Giancarlo Fanigliulo never expected queues when he opened Marrone, London’s first dedicated tiramisu café in Soho this August. What he got instead was chaos.
“I was expecting a buzz, but I wasn’t expecting queues around the corner,” he admits, still shaking his head at the surreal scene. Within two and a half hours, every pot had vanished.
This wasn’t just beginner’s luck. We’re witnessing something bigger: Britain – and indeed much of the world – has fallen head over heels for tiramisu. The coffee-soaked dessert is having a moment, transforming from humble Italian family recipe to cultural phenomenon.
From Café Counters to Convenience Aisles
The evidence is everywhere. High street coffee chains have rolled out tiramisu-flavoured lattes and cappuccinos as seasonal specials. In America, Dunkin’ currently offers four different tiramisu-inspired drinks. Supermarkets aren’t far behind – Tesco reports a 5% increase in own-brand tiramisu sales over the past year, with their premium Coffee & Amaretto variant selling nearly 10% more. Marks & Spencer saw an even steeper climb, with tiramisu product sales soaring 27% year-on-year.
It’s not just about eating the real thing anymore. Haagen-Dazs and Carte D’Or now churn out tiramisu ice cream. London’s Buns from Home has created a tiramisu-flavoured croissant-dough hybrid. Social media feeds overflow with homemade versions and videos showcasing “tiramisu drawers” – those Instagram-perfect trays of individual portions served straight from kitchen drawers.
A Towering Trend
The obsession reached new heights – literally – in March when chefs assembled what Guinness World Records certified as the world’s longest tiramisu: a staggering 440.6 metres. Though some questioned whether it truly counted as one continuous dessert or merely a chain of smaller portions linked together.
Britain isn’t alone in this fixation. Sheffield’s Paradiso began serving innovative twists like “latte-misù” – iced coffee crowned with a slab of tiramisu – back in 2023. Last year saw the opening of Secret Layers in Paddington, a TikTok-viral venture where customers purchase the dessert from a tiny wall hatch. Even weddings are embracing the trend, with couples opting for tiramisu towers served in coupe glasses instead of traditional wedding cakes.
Why This Matters
But what drives this sudden craving for a dessert that’s been around since the 1960s? Lisa Harris of Harris and Hayes food consultancy sees it as nostalgia meeting indulgence at the perfect cultural moment.
“A good tiramisu is actually an exercise in balance – the coffee, the cream, the sponge,” she explains. “There’s not much to it, yet it’s this shorthand for indulgence.” The rise of “Little Treat Culture” – rewarding oneself with small pleasures during uncertain times – has made tiramisu the ultimate comfort food.
“When people are perhaps eating out less, in the current economic climate, indulgence becomes more coveted,” Harris notes. “Someone just thinking about what dessert they’re going to have is a bigger deal now.”
More Than Just a Dessert
For Fanigliulo, opening Marrone wasn’t just about capitalising on a trend. The 30-year-old left a career in tech sales because he noticed something missing: “When you think of tiramisu, there’s never been a brand associated with it.”
His version draws from his Italian grandmother’s recipe, offering three variations – classic original, dark chocolate and sea salt, and pistachio – each priced at £10 per pot. Unlike the dense, sliceable blocks many encounter, Marrone’s tiramisu is light and glossy, reflecting Fanigliulo’s personal preference.
Standing in his kitchen, watching him layer coffee-soaked ladyfingers with ethereal mascarpone, it’s clear why his creation resonates. This isn’t just dessert – it’s edible nostalgia, a taste of something familiar yet elevated.
Why it Matters
The tiramisu phenomenon reveals more than mere culinary curiosity. It speaks to our collective need for comfort and connection in uncertain times. As economic pressures reshape spending habits, people seek affordable luxuries that deliver maximum satisfaction. Tiramisu – with its perfect marriage of bitter coffee, sweet cream, and nostalgic familiarity – fills that role beautifully. Its dominance across cafés, supermarkets, and special occasions suggests we’re not just eating a dessert; we’re consuming a feeling. And in today’s world, that emotional nourishment may be just as essential as the calories themselves.