Don Alberto’s at The Loom

Lancashire Magazine sat down for a chat with Alberto & Claire Halluni and Salvatori Suad, owners of new restaurant Don Alberto’s which will be opening at The Loom in Leigh this month!

Here’s what we gleaned about their exciting new venue…

Hello! It’s lovely to welcome Don Alberto’s to Lancashire. Is this your first restaurant?

n Alberto: This is our third restaurant but first venture into Greater Manchester which is very exciting for us. We opened our first restaurant, Don Alberto, in Holmes Chapel in Cheshire in 2015 with the aim of bringing fresh authentic Italian food to the village. The restaurant was named ‘Don’ after my favourite film- The Godfather – Don means Lord in Italian! I like to think I’m the Don of Italian food, but Claire is the Don of our incredible dessert menu!

In 2019, you opened a second restaurant. What can you tell us about that one?

n Claire: Don Alberto is part of the community in Holmes Chapel and has a very strong local following. Indeed, the success of that restaurant led us to open a second restaurant Il Padrino (meaning Godfather!) in neighbouring town, Middlewich at the end of 2019. Il Padrino is a much larger venue, in a listed building which was formerly a cinema. It offered us a fantastic opportunity to expand our remit to include a bar and lounge area, alongside an extended menu and regular entertainment.

Sounds fantastic! But then Coronavirus hit both restaurants in early 2020. How has the past year been for business?

n Alberto: No one could have predicted the horrendous year of trading that we faced. Neither restaurant has any outdoor space, so both have effectively been shut now for over a year. We swiftly had to adapt to offer a takeaway menu for the first time ever. Thankfully our loyal customers have adjusted with us to help keep both restaurants afloat.

You’ve also been extremely supportive of the local community at your own expense, haven’t you?

n Alberto: Yes. We decided early on to do as much as we could to support our local community. We’re extremely proud of the teams at both restaurant for how they stepped up in the crisis. Throughout last summer

Above: Alberto with his Hero Award from the High Sheriff of Cheshire

we delivered free food to NHS staff for 15 weeks at huge cost to the business, but it was something we felt we had to do. We put others first and found some positives in a desperate situation. In recognition of our services to the community last year, I was honoured to be given a Hero Award by the High Sheriff of Cheshire.

2020 also ended on one high for you. Can you explain more?

n Salvatori: Yes. Like every other hospitality venue we had a very muted festive season in 2020, so we were thrilled when Cheshire Life magazine rang during our Christmas break to tell us we had won The Go Local, Keep Local Restaurant of The Year award. It meant so much for us to know we had the support of our local community. It was a lovely boost to start 2021 on a positive even though we were back in lockdown. It was during that time that we began looking for a third restaurant and planning for the future.

And what made you choose The Loom?

n Salvatori: Initially it was the location as I, business partner and head chef, live on its doorstep. The former Frankie and Benny’s property at The Loom stood out as it offered us a lot of space indoors and outside. Not having outdoor space at our other two restaurants has made trading during Covid 19 very difficult. We saw an opportunity at The Loom to hedge our bets with plenty of indoor space but also seating outside if there are future lockdowns.

n Alberto: We also loved the building’s position on a retail estate which again is something very new for us but appealed in attracting a more diverse audience. Claire and I have three young children age 2,4 and 7 and we know all too well that need to grab a quick bite 88

when we are out, and the kids get hungry! Don Alberto’s at The Loom will offer daytime cakes, drinks and light bites, alongside a full Italian menu. There will be something to suit diners of all ages throughout the day. In the evening it will evolve into a more traditional restaurant perfect for couples, families and those celebrating special celebrations.

You are midway through the renovations of the building right now. What can we expect when it opens? and restaurant. The colour scheme has unique finishes and we’ve brought in the same seating style as the other two restaurants. We’re also installing some dining booths to give guests more privacy and there will be plenty of table choice both inside and out. A new feature wall has divided up some of the interior and there is a bar/lounge area which will serve our Italian cafe treats in the mornings. We will be offering guests a warm welcome and Italian ambience at its best with hopefully some live music and entertainment when restrictions are lifted. We can’t wait to see it. What’s on the menu for when you open?

n Salvatori: Our reputation in Cheshire has been built on the delivery of traditional Italian food with a twist and Don Alberto’s at The Loom will be the same. All our food is sourced fresh from the market each morning so there will be changing meat and fish specials each day. Of course, we will offer all the classics expected of an Italian – pizza, pasta and great salads - but alongside this we hope to tempt diners to try some less well-known dishes such as Sicilian rolled pizza called Rotolata and Italian burgers. Our dessert menu will be hard to resist, freshly made cakes and Italian delicacies alongside something special for the children which we are currently working on! Everything is cooked to order and we are always happy to amend dishes to suit dietary requirements. Gluten free pasta is fast becoming one of our most requested foods! n Alberto: We can’t wait to give local residents a warm Italian welcome to our new restaurant. We are confident they will not be disappointed by Don Alberto’s.

Thank you so much for your time and good luck for the opening!

For further information follow

@donalbertosattheloom

on Facebook and Instagram.

NUTRITIONAL RECIPE

SERVES 2 SMOOTHIE INGREDIENTS: 300g of frozen raspberries or strawberries (or a mix of the two) 1 medium cooked beetroot (diced) 1 frozen banana (chunks) 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional) 250ml milk (or plant-based milk) 1 tbsp maple syrup

TOPPINGS: 300g of frozen raspberries or strawberries (or a mix of the two) 1 medium cooked beetroot (diced) 1 frozen banana (chunks) 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional) 250ml milk (or plant-based milk) 1 tbsp maple syrup

PLUS SEEDS SUCH AS: Chia

Pumpkin Sunflower

HELEN JAMES HEALTHY HAPPY

Easy ways of including more colourful fruit and vegetables in your diet

Very Berry Smoothie Breakfast Bowl

This is perfect for warm summer days when you feel like eating ice cream for breakfast!

Method Combine the frozen fruits, beetroot, milk, maple syrup and protein powder (if using) in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and thick. Transfer to a bowl and add your toppings - that’s it!

HELEN JAMES HEALTHY HAPPY

Easy ways of including more colourful fruit and vegetables in your diet

Peach and Lentil Salad

This salad is great on its own or as a side for a barbecue. I often use quinoa as an alternative to couscous, it has a higher nutrition profile with more protein, iron, magnesium and calcium. Plus it’s gluten-free for those who have particular requirements.

Method Put the quinoa and water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil on a high heat and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover with a lid. Cook for 15 minutes then rinse with cold water in a sieve.

In a large mixing bowl add the quinoa and the remaining ingredients. Mix well and add salt and pepper to taste. Crumble over the feta cheese if using.

NUTRITIONAL RECIPE

SERVES 4 INGREDIENTS: 180g quinoa (uncooked) 600ml of water

200g cooked lentil (such as puy or green) 2 peaches (pits removed, chopped) 30g flat-leaved parsley (finely chopped) 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 tsp cinnamon pinch of salt

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS: 100g feta cheese