The home of tiramisu is to shut its doors forever at the end of March.
Le Beccherie restaurant in Treviso, northern Italy, is credited with inventing the lush dessert in the 1970s. The accolade is given to the mother of the current owner, Carlo Campeol.
Tiramisu, literally “pick-me-up”, is a rich combination of marscapone, coffee, sweet Marsala and sponge biscuits. Although one of the most cherished treats, it has fallen victim to the country’s economic crisis and its citizens’ changing eating habits.
The restaurant opened in 1939 but now Mr Campeol, 60, is faced with economic distress. He blamed the closure on “a collapse” in the number of customers, as Italy remains mired in financial woes.
Italians are now more frequently eating for less in bars or grabbing a snack on the run rather than sitting down to white table cloths and waiter service, he said.
Other restaurants in Italy claim to have created tiramisu, but recognition predominately is given to Ada Campeol who wanted to make a dessert which would restore her energy after giving birth to her son.
