Celebrity chef Gino D’Acampo has said he wants to address ‘a lot of cr*p’ that’s been written about his restaurants before launching his new Alderley Edge venture.
He said he has ‘kicked them out’ ready to turn the site into a new branch of his Luciano concept, named after his 19-year-old son.
The restaurant is set to open to the public on January 24 – but Gino had some things to address before then.
The chef took to Instagram to share a video from his kitchen shortly after returning from a break with his family in Sardinia.
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Gino D’Acampo wanted to ‘set to record straight’ in a video shared on social media. Credit: Instagram @iamginodacampo
He said: “When I got back, I saw a lot of cr*p being written about my restaurant.
“Apparently my restaurant has gone into liquidation. Now I don’t usually do stuff like this but let me set the record straight here.
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“About 10 years ago I opened a business called Pasta Bar, which is serving Italian food very fast, in the centre of London.
“We tried for 10 years and then Covid came around and I thought ‘You know what, we have to close, there’s no point to pursue with the idea’, which by the way I absolutely love.
“The pasta bar business has got nothing to do with my restaurant business, with my import business, or with any other business that I do.
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“It’s a stand-alone business that’s gone into liquidation, we have to move on.
“This is what business is all about, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.”
Luciano by Gino D’Acampo. Credit: Supplied
Gino went on to say that his restaurant business is ‘growing really well’, with three large sites to open this year alone.
One of those will be his second Luciano in the heart of Alderley Edge – the first is at the five-star ME London hotel in the West End.
Luciano will also expand to take over Chinese restaurant Yu, which announced a relocation back in June 2021 but has fallen silent since.
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Piccolino in Alderley Edge. Credit: Piccolino
Gino said in his Instagram video: “Finally I got it. Yes! I’ve always wanted to open a restaurant in Alderley Edge, and two days ago we did it.
“If you live around the area, the restaurant used to be called Piccolino, so what I did, I kicked them out and now it’s called Luciano, like my son.
“The menu is going to be amazing, I’ve invested thousands and thousands of pounds into the restaurant, brand new kitchen, everything all kitted out.”
Food at Luciano. Credit: Supplied
In a statement about his new site, he said: “I have many friends in Alderley Edge and the surrounding areas, it’s an amazing place and one in which I’m super excited to open.
“The location on London Road couldn’t be any better, it’s a fantastic property.
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“I’m looking forward to spending time here with the amazing team, and our incredible, loyal guests.”
Managing director of Luciano by Gino D’Acampo, Mat Cunningham, added: “We’re looking forward to bringing Luciano to Alderley Edge.
“Gino’s influence in the kitchen is significant, not just in terms of the sourcing of ingredients and creation of dishes, but the impact he has on chefs who love to work with him and aspire to his talent and attention to detail. He’s incredibly hands-on.”
Featured image: Supplied
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Aldi confirms ‘special’ 62-hour closure of all its 1,000+ stores across UK
Emily Sergeant
Aldi has announced that it’ll, once again, be closing the doors of all of its stores across the UK for 62 hours this year.
Christmas is always known to be one of the busiest periods of the year for the retail industry, and Boxing Day has a reputation for being the ultimate day for shopping deals and discounts in the UK – but this year, just like it has done on several years in the past, Aldi has made the decision to close all of its stores nationwide on this bank holiday.
The supermarket retailer says it wants to thank its colleagues ‘for all their hard work’ throughout the year by giving them some extra time to spend with their families.
This means that all Aldi stores will be closed on both 25 and 26 December.
That’s not all though, as stores will also be closed on New Year’s Day, and will reopen once again on Saturday 2 January 2027.
Aldi has announced a ‘special’ 62-hour closure of all its UK stores / Credit: Aldi UK
Opening hours at different Aldi stores across the UK will vary in the lead-up to Christmas, so it’s important to check the times for your local store, but the retailer has confirmed that most branches will be operating extended hours to ‘ensure customers can stock up ahead of the big day’
In the interim period between Christmas and New Year, stores will reopen as usual on Sunday 27 through to Wednesday 30 December, with reduced hours also likely on Sunday and New Year’s Eve.
Speaking on the decision to shut up shop for a full 62-hour period this festive season, Rachel Geary, who is the Communications Director at Aldi UK, said: “Christmas is a special time for our customers, but it is also one of the busiest periods of the year for our teams.
“Our colleagues work incredibly hard to ensure customers can pick up everything they need ahead of the big day.
“We never take that effort for granted. Closing our stores on Boxing Day is one way of saying thank you and giving colleagues a proper chance to rest, switch off and spend more time with the people closest to them.”
Featured Image – Aldi UK
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Three tiny ‘chaos potatoes’ have been born at Chester Zoo and they’re so cute
Emily Sergeant
Three tiny ‘chaos potatoes’ have been born at Chester Zoo… and they’re really flipping cute.
Born to parents Maris and Albert in late summer, the three rock hyrax pups – only affectionately known as ‘chaos potatoes’ – have just passed their first vet check with a clean bill of health, and now weigh roughly 350g.
Hyraxes are found across sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, where they live among rocky landscapes and are most active in daylight.
The litter includes two boys and one girl, and keepers at Chester Zoo have decided to give them potato-themed names – Russ, Spud, and Jackie.
Three tiny ‘chaos potatoes’ have been born at Chester Zoo / Credit: Chester Zoo
Currently, the three pups are a fraction of the size of the adults, which can weigh up to 4kg, but despite their small stature, they have an unlikely relative.
Believe it or not, rock hyraxes are actually a part of the same evolutionary group as elephants, as well as sirenians, which are the family of aquatic mammals that includes dugongs and manatees.
“Hyraxes are one of those species that you have to look for, but once you’ve seen them, they are fascinating to watch,” explained Megan Carpenter, who is a Keeper at Chester Zoo.
“The pups are little chaos potatoes. They are much more energetic than their parents and sometimes get the zoomies, darting about and testing their climbing and parkour skills.
“In contrast, the adults often wedge themselves into corners and grip on to steep rock faces for hours at a time. They’re incredibly well adapted to living among rocks and are much better climbers than you might expect.”
Daisy Jackson -
12th January 2022 
