A Mother’s Legacy Lives on at Mamma Gina

In 2025, a new Italian café and bistro opened at 93 Clifton Street in the heart of Lytham. Named Mamma Gina, the establishment was created by Alessia Figus as a tribute to her late mother, Gina, whose love of cooking and family hospitality provided the inspiration for the business. Bringing traditional Sardinian influences to the Fylde Coast, Mamma Gina became another addition to Lytham’s growing collection of independent restaurants and cafés.

The story behind Mamma Gina is a deeply personal one. Alessia’s mother died in 2015, leaving behind memories of a family kitchen where food represented much more than simply preparing a meal. Gina believed in welcoming people, taking time over cooking and bringing family and friends together around the table. Her generosity, warmth and respect for tradition left a lasting impression on her daughter, who wanted to preserve those values through a restaurant bearing her mother’s name. On the restaurant’s website, Alessia recalls how nobody ever left Gina’s kitchen hungry and how preparing food was her mother’s way of making people feel at home.

Alessia was already established in the local hospitality industry through her involvement with Un Momento, an Italian restaurant in St Annes. Mamma Gina was developed as a sister establishment, offering a more informal café and bistro experience while maintaining the emphasis on traditional Italian cooking. The restaurant’s identity was particularly influenced by Sardinia, the Mediterranean island whose culinary traditions formed an important part of Gina’s heritage. Its food reflects the simplicity and variety of Italian home cooking, with freshly prepared pasta, focaccia, seafood, pastries and sharing dishes featuring alongside more familiar breakfast and lunchtime favourites.

The premises themselves have a history extending considerably further back than the restaurant. Commercial records identify an ironmonger’s business associated with T. T. Ormrod at 93 Clifton Street in 1895. By the early twentieth century, the property had become associated with the clothing trade. A historical directory identifies Ernest Holland Mumford as a costume specialist at the address, while later records indicate that his business continued there into the 1930s. These changing occupations reflect the development of Clifton Street as one of Lytham’s principal shopping thoroughfares, serving residents and visitors through successive generations.

In more recent decades, the building became associated with the town’s café and restaurant trade. Among its previous occupants was Bertie’s, a café remembered for its breakfasts, lunches and refreshments. The premises were subsequently associated with Bar 93 and Dalvee Streetfood and Bar, reflecting the changing character of Lytham’s hospitality scene. Although the precise dates of these businesses have not all been established, they illustrate how the property continued to adapt to changing commercial demands.

The building also forms part of a group recognised for its local architectural and historical interest. Fylde Council’s Local List of Heritage Assets includes the Ship & Royal Hotel and the adjoining properties at 93–99 Clifton Street. Although this recognition does not constitute statutory listed-building status, it acknowledges the contribution these buildings make to the character and historic streetscape of central Lytham.

Against this historical background, Mamma Gina introduced a distinctly personal interpretation of Italian hospitality. Open throughout much of the week for breakfast and lunch, with Saturday evening dining, the establishment combines the relaxed atmosphere of an Italian café with dishes inspired by Sardinian family traditions. Its menu includes handmade focaccia sandwiches, freshly prepared pasta, seafood, salads and traditional Italian sharing plates, together with homemade pastries and coffee. The emphasis is on creating somewhere customers can gather, enjoy a leisurely meal and experience the welcoming atmosphere that Alessia remembers from her mother’s home.

For Alessia Figus, Mamma Gina represents more than the establishment of another restaurant. It is a way of keeping her mother’s memory alive through the traditions she passed down, ensuring that her approach to food and hospitality continues to be shared with others. The business also adds another chapter to the commercial history of 93 Clifton Street, a property that has accommodated a variety of independent enterprises for well over a century.

From its earlier days as an ironmonger’s shop and costumier to its more recent use as a café and restaurant, the building has continued to evolve alongside Lytham itself. Today, Mamma Gina brings together that local history with the culinary traditions of Sardinia, creating a lasting tribute to a mother whose influence continues to be felt far beyond her own kitchen.