Restaurant up for FOUR awards in contest
A LOCAL restaurant is going for glory in FOUR categories at a major national awards ceremony.
Staff at Punto in Kilmacolm were thrilled to find out they had been listed as finalists in the best barista, best wine selection, best team and best pasta categories at the upcoming Italian Awards, on November 27.
Manager Anna Ferguson says she is thrilled to see her team receiving recognition for their hard work.
She said: “It’s very exciting, we’re so happy to be up for all these awards.
“It’s really livening up in Punto, we get a lot of families, cyclists and other passers-by coming in.
“We’re still a baby restaurant, but things are going really well.
“The team here is brilliant, they’re all very hardworking and great at what they do.”
Romesh Fernando, who is one of Punto’s chefs and is competing in the best pasta category, is optimistic about their chances.
He added: “I’ve been at Punto for a while and it’s a great place.
“Before I came here I’d worked in a lot of Italian restaurants which gave me a good understanding of authentic Italian cooking.
“We’ve got a good team and we can win these awards.
“If we could do it that would be amazing.”
In addition to recent arrival Anna, Punto have recently welcomed Marina and Anya Kotelnykova to their team.
They arrived in the area after being forced to flee their homeland of Ukraine earlier this year.
Anna says the pair quickly adjusted to life in Scotland and became an important part of the business.
She added: “Marina and Anya came here speaking very little English, but they’ve been fabulous since they came here.
“People love coming in and talking to them, they have a great relationship with all the customers and staff.
“They have a brilliant attitude and they’re lovely girls.
“Marina has barista training, so she’s great at making coffees. “They’ve settled in so well.” Marina, who had worked in the hospitality sector for six years back home, says her colleagues have made her feel very welcome.
She said: “I’m enjoying it, the staff are very good.
“We have a great manager and I love working here.
“When we started here our English wasn’t very good but it’s much better now, we’ve had a lot of support.”