Ponti's CEO Stefano Ispani.

Historic ice cream parlour and restaurant Marine Ices sold by Italian family

by Tim Lamden, Ponti’s will continue to serve the ice cream brand for which the restaurant for which Marine Ices were so well-renowned in the community. Tuesday, February 26, 2013
5:04 PM

A much-loved restaurant and ice cream parlour in Chalk Farm has been sold by the Italian family which started it more than 80 years ago.

The premises of Marine Ices, in Haverstock Hill, has been sold by the Mansi family to Ponti’s Italian Kitchen, a company run by the Ispanis, another Italian family.

The purchase brings Ponti’s its first north London restaurant, but the company will retain the Marine Ices name for the restaurant.

The Mansi family has not produced its own ice cream at the Chalk Farm restaurant since last May when the Marine Ices ice cream brand was sold to Criterion Ices Ltd in Suffolk, although the ice cream has continued to be sold at the restaurant.

Ponti’s will also continue to serve the ice cream for which the restaurant is so well-known in the community.

Dante Mansi, former chairman of Marine Ices, said: “With regard to Ponti’s, they have simply taken over the premises at Chalk Farm and will still be selling Marine Ices ice cream there as it has been for the past 82 years, along with their own food offering.

“They wanted a presence in north London, and we as a family were ready to retire from the restaurant business.”

Ponti’s CEO Stefano Ispani said: “We were delighted and honoured when the Mansi family contacted us with a view to taking over their restaurant at Chalk Farm.

“On retiring from the business, the Mansi family wanted to ensure that Marine Ices remained in safe hands, so both families sat down to see what could be done to ensure this happened.”

Marine Ices was established by Gaetano Mansi in 1931, who came to England from Italy in 1900, and continued by generations of the Mansi family.