Carrickfergus-based Castello Italia has been named as the Ulster ‘Takeaway Restaurant of the Year 2022.’
The restaurant won the accolade in the recent YesChef Takeaway Awards 2022.
It was also highly commended in the awards’ Ulster ‘Pizza of the Year 2022’ category.
Hosted by YesChef Ireland the annual awards are designed to celebrate the stars of the Takeaway Industry in Ireland.
Programme Director, Nicci Smith says, there have been lots of stars during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We held our first Takeaway Awards in 2019 and little did we know what lay ahead for us all and the challenges that would face the industry. Food is not just a necessity it is a joy, a pleasure in life, a sensory experience, something that lifts us at the end of a tough week!
“Owners and staff in takeaways across the country were on the frontline with a smile on their faces and a willingness to go the extra mile. Restaurants pivoted to deliver takeaway food and throughout it all quality improved and standards were raised. And I don’t say that lightly, each and every business was independently assessed, and the standards were superb. I need to point out that researchers also found the level of service to be superb.”
Artur Cufaj, owner, Castello Italia, which is based as 28 Scotch Quarter in the town, said he was thrilled.
“When the pandemic hit, like lots of businesses we had to alter our offering to continue to serve our customers. We quickly re-calibrated and started providing a takeaway service, which proved to be phenomenally popular. As COVID-19 restrictions eased, we recognised lots of individuals were still apprehensive about social interactions, so we maintained our takeaway offering to cater for our loyal customer base,” he said.
Mr Cufaj adds, “As a business, we have previously won YesChef Best Italian Restaurant awards, but being so new to the takeaway scene and achieving this success is an indication that our approach has been right. We have applied our restaurant standards to our takeaway offering and customers recognise and appreciate this.”
Castello Italia opened in 2017 and was born from a passion for Mediterranean cuisine.
Its goal is to offer classic flavoursome dishes synonymous with Italy in a relaxed cafe and restaurant environment set across two floors and overlooking Belfast Lough.
From creamy gelato and wholesome lunches in the cafe area to pasta, pollo and Prosecco in the refined restaurant setting, Castello Italia’s menu has been attracting the approval of restaurant-goers from Carrickfergus and beyond.
For further information check out https://www.castelloitalia.co.uk.