ILLUSTRATION ALICE PATTULLO
I grew up in Scotland, where the monotony of the north European diet was occasionally broken by rays of sunlight brought by Italian immigrants. They and their Scottish-born descendants introduced us to multi-coloured gelati, vibrant pizzas, and pasta dishes sprinkled with herbs and lashings of olive oil.
We knew the forebears of our neighbours and playmates had escaped poverty and unemployment in Italy by moving north, bringing their Mediterranean diet with them, despite the colder climate. Starting with fish and chip shops and ice-cream parlours, many migrants went on to bigger and better things. It’s small wonder that, for decades, many of the top-rated restaurants in Glasgow and Edinburgh were Italian; some of them (such as Valvona & Crolla in Edinburgh) still are.