The highly anticipated new Piccolino Grande opened its doors this week, showcasing the very best of Italian hospitality.
The Piccolino brand is well-known for its decadent food, opulent interiors and outstanding service, and their newest venture in Wilmslow is no exception.
Following a £2m transformation, Piccolino Grande on Swan Street is a real feast for all the senses.
Elegant marble and brass interiors, a show stopping traditional copper clad pizza oven taking centre stage and a beautiful Winterised Tuscan terrace complete with terracotta flooring – this is Piccolino’s most stylish dining experience to date.
Image: Supplied
And it doesn’t stop at the interiors, guests at Piccolino Grande in Wilmslow can dine on an exclusive menu created especially for the restaurant.
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We were lucky enough to sample dishes from their bespoke menu, and it certainly did not disappoint.
From wafer thin Carpaccio Di Salmon topped with a zingy apple salsa to perfectly pink Bistecca Alla Fiorentina (steak to you and I), this is fresh Italian cooking at its finest.
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Food at Piccolino Grande in Wilmslow. Image: The Manc Eats
A standout dish was the Tortellini Di Manzo, an indulgent slow cooked beef shin filled pasta, tossed in savoury sage butter and topped with lashings of parmesan of course.
Paired with a glass of Italian red wine from their specialist wine cabinet, this truly was a match made in heaven.
But what sets this restaurant apart from the rest is the proper Italian hospitality, from the minute you walk through the door to the moment your last glass of wine is poured you’ll be treated to faultless service.
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So if you fancy escaping the city centre for an evening to experience the Italian way of dining, then Piccolino Grande is the place for you.
Whether it be to enjoy a cocktail at their elegant bar or to enjoy a meal with friends, you can rest assured you will be welcomed with open arms. To find out more and to book your table, take a look at Piccolino’s website.
Devastation after huge fire at beautiful thatch-roofed pub The Smoker
Daisy Jackson
A beautiful thatch-roofed pub has been devastated by a huge fire that torethrough it last week.
The Smoker pub in the village of Plumley is more than 400 years old and has been owned by Robinsons family brewers since 1949.
The fire broke out at around 5.30pm last Wednesday with the building quickly evacuated.
Nine fire crews attended the blaze, which burned well into the night.
The pub has now released a statement thanking all the messages of support it’s received as well as praising the efforts of fire crews, who ‘braved the flames to rescue our beloved cats’.
No one was injured in the devastating fire at The Smoker pub, though the damage is ‘suspected to be severe’.
Soon the work will begin to restore The Smoker – one of the only thatched roof pubs in the Robinsons portfolio – to its former glory.
William Robinson, managing director of Pubs at Robinsons commented: “I’d like to extend my thanks to the nine fire crews of Cheshire Fire and Rescue and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue services who both attended the fire and worked throughout the night to extinguish the flames.
“Alongside the fire crews, The Salvation Army were on site, playing an incredible role in looking after the welfare of the fire crews and others onsite.
“It will take quite some time to fully understand the level of damage that has been done, but we suspect it to be quite severe.”
The Smoker pub shared on Facebook: “After the devastating events of Wednesday evening I would just like to say THANK YOU!!
“For the countless messages I have received asking after the welfare of myself and my family, for the support of Adam and Ashleigh we could not have got thru the nite without you, for Darren dropping everything to be there while all we could do was watch…
“But most of all to the firemen that braved the flames to rescue our beloved cats and bring them out safely….
Family pays tribute to Simon Daniels after he died while paddleboarding at Dovestone Reservoir
Daisy Jackson
The family of ‘larger than life’ Simon Daniels have paid an emotional tribute to him after his body was recovered from Dovestone Reservoir.
The 29-year-old personal trainer tragically died after getting into difficulty while paddleboarding at the popular beauty spot.
Emergency services recovered a body last Wednesday, 23 October, after a huge search effort that began on Sunday 20 October when it was reported that two people were struggling in the water.
One person, reportedly Simon’s girlfriend, was recovered from the water and taken to hospital.
Simon Daniels, from Cheshire, was formally identified last week and his family have now released a tribute to him.
They describe him as a ‘friend to everyone’, with a ‘pure heart’ and a ‘larger-than-life personality’.
Simon’s family also detailed that the local community has honoured his life with church bells and fireworks, proving how ‘popular and inspirational’ he was.
Their tribute in full says: “Simon is our world, he’s funny, unpredictable and has a heart as big as an ocean.
“His larger than life and his crazy personality lit up every room and his love, kindness and inspiration touched so many people who he met.
Simon Daniels’ body was tragically recovered from Dovestone Reservoir last week. Credit: Unsplash, Josè Maria Sava
“Simon was a friend to everyone, nobody was a stranger in his eyes.
“His passions were fitness and the gym and helping others to become the best version of themselves.
“His heart was pure and he was unapologetically himself. Funny doesn’t cut it. He was hilarious. He had this power to bring everyone together. He just wanted everyone to be friends.
“He loved life and even at the darkest of times he still managed to light up the room.
“The community have also shown how much they loved Simon, church bells have rang in his memory along with fireworks. We had no idea how popular and inspirational he was in our local community.”
Simon’s family have asked for privacy whilst they grieve his loss.
Clementine Hall -
1st December 2023 
