A FAMILY run authentic Italian restaurant, Turturici in Davenham, has now re-opened following an extensive refurbishment with owner Giuseppina looking positively towards the future.

Turturici Ristorante in Davenham opened its doors just over 14 years ago now and in that time has become the most popular place to experience Italian food and drink in the area.

For Giuseppina, the restaurant is a real family affair - not only is it named after her own Sicilian family - when she opened it, she did so with husband Barry and their twin daughters Enrica and Alessandra.

Despite the 25-year-olds having their own careers now, both still remain heavily involved behind the scenes.

Originating from the province of Agrigento on the south coast of Sicily, the Turturici family, with Filippo as the head, owned agricultural land; still farmed to this day. Generations of the family have been brought up cooking with locally grown and handpicked produce and it was from these modest beginnings where Giuseppina's passion for traditional and authentic Sicilian food inspired her to open a restaurant which would remain true to that heritage and tradition.

The family decided to close the restaurant shortly before lockdown and although plenty of businesses are rightly concerned about the future of the hospitality industry, Giuseppina says she has "returned all the better after the extended break having enjoyed lockdown at home".

"We started the refurb in July, which has involved giving the restaurant a full cosmetic facelift. Although we'd decorate every year in the past, this has enabled us to overhaul all the fixtures and fittings too.

"If indeed we do go into Tier 3, people can still enjoy a meal with us.

"We've created a lovely new dining space and hopefully we can help guests relieve some of the stresses that are brought about from staying at home."

As well as changing the surroundings for diners, the restaurant has also extended it's opening hours, meaning it will now be open seven days a week and provide a weekend lunch service on a Saturday and Sunday.

Giuseppina added: “We're now also offering a take away service, something our customers have always asked us for and now seemed like the right time to introduce one."

"It's not just food we're offering for take away either, we also have a range of Italian wines and craft beers that people can enjoy at home.

It wasn't just the fixtures and fittings inside the restaurant that have been subjected to the refurb, with the village's iconic red telephone box that proudly stood outside finally being returned home after some much needed TLC.

"It's been in situ for as long as the property itself and now back where it belongs," Giuseppina added.

The restaurant has done everything possible to adhere to Covid-19 guidelines, including track and trace, temperature checks, table service, the rule of six and operating under a 10pm curfew.