Jenny Monroe speaks with Will Crawford from Angelo’s restaurant

The Lisburn man knew he wanted to work in the catering industry from a young age and after college he trained with a French Chef before working in well-known restaurants in the area.

After 28 years of serving the finest Sicilian Cuisine, Angelo Marano retired from his beloved restaurant on Piper’s Hill in 2012 where he had become known for his warm welcome and repartee. Today, Angelo’s Restaurant is enjoying a renaissance under the ownership of Lisburn man, Richard Graham, who himself has over three decades of experience in the hospitality industry in Northern Ireland.

My working day starts at 9.30am when I arrive at Angelo’s when and I have a chat about how the day is going to pan out with Richard Graham the owner.  

Angelo’s is open every lunchtime and evening, Tuesday to Saturday, so I have to work every weekend – it’s part of the territory. 

I will begin to sort out deliveries and check that the fridges are stocked and prepare food for the day ahead.

I then sit down with the second chef and go over what we are making that day. I am always looking out for new recipes and dishes to wow customers with.

I have introduced a selection of healthy eating options on the evening specials’ menu which have proven very popular with customers and I also make all my own ice creams in-house and bake all my own breads, which feature prominently on the menus. 

Lunch service starts at 12 noon so I have to be well organised and ready for the first orders. As well as the normal menu I create extensive daily specials which are inspired by both Italy and Northern Ireland. I have been given free reign in the kitchen which is great as I can be as creative as I wish using fresh local produce. 

Sometimes, but not always, I get a break in the afternoon for about an hour.

During my break I will go to Belfast and get fresh fish for our specials that night and then I’ll head straight back for evening service at 5pm. I like to serve the freshest ingedients and this is a great way of doing just that.

I will spend the evening cooking and it is great to be busy as it means we are doing something right.

The food is going down a storm and this means so much to the team.

The job is extremely demanding but I enjoy the buzz and I get a lot of satisfaction when customers enjoy their dining experience.