About

Vincenzo Santomauro was born in Salerno in 1942 on Christmas Day. His grandparents were from Castellabate, where they owned a farm without electricity. He spent all his school holidays there, gaining early exposure to traditional food and wine production, including grape crushing and fermentation.

He later graduated as a surveyor in 1963.

In 1964, he chose to move abroad for work. His options included Germany, Sardinia’s Emerald Coast, or England. Despite speaking only a little French and no English, he chose England, inspired by its forward-looking vision under Prime Minister Harold Wilson.

At the time, England was still rebuilding after the bombings of 1941–1942. Santomauro worked on large-scale housing projects in East London, contributing to the construction of approximately 4,000 homes per year in areas such as Hackney and Tower Hamlets under the Greater London Council.

This work continued until the 1980s, when Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher ordered the closure of the Greater London Council, resulting in the dismissal of around 33,000 staff.

In 1975, while still involved in construction work, Santomauro founded Casa Julia, a specialist importer of premium Italian wines. The business was created to meet growing UK demand for authentic Italian products at a time when Italian restaurants were scarce and often relied on French or German wines.

During the 1980s, the number of Italian restaurants in the UK increased significantly. Customers who had travelled to Italy began requesting wines such as Chianti, Frascati, and Valpolicella, driving demand for authentic imports.

A key turning point came in 1985, when an entrepreneur named Boizett opened one of the first pizzerias in Soho, London, and introduced Peroni Nastro Azzurro beer to the UK. This led to wider distribution opportunities, and Casa Julia expanded rapidly in the beer market.

At its peak, the company distributed around 800,000 cases of Peroni and grew its portfolio to include 88 international beer brands such as Budweiser, Budvar, Corona, Sol, Moretti, Menabrea, Beck’s, and Stella Artois. This period became known as the “golden age” of foreign beers in the UK.

During the 1990s, Casa Julia invested in a peeled tomato factory in Campania. This move was influenced by Linda McCartney, who promoted Italian vegetarian products in the UK.

The company began supplying organic and specialty foods, including vegetarian parmesan, additive-free tomatoes, and egg pasta made with free-range eggs. This marked a shift from a beverage-focused importer to a broader food and drink supplier.

In the early 2000s, pizza became one of the most popular foods in the UK, even surpassing fish and chips in popularity. Pizzerias expanded rapidly, with Boizett’s chain reaching around 600 locations at its peak before later declining.

During this period, Casa Julia continued to grow alongside the expanding hospitality sector.

In 2009, Casa Julia began importing Caputo flour, recognising its popularity among pizza chefs. Imports grew dramatically from 400 bags per year to around 2 million bags annually.

The company also focused on importing San Marzano tomatoes, becoming one of the leading importers in the UK, ranking second in volume.

Today, Casa Julia operates as a major UK wholesaler and distributor of Italian and international food and beverage products. Based in Braintree, Essex, it supplies restaurants, cafés, pubs, hotels, and retailers nationwide.

Its product range includes wines, beers, spirits, soft drinks, pasta, flour, tomatoes, and other Italian essentials. The company also provides nationwide delivery, seasonal product updates, and customer support services.