After 20 years at the heart of Tunbridge Wells’ dining scene, Soprano’s founders Ivan and Maurizio Di Santo are still hungry for the next chapter. Eileen Leahy meets Ivan to discover how they’re celebrating two decades in local hospitality – and discovers more about the brothers’ latest exciting business venture…
Anyone who loves great food, show-stopping cocktails and a lot of fun will almost certainly have experienced a meal at Soprano.
Located on Tunbridge Wells High Street, the restaurant has been a hallmark of the town’s hospitality scene for 20 years, thanks to its sensational Spanish tapas, adventurous cocktails and lively ambience.
I’m meeting Ivan Di Santo, who co-founded the restaurant with his brother Maurizio in September 2006, to discover how they will be celebrating the milestone – and to find out more about the brothers’ latest venture, Di Santo & Family, which specialises in frozen classic Italian desserts.
But more on that later…
First, I want to know the secret ingredients behind Soprano’s success, particularly given the challenges hospitality has faced in recent years.
“Well, simply, I think it’s down to great food and a passion for what we do,” smiles Ivan.
“We are hugely proud of being in business for this long – although it has been a long journey to get here.”
The brothers hail from a small village in Calabria, Italy, and first moved to London before discovering Tunbridge Wells.
“We lived in London and then discovered Tunbridge Wells. It ticked so many boxes and we knew it was the perfect place to launch a restaurant.”
Their first venture was an Italian restaurant called Sant’Agostino, named after the nearby Catholic church. After several years, however, they began thinking about creating something different.
“We get a lot of influence from Spain in southern Italy and therefore tapas is part of our culture,” explains Ivan. “The idea was to create something a bit more fun and that’s how we came up with the concept of tapas, cocktails and music.”
Since day one the venture has been successful.
“We have never had a weekend when we haven’t been fully booked.”
That popularity means advance booking is advisable, but the brothers have never been tempted to rest on their laurels.
“Over the past 20 years plenty has changed and we have obviously adjusted accordingly.”
Ivan has travelled for inspiration, including spending time in New York studying cocktail-making.
“Now our mixologists create some very unique drinks which are visually appealing but also taste great.”
He also keeps a close eye on culinary and hospitality trends.
“We do a trend report every six months based on what is going on in London and in the main cities in Europe. It’s to understand what is new, and where the sector is going.”
The Soprano menu has evolved, but never at the expense of dishes customers have come to love.
“We change the menu once a year but we tend to keep the very popular ones. We have very loyal customers who regularly come in and, if there’s not the legendary albondigas meatballs or croquettes on the menu, they will ask where they are!”
The strategy is to take classic recipes and give them a contemporary twist.
“When creating tapas dishes we try to evolve a classic recipe with a touch of the contemporary.”
Alongside classics such as tortilla, gambas piri piri and calamares, diners will find more innovative offerings, including Soprano’s take on patatas bravas.
“What sets us apart is that although we are creating Spanish-inspired cuisine, we are doing so using as many local ingredients as possible. We are passionate about sourcing and supporting local.”
The restaurant uses Sankey’s for its fish, Fuller’s for meat and suppliers in Sussex for bread and vegetables.
“I think it’s very important to support local,” says Ivan. “When people come out to eat, they don’t want something that’s homogenised. They like locality.”
He remembers when Soprano first opened, sourcing good-quality local produce was not always straightforward.
“It was almost impossible to source a decent British tomato. But now they are sourced locally and we are proud of that. We don’t want to compromise on quality. That’s probably why people have trusted us for 20 years.”
Around 80 per cent of its trade comes from loyal and regular customers, with the remainder made up of walk-ins, word of mouth and visitors.
“We get a lot of people coming into Tunbridge Wells to see us, but many are from abroad or further afield in the UK too. We have a good reputation.”
The next chapter
But the Di Santo brothers’ entrepreneurial ambitions have never been confined to the restaurant.
Alongside Soprano, the family has launched Di Santo & Family, an artisan food business specialising in traditional Italian desserts.
Founded three years ago, the company operates from a factory in Crowborough, producing frozen Italian pastries for wholesale and distribution across the UK.
The products are already sold through Ocado, as well as delis, garden centres, independent shops and distributors. At the heart of the range is cannoli, alongside around 15 other desserts.
The leap from restaurant to retail might seem a big one, but for the brothers it is a natural extension of everything they have always done.
“Both my brother Maurizio and I studied at catering school and it was always in our mind to create something genuinely Italian but from here in the UK.
“Like everything we do, the focus is on quality, sourcing local ingredients and making it in the UK by an Italian family because we have all that valuable experience and expertise.”
Flavour combinations include matcha and strawberry, passionfruit and lemon, and lemon and elderflower.
“We try to combine Italian tradition with innovation. Offering people something a bit different.”
The company currently employs 10 people and is growing steadily. The long-term ambition is to eventually export to the United States and Canada, where the brothers see significant potential for authentic Italian desserts.
For now, however, the focus remains on building the UK business.
And there is a reason food has become such a lifelong passion.
“It’s in our DNA,” says Ivan.
“All our life, since childhood – and it was the same for our parents – we grew up on a farm located in a small village where my family was producing local food.”
The family still returns to Italy regularly, and those visits continue to provide inspiration.
Soprano, 15 Mount Ephraim, Tunbridge Wells. Open Monday-Saturday, lunch 12-3pm, with drinks served until 6pm. Saturday service runs throughout the day.
Di Santo & Family:
www.disantoandfamily.com
