A taste of Italy comes to Wick
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A FORMER North Highland College cookery student is bringing a taste of Italy to Caithness.
Chef Giuseppe De Vita (22) is opening a long-awaited new restaurant in Wick tonight.
De Vita’s Pizzeria and Café Bar in High Street is a family run establishment offering traditional Italian fare.
Giuseppe’s parents, Louie and Pamela De Vita, who live in Auckengill, own the business but have passed on the responsibility of running it to the second of their three sons.
“I went to college up here but haven’t yet finished my course so it’s been mostly through the family that I’ve learned the trade,” explained Giuseppe.
“A lot of the recipes originate from ones my grandad passed down. People can come along for a bite to eat or just pop in for an Italian coffee.”
On the walls hang pictures and photos from Italy including ones of Giuseppe’s grandfather, Bruno, in Brindisi and Rome.
The family have been in the trade for around three generations, with Giuseppe’s dad formerly in the business and his uncle, Chaz, the owner of Little Italy on Stephen’s Brae in Inverness.
The family took over the former MacDonald’s bakery premises around five months ago and have done the bulk of the renovations themselves, with Giuseppe even building a café bar and setting mini-alcoves into the wall.
The menu offers a wide range of fresh food from bruschetta and Italian meats through to pastas, pizzas and meat dishes, while children are also catered for.
Giuseppe’s speciality is home-made meatballs in a tomato sauce – spaghetti con polpette.
The chef told the John O’Groat Journal he is currently on a year-long fundraising mission to support the Help for Heroes charity after his friend died in the line of duty.
He has not cut his hair or beard since Hogmanay and is not allowed to cut or shave it until New Year’s Eve as part of the challenge.
Giuseppe plans to return to the college in Thurso in the near future to complete his cookery course.
The restaurant is currently operating a bring-your-own-bottle policy with a small corkage fee.
The family hope to have an occasional licence over the festive season before getting a full one early next year.
