Person    | Male  Born 27/7/1817  Died 6/9/1878

Carlo Gatti

Categories: Commerce, Food & Drink, Theatre

Countries: Switzerland

Cafe owner and ice-dealer. Born Switzerland. Arrived in England in July 1847. Built up a French-style cafe business. In the 1850s he became the first seller of ice-cream to the masses. He had owned ice wells off the Regent's Canal for a few years and in 1857 he formed a company to import ice from Norway and store it at an ice well in New Wharf Road, King's Cross. He built up a fleet of 60 ice wagons and was extremely successful. He had 5 daughters but his only son died aged 9. From about 1871 he spent most of his time back in Switzerland where he died. Ian Visits gives a good explanation of how the ice trade worked.

As well as the ice business Carlo and his family also built up a chain of restaurants and places of entertainment, many in central London. He assisted other Italians to come to London, many of whom either worked for him or set up Italian restaurants of their own.

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Carlo Gatti

Commemorated ati

Gatti icehouse

Victorian London has a wonderful contemporary description of the ice pit. In...

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Other Subjects

Kingerlee and Sons

Kingerlee and Sons

Builders. An unusual name, so we are assuming that this is the company founded by Thomas Henry Kingerlee, a plumber from Banbury. He moved to Oxford where he established a thriving business, undert...

Group, Architecture, Commerce

1 memorial
Henry Spicer (stationery)

Henry Spicer (stationery)

Born Islington into the stationery family. Trustee of Islington Union Chapel.  MP for Islington South. 1885-6. Henry Spicer was the eldest of the ten children of Henry S. J. Spicer (1801-1877) a...

Person, Commerce, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Coppice Row turnpike

Coppice Row turnpike

We can't see this turnpike on a map of 1790.  View from the Mirror has a good general post on London turnpikes.

Building, Commerce

1 memorial
Westminster penny post

Westminster penny post

Westminster office of the penny post and then the two-penny post. The first office of the penny post in London that ran in a dedicated building rather than within a stationer or other business. T...

Building, Commerce

1 memorial
Barley Mow pub - Dorset Street

Barley Mow pub - Dorset Street

Self-proclaimed "oldest pub in Marylebone". Some information can be found at Stonch's Beer Blog.

Building, Commerce, Food & Drink

1 memorial