Dr. Enrico De Barbieri the grand nephew of Angelo Firpo founder of the iconic Firpo's of Calcutta. He brought back a slice of Italy from the colonial past to Calcutta again through our nostalgic chat about the glorious “continental cuisine” introduced by Firpo. Angelo Firpo was awarded the OBE (Order of the British Empire) for his contributions. His famed cuisine and bakery was the talk of the town till 1977 when it closed down much to the dismay of their patrons - an end of an era.
Firpo remains not only as an Indo-Italian Connector but as much as it retains its Indo British heritage, Firpos leaves behind a truly global legacy. It was a treat reliving the old world charm of the British Raj through many anecdotes from Dr. Enrico De Barbieri. Our conversation was complemented by a read from Samir Mukherjee’s book. Samir Mukherjee is the grandson of Sir Biren and Lady Ranoo Mukherjee and his commentary on Firpos is brilliant as we vicariously relive the past with a dash of nostalgia through his writings of old Calcutta.
Many events led to this special interview at The Saturday Club Lighthorse bar. My family has enjoyed Firpos and been present at many historic celebrations at Firpo's and it was an honor to be able to interact with Dr. Enrico De Barbieri at such close quarters. The interview was at the light horse bar at the Saturday Club named after the Light Horse regiment of the British army active during the Boer War (the Anglo South African war). In 1872 the regiment was put on reserve in Calcutta. This bar was their favorite watering hole and many of them left behind memorabilia including a Victoria cross at the bar. The Saturday Club was founded in 1875 and thus has a connection to South Africa. Dr. Enrico De Barbieri was the Hon. Consul General of South Africa to Genoa for many decades and here he talks about his South African connection too. The Victoria Cross still remains preserved at the historic Lighthorse bar. Firpos leaves behind an indelible mark on the gastronomic memory of Calcutta.

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