Fritto began its journey at the Granby Four Streets Community Market in Toxteth, sharing an authentic taste of Italy through mobile street food. Over the first six years Fritto built its reputation on fresh food, traditional recipes, and a love for Italian street culture at local community markets and pop-up events across Liverpool, Manchester, and Leeds.
Fritto started as an award-winning social enterprise. Just months after launching, Luca’s work was recognised at the 2016 Liverpool Youth Awards for ‘improving the wellbeing and resilience of young people’. Fritto has used food to facilitate positive change in the lives of unemployed people, young offenders and other disadvantaged groups by offering volunteering opportunities and work experience, along with cookery workshops and mentoring.
In 2018 Fritto won as “Best Newcomer” at the English Italian Awards held in Manchester, a prestigious national competition between other Italian businesses operating in UK.
In 2021, Fritto took its next big step, securing a permanent home on Smithdown Road as part of Liverpool City Council’s Shops for a Pound scheme. Designed to bring empty high-street units back to life, the initiative gave independent businesses the chance to grow by renting for just £1 a month for the first three years. We’re proud to be part of a project that supports local independents and helps the L15 area thrive — a journey featured in the Liverpool Echo.
Fritto is the passion project of Luca Sanvittore, who said that the scheme has helped him realise his dream of opening an authentic Italian bakery in Liverpool. Read the interview with bbc.co.uk here.
Luca’s journey is hardly typical. Having come to Liverpool to study a Masters in criminology and crime prevention through environmental design, he’s uniquely placed to understand the benefits of innovative schemes such as the one the council has attempted here.
Robin Brown, The Post
Luca also over the years ran a series of pasta/pizza making courses, in collaboration with different schools and organisations, aimed to show how easy is to cook from scratch, highlighting the benefits of a balanced diet which includes regular consumption of fresh and seasonal vegetables.
