1947 - 2006

In the 1930s Benjamin and his wife Rosie developed Café Riviera (popularly known as Bertorelli's), from a group of cottages that overlooked Newbiggin Bay.  It was created in stages and was eventually completed in 1937. This art deco building became his base from which he manufactured and sold his ice cream and his own blend of coffee.

The café was eventually taken over by his son, Armando (Mando) and his wife Jean, who kept it just the way it was in his father's day. Customers flocked to the café, not just for the ice cream and coffee but also for their courting and there have been numerous accounts of romances which led to long and happy marriages.  The added attraction of penny slot machines he had introduced inside the café provided hours of fun for young and old, and the two mechanical horse rides “Sandy” and “Stripey” have become legendary in their own right becoming firm favourites for many, many generations of children.

Armando, together with Ella Clarke (who worked at Bertorelli’s from the age of 13) worked tirelessly to make Bertorelli’s café Riviera the well-loved institution it is today and it is still a firm favourite for many people in Newbiggin.