July 1, 2021

Meet The Producer: La Pineta Italian Deli

Valentina Langley is on a mission to bring the food and flavours of Southern Italy to her vibrant market stall here in Truro; every week there’s some new delicacy to try!

Having grown up in the Campania region not far from Naples, Valentina has a deep love and knowledge of Southern Italian food culture and a network of small, specialist suppliers in the region to tap into.

Valentina joins us at market every Saturday with a selection of artisan cheeses and charcuterie, plus irresistible Italian street food to enjoy during your visit. Regular market-goers make a bee-line for her stall every week to see what new delights lie in wait…

La Pineta Italian deli at Truro Farmers Market

How did it all start?

At the start of 2020 Valentina was working away in her job and looking after her young children, when Covid-19 arrived and changed everything. She lost her job as a result of the pandemic – a stressful experience especially with a family to consider.

The complete break with normality caused her to rethink what she wanted to do and chase a dream she had always quietly cultivated – to import great produce direct from small family producers, and show people a different side of Italian food.

What’s the inspiration behind the business?

Having been born and raised in Italy, Valentina returned at various stages of her life and has spent a lot of time travelling the country. “Although I love Cornwall and never want to leave, I had always missed the food and culture of my homeland. I think the pandemic really intensified that,” she explains. “I had a bit of a craving for home comforts, and for cannoli!”

A passionate cook who watched avidly as both her Grandmother and Father showed their mastery in the kitchen, Valentina’s food heritage is very much rooted in Campania and the southern provinces. These were historically poor regions, where ingredients were typically made to go a long way. It’s a style often called ‘cucina povera’ and quite different to the pizza and pasta most of us associate with Italian food.

“Because people didn’t have much, they came up with creative ways of extracting maximum flavour,” explains Valentina. “They used grain, beans, rice and pulses as staples, grew and foraged for seasonal fruit and vegetables, and salted, dried and cured meat and fish to make it last longer.”

What does La Pineta sell at market?

The wonderful Italian meats that we know and love today came out of this need to cure and preserve, and to get maximum use from precious meat. So, as you’d expect Valentina has an excellent selection of cured meats available each week.

She also imports unusual cheeses from small artisan producers who worked to recipes passed down the generations. “One of my favourite cheeses is preserved using black tea, and another uses wild berries,” says Valentina. “These are family specialities, which are made in small batches using traditional methods, often in caves and cellars and mainly across Southern Italy, although I’ve approached new suppliers in other regions recently.”

Following the successful introduction of these deli products, Valentina rapidly diversified into selling Italian street food at market. The selection changes every week but always features arancini (traditionally made from leftover risotto – a great way of eking out another meal the next day), and you might also be treated to panzanotti (deep-fried pizza typically made in Naples – the cooking technique was a cheaper alternative to oven cooking) and cannoli (sweet, fried pastries which originate from Sicily).

What has been the response at market?

Valentina, who is often joined at market by her two children (aged two and eight) says the reaction has been fantastic. “There’s a great atmosphere at the market, a real sense of community. I’ve received a lot of support and encouragement from team behind the market,” explains Valentina.

She adds: “The public response has been amazing – I think people can see that I’m passionate about the food and the producers I’m showcasing, so they’re really receptive to trying a type of cured meat or a cheese that they don’t recognise. The street food now has a huge following, I love seeing the excitement as people visit the stall each week and discover what we have for them to try.”

So, what’s next?

The business has grown so rapidly that Valentina’s husband has now given up his job to help her prepare every week and expand the operation at the same time. “It’s a really exciting time for us,” she says. “La Pineta is growing into a lovely family business that we can work around the kids. That family element is another Italian tradition we’re enjoying bringing to the market.”

The couple have all sorts of plans for the future. The business has already naturally grown into offering picnic hampers, and pop-up events and private catering are on the cards for the coming years.

However, Valentina’s ambitions go beyond this, and she has dreams of using her skills, knowledge, passion and growing contacts in the local food industry to create a community kitchen one day. “I’d love to bring the cucina povera concept up to date and encourage people to embrace that way of cooking,” she explains. “Using great quality local ingredients sparingly, economically and sustainably is the future of cooking – it would be great to work with other chefs and food producers to create a little hub in Cornwall dedicated to that.”

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