Massarella’s makes announcement about cafes in Meadowhall and Atkinsons in Sheffield

Daniela Massarella, marketing and food development director at Massarella Catering Group, spoke out after the firm said it will close its store after more than 30 years in the town’s Pavements shopping centre at the end of the month. The firm has cafes on Park Lane in Meadowhall and in Atkinson’s department store on The Moor in Sheffield city centre.

She said: “All our other sites are totally unaffected, Chesterfield was out of lease at the end of this month and unfortunately despite our best efforts we were unable to agree a satisfactory new lease with the landlord of that centre.”

Massarella’s was founded by Italian immigrants in 1864. It grew into a substantial ice cream business and distributed its products throughout the Midlands and the North of England. The family business became one of the largest ice cream manufacturers in Europe and was sold in the 1950’s.

In 1963, Ronnie Massarella bought back part of the retail business and built it up to become one of the leading ice cream retailers before the business, which is still family owned, branched out further into cafes and catering.

In March 2020, at the start of the Covid outbreak, subsidiary Massarella Gelaterie Ltd closed all 32 of its outlets, all of which were in House of Fraser stores, including the one in Meadowhall which employed 15. The Group is based at Thurcroft Hall, Brookhouse, Laughton-en-le-Morthen, Sheffield.