The time I spent in Australia and the level of hospitality out there inspired me. I fell in love with Italian food on the job – I worked for Vittoria Group in Edinburgh for a long time. Working alongside good chefs and sommeliers, I fell in love with Italian food and wine. There are 20 different autonomous regions in Italy and I think we’ve got wines from every region. You’re spanning 1,000 miles and a totally different range of climate, terroir, history and culture of winemaking. The most interesting thing for me about Italian wine is that native grapes are prized. It makes it fun as a sommelier, you can always offer a point of difference to people. We knew we would sell lots of Amarone, Barolo and Chianti, but Lambrusco actually is one thing that’s been really fun and interesting. There are loads of Italian wines that have suffered a bad reputational hangover from the ’90s, but if you get really nice Lambrusco, it’s such a good aperitivo. As a team we love Sicilian wines too and what we are passionate about tends to reflect in what we sell. Edinburgh’s getting to that stage where great restaurants are opening across the city, not just in the centre. That’s a really healthy thing that we should celebrate. The dining scene has become a lot more relaxed. More places like Sotto are opening, where we try to take the stuffiness and the intimidation out of things.
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Published: 09 February, 2026
New independent Italian Vieni opens its doors at the Goodsyard in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter early this month, promising Nonna-inspired cooking from Agrigento in Sicily. Chef-founder Angelina Adamo, who has spent a decade working across various Michelin-starred restaurants and hotels, and manager Charlotte Carter will draw on generous regional cooking and Sicilian street food to recreate a taste beyond the popular Italian image of pizza and pasta. From lemon granitas to whole sea bass and chargrilled beef ribs, decadent cannoli and affogatos, the drinks menu naturally dips into Sicilian wines, with spritzes and Italian liqueurs also to the fore. With 40 covers in this light and airy development, Vieni should easily meet its brief of being the flagship hospitality venue at Goodsyard.
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Published: 06 February, 2026
The late Sir Terence Conran’s original vision of bringing Milanese elegance to London will be expanded further, with the third Sartoria restaurant set to open its doors in early February in London’s Square Mile. A trio of chefs from Sartoria’s sister venues will bring a shared love of Milanese gastronomy and refinement to a fresh audience. A wine list of over 100 SKUs will showcase the best of Italy, while the bar will serve post-work aperitivi to thirsty patrons. The suave interiors combine mid-century Milan with Conran’s original passion for “sharp tailoring, rich textures, and sartorial elegance”. Keep an eye out as the venue is the first in a series of new Sartoria locations being launched by the Evolv Collection in 2026.
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Published: 11 September, 2019
Bellavita Expo has announced a “massively” expanded show for this year with the November event poised to showcase more exhibitors from across the wider Mediterranean region.
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