Every time there are events, we can see that it’s affecting positively our business.
Francesco in Just Italy Restaurant © Hazel Plater
I’m Francesco I’m the owner and the chef of Just Italy cafe, a little cafe restaurant that is based in North Shields in Saville Street. We open more or less three and a half years ago and we are trying to bring our experience here in North Shields and sharing not only my food experience, but all related to my country to my customers.
I arrive in UK just before Covid so not the best time for every country, but I came here because I was tired of Italy. I was running my own business; I was really stressed and tired and my kids were growing. I was thinking of their future so I decided maybe for them would be a better option would move somewhere else. I have a friend already living here in Newcastle and he saw what I was doing in Italy and he saw my stress and said, “Oh listen you have to come in UK. Come in Newcastle and try to replay what you are doing here with work, you would have more satisfaction.” And so, I say, “Why not, why not give it a try”.
I come first for a couple of weeks to see if I could deal with the British winter and actually, I realise it was not too bad. I start working in a restaurant in Jesmond and then after 1 year I moved to Liosi’s café on the river in Newcastle. I had the chance to be head chef and make more experience and then after 15 month I say now I’m ready to open my own place.
I started looking around investigating about what would be a good place to open and I just ended up here in North Shields. It was not what I was looking for but it was the right size for my idea, so I say okay, let’s start in here, and here we are now.
It’s tough sometimes to deal with some situations especially at the beginning. But I have the support of a lot of local people for what I was doing so that gave me always the strength to go ahead and don’t give up. Good changes are coming and affecting even this part of North Shields and now after three and a half year I consider it totally happy to be here, it’s good.
My favourite space to be honest is the fish quay. I love it early in the morning when everything start, when you see the working people around and you can feel the vibes. It reminds of home and I have goose bumps now because that part is a bit like the coastal town of south Italy so it’s bit like a reminder because we have as well the fish market on the coast in the mornings. For me, is a way to reset, have like a clear of my mind, understand from where I start, where I am and it’s the perfect place to do that.
Harbour House have been really brave to do what they are doing especially in this time. I really appreciate what they are doing, create, build this space where different people meet and grow together and mix together, it’s amazing. Every time there are events around like at the Salt Market or at The Exchange, we can see that it’s affecting positively our business. So, it’s a good thing when they are new business doing good things and they are attracting people, it’s a benefit for all the community, all the businesses.
I hope just that they keep doing what’s actually happening because there are so many artists, creative people that are investing their time, energy, putting effort in North Shields. So, I hope these movements will keep going because it’s made me feel in the right place and it’s made me feel safer as well. It’s been tough, so seeing that all the business and all the people are investing in North Shields, hopefully these things will go ahead.
I hope the refurbishment works they are doing will affect this area as well so it will be good to have a good cleaning here as well. Then what I’m missing from Italy what I wish to have here is not something easy to realise but a bit of sun a bit of a warm temperature would be appreciated but unfortunately, I think we can do nothing about it. My families are all in Italy, so I miss them. But I was saying at the beginning, being part of this community I never felt a foreign person, I found really welcoming and friendly people around me and they make me feel home and that is something I wouldn’t think before coming here. I thought that this part of integration with the community would be more difficult, I’m really glad and happy for that so yes.
My hope is just that I will be able to keep doing what I’m doing because I love cooking for people, I love sharing my experience with people. Cooking for someone is like showing love to someone and I do this for all my customers. You can see in my menu I think in my dishes I put really love, passion what I do because this is what I love really to do. So, if I am able to keep doing what I am doing this is the best thing for me and just keep having people appreciate what I am doing and that’s it. To be honest, I want always for love to grow and trying to do better and better. That’s it.
Francesco was interviewed as part of the North Shields 800 Voices Project.