Marcello La Valle was born in Argentina to Italian parents. At the age of 10 his family moved back to Italy and settled in Calabria on the southern coast, where his father bought a small fishing boat and made his living selling his catch in the local street market. His young son loved accompanying him on fishing trips and then on to the market. He soon started working in a local fish restaurant, firstly as a busboy before progressing to kitchen porter. He showed a natural flair for cooking and rose swiftly through the ranks, achieving head chef status before the age of 20. The brightlights of London were too tempting and he soon left Calabria. In London he started at Gallo D'oro in Kensington and then San Martino in Knightsbridge. He also spent several years with the Balls Brothers Group in the city. Marcello joined Sargasso Sea about 18 months before it actually got off the ground, and demonstrated his unwavering belief in the project sticking with it despite several major planning setbacks during this period.