Paul Charteris, one of the first importers in the UK of authentic Italian pasta and tomato sauces, passed away on May 8th, aged 80. His son Henry, who has followed in his father’s footsteps and worked with him for over 20 years, shared emotional memories about their love for the Italian culinary tradition. He loyally worked with many Italian manufacturers over the years and was a passionate supporter and always respected their production and the authenticity of having the products produced in Italy. He was renowned in Italy for his success and passion, said Henry Charteris, who works as managing director at VIVA foods.
A love story with Italian food
Paul Charteris fell in love with Italian food when he started visiting his parents in the Island of Elba, where his father had retired in the 1960s to enjoy the warmer weather after falling ill with asthma in Geneva. When Charteris decided to import genuine Italian foods into the UK for the major supermarkets there was little availability and knowledge of the authentic products. Charteris managed to introduce the likes of Tomato Puree, Tinned tomatoes and Long Blue Spaghetti. He expanded his business during the 1970s and 1980s to become one of the first importers of pasta sauces and dried pasta ranges found on the shelves today. In the late 1980s, Charteris grew his portfolio and introduced Parmigiano Reggiano, Mascarpone, and Taleggio cheeses into UK supermarkets.
