A COUPLE are celebrating after their Italian restaurant was named the best family establishment in the country.

Joanne and Antonello Riu opened Antonello’s restaurant in Edgworth last year and it has now scooped best family restaurant at the first English Italian Awards.

MORE TOP STORIES:

The accolade was given to the restaurant on October 4 at Manchester’s Palace Hotel.

The gala ball and title capped off what was already a momentous day in the Riu household as the couple celebrate their wedding anniversary and their youngest daughter Giovanna’s first birthday.

Joanne, 31, said: “We first heard about the awards a few months ago and we have been promoting it in the restaurant since then.

“Thankfully people have responded really well.”

Joanne and Antonello, who is originally from Sardinia, opened the restaurant in Bolton Road in December last year.

Joanne said: “Antonello has been a restaurateur for years and I have always worked in hospitality, so when the opportunity came up we decided to go for it and open our own restaurant.

“We opened when our daughter was only eight-weeks-old, so it has been very hard work at times, but really enjoyable.”