A Cardiff couple has turned their shared passion for authentic Italian food into a growing online business, juggling full-time jobs and raising their young daughter as they work towards building a future for their family.
Giuseppe Tirozzi, 36, originally from Naples, and his partner Sabrina Marchese, 35, from Palermo in Sicily, launched Putia Italian Food Box in April 2026 after years of dreaming about running a business together. Giuseppe works full-time as a bus driver, while Sabrina also works alongside helping to run the business.
From Bus Driving to Business Ownership
"I was very tired from my job one day so I said we need to do something for ourselves," said Giuseppe. "We cannot do that anymore. We need to do something that can change our life."
The couple wanted to create something they could build together as a family, with their daughter's future among their biggest motivations. Giuseppe said the idea stemmed from difficulty in finding authentic Italian food in the UK. He arrived in Cardiff in 2011, initially intending to stay for a short time to improve his English before returning to Italy. However, he fell in love with the Welsh capital and decided to make it his home. Sabrina arrived in 2014 with a similar plan to improve her English before returning home. The pair met in a small café in Canton, where their relationship began.
Bringing Authentic Italian Flavours to the UK
The online business delivers Italian products to customers across the UK, bringing together traditional regional specialities, pasta, biscuits and familiar brands that can be difficult to find in British shops. "We always try to bring Italian food from Italy, straight to the UK," said Giuseppe. "It was hard to find this kind of product in the UK, even if there is something around, but it is not original."
Putia stocks products from well-known Italian brands alongside regional goods sourced through contacts back home. Giuseppe has also built relationships with small producers and farmers, helping bring products to British customers that can be difficult to find elsewhere. The business has attracted customers beyond Wales, with Giuseppe saying most of its customers are currently Italian people living in the UK, particularly in England and Scotland.
Challenges and Support
The appeal of the business is about more than just buying groceries. The couple say it's about reconnecting with familiar flavours and childhood memories. "People want something that reminds them of their country, from the moment when they were kids," Giuseppe said. The business is run entirely online, with much of the administrative work carried out at the couple's Canton home. They print order details and labels before packing parcels and preparing them for collection by couriers.
"It is very hard to think about three jobs," Giuseppe added. "We have our daughter, our family to look after, plus we both have full-time work." Giuseppe admitted that navigating the paperwork and customs requirements involved in bringing products into the UK had been one of the more difficult aspects of setting up the business. Regardless, he said: "If you want something, you take it - that's how I think."
The couple secured a £15,000 loan from British Business Bank to help get their business off the ground. Most of the funding went towards purchasing their initial stock from Italy. For now, the couple are balancing work and family, whilst also bringing a taste of home to Cardiff.
