New Italian deli to open in historic Lichfield cinema building 

A historic former cinema in Lichfield is set to come to life again as a new Italian deli prepares to open its doors this summer. 

Mangia Mangia will launch next month in one of the ground-floor units of the Old Picture House – once the Regal Cinema – which first opened to the public on July 18, 1932. The deli’s owners hope to welcome customers around the same date, marking a new chapter in the building’s history. 

The Regal originally seated 1,000 people in the auditorium and another 300 in the circle before closing in 1974. It later became a bingo hall and, more recently, a Kwik Save supermarket. 

The shop shut in 2007, and the building has stood empty ever since. It has recently been converted into 38 apartments above three new commercial units, including the one that will soon house Mangia Mangia. 

The Tamworth Street business is the creation of South African-born Alison Ranwell, who moved to Lichfield from Italy in 2017 with her Italian husband Francesco and their daughters Isabella and Emily. 

She said: “In 2017 we decided to move our family to England and we stumbled across Lichfield by chance. We visited on a beautiful sunny Saturday – the Fuse Festival was in the park and there were lots of people about – and so we ended up here and we have stayed here.” 

Alison had spent 20 years teaching English in Italy and hadn’t planned to open a food business, but the Covid pandemic prompted her to question what she wanted to do with her life. 

She began cooking and delivering her mother-in-law Nonna Lili’s lasagne to local customers during lockdown, chatting to them on their doorsteps from behind their masks. That small beginning soon grew into a regular presence at the Lichfield Producers’ Market, an Aperol Spritz pop-up bar at local festivals and events and a popular Italian supper club at The Hub at St Mary’s. 

In 2022, Alison launched a blog called The Italian Way, linking food with location through her own photography and stories, followed by a cookbook Appetito: The life, soul and taste of Italian home cooking. 

Earlier this year, she was approached by a local businessman who had taken on the Old Picture House site. With no Italian deli in the city, Alison saw an opportunity to offer something different. 

She said: “Lichfield has a big food culture, and people like to shop local, shop small and support independent businesses. There are so many cafes in Lichfield but it’s missing a deli. 

“We’re going to have big fridges with olives, cheeses and meats, and lots of different things that you won’t find in the supermarkets. We’ll have Italian coffee, and our lasagne and stuffed paninis that people can eat in or take away.” 

The business will also feature a spritz bar in the evenings, live music, pasta-making classes and a welcoming atmosphere for families. 

Alison is funding the venture with a £25,000 Biz Britain loan and is embracing a reuse-and-recycle ethos – using refurbished catering equipment and enjoying the challenge of working to a tight budget. 

She’ll be running Mangia Mangia – which means ‘Eat up, eat up’ – with her 20-year-old daughter Isabella, and Nonna Lili’s lasagne will continue to be a staple.  

Opening hours are expected to be Tuesday and Wednesday from 10am to 3pm, and Thursday to Saturday from 10am to 9pm – with the deli transforming into a spritz bar after 6pm. 

Alison said: “We are really excited to fill the space again and bring people in. People have a lot of good memories of the building over the years and are looking forward to coming back. 

“It’s a bit scary to launch something with so many shops closing, but we are bringing something different – an authentic Italian experience.”