Bella Italia

Our story actually starts in Florence (or Firenze, in Italian), the birthplace of gelato, where Luca Becattelli was born in 1970 to an Italian father and British mother. 

At the centre of Luca’s childhood was a hotel and small holding which was a converted villa dating back to the year 1800, set in 22 acres of rolling Italian countryside, nestled in the hills, just above the city, where Luca’s parents worked and lived. 

Luca recalls being taken down into Florence with his younger brother, to a gelateria called Vivoli for special a treat. This was the start of a life-long love affair with gelato for Luca.

A Scottish Start-up

There were big changes for the family as they moved to Scotland when Luca was 7 years old, purchasing the Woodside Hotel in Kelso. Not long after, the Becattelli brothers delighted in welcoming a younger sister into the family too.

Moving from the Woodside Hotel to the iconic Kelso hotel, The Cross Keys, which stands proudly on the The Square, flanked by Georgian buildings, carpeted by a cobbled square, the Becattellis managed the business for an impressive 33 years, until 2014. As Luca grew up he knew joining the family business would be more than a career, it was a calling, and when he was old enough, he enhanced is practical skills with theoretical learning by studying for a BSc (Hons) in Hotel, Catering and Institutional Management, graduating in 1992. Luca then returned to Kelso to join his parents full-time in the Cross Keys.

During their time  at the Cross Keys, the Becattelli family brought a true sense of Italian Scottish hospitality, an appreciation of food and festivity to the Scottish Borders. Weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries – whether at the Cross Keys or via their outside catering business - the Becattellis were central to celebration in Kelso and the surrounding area.

The Gelato Dream

Food, and a passion for food remained a priority for Luca, but gelato was always the dream.

In the summer of 2014, Luca attended the Carpigiani Gelato University in Bologna to further his ambition.  This experience  instilled Luca’s inspiration to make gelato for friends, family and customers.

When back in Scotland, Luca took out tenancy on The Cobbles, Kelso in 2015. The focus in the restaurant was on using local produce and making as much as possible in-house, which was perfect for his ambition to make gelato.

Starting out by making all the ice cream and gelato at The Cobbles, and receiving excellent feedback, Luca grasped the opportunity to take out the lease on The Junction shop, next door to The Cobbles in 2019, to open his very own gelateria. Welcome to Becattelli Artisan Gelato, where all gelatos and sorbettos are made on site.