A COUPLE whose corner shop provided a taste of Italy to ocean-going passengers around the world have finally called it a day.

The shutters have come down for the last time at Italo and Rosa Guttoriello's Eastleigh delicatessen.

Since moving to the railway town 20 years ago, Italo and his wife have built up a huge following for their continental treats and customers flocked to their High Street shop, Ital Food, from all across the South.

But family business, which specialised in Italian food, also gained a reputation for supplying pasta to Southampton-based cruise liners.

Italo, 63, moved to Eastleigh after running a mobile grocery service in the Basingstoke area. He said: "It's been very hard but I have enjoyed meeting the public and making new friends. The pasta has been a big seller and we've sold around 100 boxes a week.

"People like to shop here because we could offer them quality products they couldn't find in the supermarket."

The business had been a seven-day a week commitment for the husband-and-wife-duo and they never managed to take a holiday together.

But now the couple plan to take it easy and will have more time to spend with their five grandchildren.

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.