Prada-Owned Italian Pastry Shop to Open First Store in London

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Category: Lifestyle/Entertainment

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. artisanal / ɑːrˈtɪ.zənəl / (adj) – made traditionally or by hand
    Example:

    People pay a lot of money for artisanal bread.


  2. aesthetic / ɛsˈθɛtɪk / (adj) – beautiful or pleasing
    Example:

    The shop had to be renovated for aesthetic reasons.


  3. upscale / ˈʌpˈskeɪl / (adj) – high quality and usually expensive
    Example:

    I can’t afford to stay at an upscale hotel. I don’t have enough money to pay for it.


  4. delicacy / ˈdɛlɪkəsi / (n) – referring to a special kind of food that is usually rare and expensive
    Example:

    Snail is considered a delicacy in France.


  5. confectionery / kənˈfɛkʃəˌneri / (n) – candy or other sweet food
    Example:

    The café sells breads, cakes, pastries, and other confectioneries.


Article

Read the text below.

A famous pastry shop co-owned by Italian luxury brand Prada will open a branch in Mayfair, London, this April.


Pasticceria Marchesi, also known as Marchesi 1824, is a favorite hangout spot of the fashion industry’s elite during Milan Fashion Week. It is a family-run pastry shop that first opened in Milan in the early 1800s. The shop is widely known for its freshly-baked artisanal pastries and sweets, as well as an aesthetic and “Instagrammable” interior with antique decorations.


The new branch, which will be located at the upscale Mount Street in London, will be Marchesi 1824’s first shop outside Italy.


The London outlet will have a bakery, a pastry counter, and a café. It will offer the shop’s iconic Italian delicacies, like the sweet bread panettone [pan-i-TOH-nee], sugared almonds, Italian hot chocolate, as well as other confectioneries.


Because of its almost 200-year history, Marchesi 1824 is considered as one of the oldest and best pastry shops in Milan. The patisserie [puh–TIS–uh-ree] also continues to use cooking traditions from when it first opened in the 1800s.


The London branch will be the third Marchesi 1824 store since Prada acquired majority of the patisserie in 2014. Marchesi 1824’s continued expansion is in line with Prada’s aim to promote the Milanese pastry shop locally and internationally.


Journalists conclude that buying Milan’s historic pastry shop has been a way for Prada’s current head designer, Miuccia Prada, to give back to her hometown and to uphold an important piece of its culture.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• What do you think is the appeal of very old establishments, like Marchesi 1824? Discuss.
• Do you think expansion is a good way to preserve Marchesi 1824 and Milanese culture? Why or why not?

Discussion B

• In what other ways can influential people promote and preserve their hometown’s culture?
• If money were not an issue, what culturally-significant shop or establishment in your country would you preserve? Explain.