The homemade focaccias of two young Sardinian emigrants are all the rage in Manchester, England .
They are Enrico Pinna , 29 years old from Iglesias , and Daniela Steri , 26 years old from Musei , founders of "Ad Maiora", a home-based restaurant business which in a short time has become a sort of small institution in the Northern Quarter of the great British industrial city.
An activity capable of attracting the spotlight of the local press and collecting hundreds of flattering reviews on Deliveroo , the popular app for home delivery of food, thus gaining a precious boost to be able to open a real restaurant as soon as possible. own.
When and why did you leave for Great Britain?
«After graduating we immediately found ourselves out of work and with very little professional experience, but we didn't lose heart. So, with the money saved after a summer season in Sardinia, we decided to leave for England, to improve ourselves and learn a new language».
Why in Manchester?
«Actually at the beginning we landed in London. But after a year's experience in the capital, where we worked in the restaurant sector, in 2018 we decided to move to Manchester, a slightly smaller and much less chaotic city. And we liked it right away."
In Manchester Enrico worked as a chef in a very popular café, while Daniela was employed in a famous hotel in the centre. At a certain point, however, almost by chance, a new adventure began.
«We started making our focaccias at home, for our friends – Enrico and Daniela explain again – and they were immediately much appreciated. So we came up with the idea of trying to sell them on Deliveroo, an app that allowed us to start making people aware of our product. And we immediately had a great response».
Do you do everything in the kitchen of your apartment?
"Yup. The idea of temporarily leaving home came to us because, living in the heart of Manchester, it's an excellent strategic point for transforming our apartment into a sort of "laboratory" for creating sandwiches which we then sell».
How was the customer response?
«Local English and Italian customers love our focaccias, so much so that on Deliveroo we had more than 200 reviews in just two months with a score of 4.9 out of 5. Now our goal is to be able to open a real place as soon as possible. own".
What ingredients do you use in your focaccia?
«Typical ingredients of the Italian tradition: 'nduja, burrata, mortadella, salami and so on».
And Sardinia?
«On the menu we have a focaccia dedicated to our land. It's called "Zozzona" and is inspired by Cagliari street food. Inside there are sausage, onion, roasted potatoes and smoked scamorza cheese. It is our workhorse. But we are thinking of importing typical Sardinian cured meats and cheeses, because we are sure that our customers will love them».