Costante Imports celebrates 50 years of bringing Italian food culture to Preston
A WELL-KNOWN family business has celebrated 50 years of culinary service and has some high-profile names among its clientele.
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A CULINARY institution in Preston celebrated fifty years of operation with a gathering of family, friends and food last week.
Costante Imports has serviced Italians and Australians from their Bell St shop front since 1968.
Giovanni and Maria Costante immigrated to Australia from Loreto Aprutino, Italy as part of the post-war migration from Europe.
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As the Italian community grew Mr Costante, an engineer, began making wine pressing equipment in his Fitzroy North garage.
The business expanded and the pair bought a storefront at 377 Bell St, Preston where they remain to this day.
To celebrate the achievement, the Costante daughters, son-in-laws and grandchildren produced a commemorative cookbook with recipes and tributes from a range of chefs and customers.
High profile dishes include gnocchi from Guy Grossi of Grossi Florentino and a risotto from the Italian Consulate General.
Mr Costante said he was proud of his achievements and put his success down to treating his clients like family.
“I like to run the business that way, a friendly sort of thing, we have mutual trust,” he said.
And despite fifty years in the same location he still looked forward to going to work every morning.
Mr Costante, his wife Maria and his five children all work in the shop in informal roles, helping out with whatever they can.
The business now stocks hundreds of products for commercial and personal cooking.
In a speech to the guests son-in-law John Mitris said the family were proud and wouldn’t be there without their customers.
Mr Mitris acknowledged the hard work of their parents and looked forward to the next generation continuing and preserving their traditions.
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