town of Bardi in northern Italy.
Among the earliest and most influential pioneers was Giacomo Bracchi. Arriving in Wales circa 1880s, he established one of the first successful Italian cafés in the Rhondda Valley. His business prospered so greatly that his surname entered local vocabulary. Welsh people began referring to any Italian café simply as a “Bracchi,” regardless of who owned it. Of course, other names were available, amongst which were – Sidoli, Ferrari, Servini, Carpanini, Luporini, Pino, Conti, Orsi, Gambarini and not forgetting the Zeraschi family whose descendant is the Marco on Barry Island of Gavin and Stacey fame!
The Bracchi cafés, let’s call them all that, were much more than coffee shops. They sold tea, coffee, hot chocolate, ice cream, confectionery, sandwiches, fish and chips, pies and light meals. Before espresso machines became common, many cafés served simple hot drinks alongside homemade cakes and sweets. They also became famous for their ice cream, introducing many Welsh children to an entirely new treat. During summer months, Italian families often sold ice cream from bicycles and handcarts, making frozen desserts a familiar part of everyday life in the valleys.
The social importance of these cafés cannot be overstated. Coal mining was dangerous, physically exhausting work. Miners sought places where they could relax after long shifts underground. The Bracchis offered warm, clean, welcoming environments where families, friends and workmates could meet. Importantly, they provided a respectable, non-alcoholic alternative to public houses. This became especially significant because Welsh Sunday closing laws restricted pub opening, while Italian cafés often remained popular gathering places. They became centres of conversation, community life and local identity.
Many cafés developed into successful family businesses that lasted for generations. New arrivals from Italy frequently joined relatives already established in Wales, creating close-knit family enterprises that combined Italian traditions with Welsh community life. Children of these families often regarded themselves as proudly both Welsh and Italian, contributing significantly to the cultural diversity of the region.
By the outbreak of the Second World War, there were hundreds of Italian cafés operating across south Wales. Nearly every mining town possessed at least one Bracchi, and larger towns often supported several. These cafés became landmarks within communities, remembered not only for their food but also for their distinctive marble tables, polished counters, mirrors and elegant coffee machines. They represented a touch of continental Europe in the heart of Britain’s industrial landscape.
But in talking of that war, there is a darker side to the story. To the British authorities, the men were considered to be enemy aliens and as such many were interned for the duration in camps on the Isle of Man and further afield. We must remember the SS Arandora Star that was sunk by U Boat action on July 2nd 1940 with a loss of 805 lives including 440 Italians who were being deported to Canada.
The post-war decline of coal mining and changing social habits inevitably affected the Bracchis. What had once been numbered in the hundreds gradually declined to only a small fraction of their former presence, examples of which are Viazzani’s Station Café, Merthyr Tydfil; The Princes, Pontypridd and Cosy Café, Treorchy. And not forgetting the delightful re-creation of a bygone Bracchi in the Rhondda Heritage Park established as a tribute to the Italian families who shaped the valleys’ café culture.
Above: A traditional coffee machine, one like this is still in use in Prince’s Café, Pontypridd giving the venue a touch of authenticity.
Tony Hodge