{"id":717029,"date":"2026-01-24T06:53:27","date_gmt":"2026-01-24T06:53:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/717029\/"},"modified":"2026-01-24T06:53:27","modified_gmt":"2026-01-24T06:53:27","slug":"end-of-era-as-dauria-family-prepare-to-leave-parliament-hill-fields-cafe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/717029\/","title":{"rendered":"End of era as D’Auria family prepare to leave Parliament Hill Fields cafe"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alberto and his son Alfonso at the Parliament Hill Fields cafe<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

IT is the end of an era \u2013 and while there will be tears, the D\u2019Auria family, who are leaving the Parliament Hill Fields caf\u00e9, say the time has come.<\/p>\n

The D\u2019Aurias were unsuccessful in their bid to win a tender to keep the caf\u00e9 they have run since the 1970s and, instead, in February, caf\u00e9 operators Daisy Green will step in.<\/p>\n

Its owner, Prue Freeman, says she will protect what makes the caf\u00e9 so special \u2013 promising not only to keep the D\u2019Auria name but include their most popular pasta dishes on the menu.<\/p>\n

On Sunday, the family are hosting a farewell party and marking Alberto\u2019s 80th birthday at the caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n

They will celebrate \u2013 with pasta for all \u2013 what has been a landmark in north London for decades. Their story is one of our Anglo-Italian north London community.<\/p>\n

The D\u2019Auria family firm has been headed by father Alberto, who moved to London with his brothers in the 1960s. One of five brothers and four sisters, they come from Ravello on the Amalfi coast.<\/p>\n

Alberto learned to chef in hotels in Venice, Vienna, Paris and then The Savoy. \u201cThe customers love what I do,\u201d he said. \u201cI was a top chef and learned my trade properly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The old D\u2019Auria Bros sign<\/strong><\/p>\n

Alberto was working as a chef when his brother Mario suggested he join him in the ice cream van business.<\/p>\n

The pair set up the D\u2019Auria Brothers. \u201cWe won pitches across the city,\u201d said Alberto.<\/p>\n

They included Tate Gallery, Royal Albert Hall, Wembley and the White City dog track. Alberto\u2019s son Alfonso learned the trade from an early age.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was seven days a week and sometimes we\u2019d work 20 hours in a day,\u201d said Alfonso.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd today Dad is the same \u2013 he cannot stay at home. He comes in each day.\u201d<\/p>\n

AD:\u00a0YOU CAN GET FREE ACCESS TO AUDIOBOOKS WITH A SIMPLE-TO CANCEL\u00a030-DAY TRIAL OF AUDIBLE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It has always been a family affair: as well as Alfonso, his brother Dino and sister Bella have put in their shifts, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe ran a tight ship,\u201d said Alfonso.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt didn\u2019t matter if you were family \u2013 he demanded high standards. I worked all the hours as my children were growing up and my eldest daughter, Demi, has worked here \u2013 she is heartbroken. There have been tears.\u201d<\/p>\n

They moved to Parliament Hill Fields in 1977 \u2013 and they won the caf\u00e9 because of Alberto\u2019s reputation.<\/p>\n

Alberto had been asked to provide a banquet at the Guildhall and had been contracted by a man named Mr Pollard.<\/p>\n

Mr Pollard was so impressed by Alberto\u2019s culinary wizardry, he told the chef that if he ever needed a reference, he would give him a glowing one.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis place became available and Mr Pollard recommended him,\u201d said Alfonso.<\/p>\n

The Parliament Hill Fields caf\u00e9 was managed by the Greater London Council. It was a very different place to the caf\u00e9 Daisy Green is taking over today.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was quite rough. There could be some dodgy characters. We kept a baseball bat behind the counter in case of trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Lido caf\u00e9 was empty so the family agreed to open it too, and added an ice cream van. Alfonso said: \u201cWe put in a coffee machine and the customers would say they didn\u2019t want that \u2013 they wanted regular instant coffee, what they were used to. We started serving pasta right at the beginning and it was well received.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe always made sure the menu was affordable \u2013 we wanted people to feel they could come in and enjoy our food. We have always felt we could offer great food at prices everyone could afford \u2013 and that has been one of the reasons we have so many regulars who have become friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cBack then, it was possible to do that and still have a decent profit margin. Today, it is much more expensive \u2013 from gas and electricity bills to the cost of produce, it has gone through the roof.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Alberto\u2019s family has run the cafe at Parliament Hill Fields for more than 40 years<\/strong><\/p>\n

Daisy Green owner Prue Freeman has vowed to keep the D\u2019Auria name above the door \u2013 the family have kept a licence to run their ice cream van \u2013 and says they will keep the popular pasta dishes. Customers will, no doubt, compare the new chefs with the old \u2013 a tough act to follow.<\/p>\n

\u201cI learned to cook here,\u201d said Alfonso.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe day my dad told me my Lobster Thermidor was better than his was the biggest compliment I have ever had.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut my mum\u2019s sauces \u2013 there is none better. There\u2019s no point in describing the recipes and the ingredients \u2013 you already know them, they are in cook books \u2013 but I have been trying to replicate my mother\u2019s sauces for 25 years, using exactly the same ingredients and no one can get anywhere near it.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone makes their own pasta sauces, but no one makes one like my mum\u2019s. It is all about the technique.\u201d<\/p>\n

The D\u2019Aurias did bid for the new tender and Alfonso drew up detailed plans, seen by the New Journal.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe place needs a lot of investment,\u201d he said. \u201cIt has been hard to plan on a short lease, but the time has come to end our era. We will serve everyone a big meal for Dad\u2019s birthday. There will be pasta, 100 per cent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daisy Green co-founder Prue Freeman said: \u201cWe thank Alfonso, Alberto, Maria and the team for their support and encouragement. It is a huge legacy and we look forward to preserving and growing what they have built.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe look forward to engaging further with the community and working together to build a caf\u00e9 for everyone. We are listening and engaged to make everyone happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

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