Giovanni & Luca

Italian restaurateur Giovanni Telese, part of North Devon’s rich foodie scene, came to the UK in 1994 at the tender age of 22 to learn the language. What he didn’t expect was that within 20 months he’d be running a restaurant in Oxford, setting him on a career path that would take him to the stunning shores of North Devon.

Giovanni’s plan had been to stay in England just a few months, working a couple of days a week in a restaurant run by a family friend from his home village, 40 minutes from Salerno. However, when the owner was forced to return to Italy due to family commitments, Giovanni found himself in charge, eventually taking over the underlease alongside good friend and restaurant manager Bruno Palpini.

Certain that being a restaurateur was for him, but just not in Oxford, Giovanni hatched a successful plan to move to Ilfracombe and run a restaurant with Bruno called Ciao Italia. Despite being a huge success, the restaurant was too small for the two of them and so Giovanni sold his shares in the business and moved to set up his own restaurant in Barnstaple.

Up to this point, Giovanni had been using an Oxford-based accountant. However, he now wanted someone more local and so he asked his ex-boss Ciro Vece, who ran Gino’s Spaghetti House in Exeter, for a recommendation. Top of his list was Simpkins Edwards.

Like many business owners in the food, drink and hospitality sector, Giovanni was looking for more than just a bookkeeper; he wanted an expert that could provide guidance and advice, drawing on the specialist knowledge of colleagues to help his business at every stage of its growth. In Simpkins Edwards, he found that and more besides.

Commenting on his relationship with the firm, Giovanni says: “I’ve used Simpkins Edwards since 2000, when I owned Giovanni in Barnstaple.

“They’ve been with me every step of the way, advising on changes in the partnership and managing the restructuring of the business as it has grown. They provided guidance on the purchase of the restaurant in Ilfracombe, which I set up in partnership with my good friend Luca Rivellino, and helped us incorporate the business as a limited company.”

Today, Giovanni & Luca is run by Giovanni and his wife Donatella Malzone. His old business partner, Luca, returned to Italy in 2016.

“When Luca left the business, Jilly Watson and her team advised us on how to buy back his shares tax efficiently”, says Giovanni. “They’ve helped us with our personal tax and given guidance on our future plans for the business, including strategies for extracting profit. On top of that they handle our quarterly VAT returns, corporation tax, company accounts, payroll and auto-enrolment, as well as our property rental accounts.

“Whatever our query, they are always there, which means we’ve been able to focus on what we do best, which is cooking and serving authentic Italian food, using fresh, locally sourced produce as well as the very best of goods from the Italian homeland.”

Giovanni prides himself on the fact that almost all his staff are of Italian heritage, and that includes his oldest daughter Lucia, who works part-time as well as in the holidays, and even his son Salvatore who regularly talks to the customers. He’s also very proud of the fact that he’s worked with the same chefs, Sebastian and Gianluca, since the business started in 2009.

Together with wife Donatella, who makes the sweets and works in the restaurant as front of house, they are taking the business from strength to strength.

As Giovanni says, “2018 was a record year for us and 2019 looks even better. We’ve seen more people than ever come to North Devon and a growing number of visitors are dining out. Maybe it’s the impact of Brexit? Whatever the case, it’s been good for our business.”

The restaurant itself is a popular evening venue, which also offers a mouth-watering lunch menu. With main dishes starting from under ÂŁ10, Giovanni & Luca offers something to everyone, including a range of vegetarian, gluten free and vegan dishes, alongside traditional Italian recipes that have been passed down the generations.

Among his most popular dishes are Pollo Mamma Lucia, a dish named after Giovanni’s mother, who taught his head chef how to make the sauce; packed full of flavour featuring sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, fresh chopped tomatoes, olive oil and chilli sauce.

Every day throughout the busy summer season, his team of chefs make fresh lasagne and cannelloni pasta as well as handmade pizza dough for their extensive range of pizzas. His chefs also create specials that change every two to three days, including the like of heavenly Ravioli filled with ricotta and crab in a cherry tomato and chilli sauce.

Little wonder then that during the summer, from June to September, the restaurant is so busy that they often have to turn people away. With 50 covers and the ability to cater for up to 100 guests a night, it’s clear that this little piece of Italy is a real gem for those in the know, and well worth a trip, whatever the time of year, for that irresistible taste of Italy.

www.giovanniandluca.co.uk/01271 879394