Champion of the Week
Alex Del Vecchio, Pizza Chef, Sicily Restaurant
Hi, my name is Alex del Vecchio, and I work as a Chef at Sicily Restaurant in Chesterfield. I’m known by my team as the ‘Pizza Man’ because of my passion for serving authentic Sicilian pizza.
Sicily is a family-run, independent restaurant based on Sheffield Road, and we’ve been honoured to win several awards since opening five years ago.
What is the greatest achievement for your business in the last year?
Our greatest achievement has to be cooking food for the Palermo football team, when they visited Chesterfield to play against Leicester City in a friendly during the summer. Palermo is my hometown team, and it was such an honour to cook food for the players and staff. We even got to meet the team when we delivered the food to them! It was such an amazing experience for us.
How would you describe Chesterfield and North Derbyshire in three words?
The three words I would use to describe Chesterfield are history, home and friendly.
What is your favourite place to visit in Chesterfield?
I love visiting the SMH Group Stadium to watch the football and cheer on the Chesterfield team. I also love visiting all the great pubs in Chesterfield. There are so many to try!
How is your business becoming more sustainable?
We cook our food fresh, ensuring we minimize the amount of food waste coming out of our kitchen. We take pride in ensuring food is of the highest quality, whilst also trying to do our bit for the planet.
Why do you love working in Chesterfield?
I love working here because there is a real family feel here in Chesterfield, and that is replicated in our restaurant. We have such a passionate team, and we love to make our customers feel at home when they visit us. The people in Chesterfield are very friendly, which makes it such a great environment to work in.
How is your business supporting young people locally?
We often take on young people to work in our restaurant, providing them with vital experience in the food, drink and hospitality industry. We help them to gain those key skills of communication, customer service and confidence to help them progress in their careers.
Which upcoming development will have the greatest impact on Chesterfield, and why?
The work taking place to revitalise Chesterfield Market is very important for the town. The heritage of the market helps to bring people to the area, and I think the current work taking place there will provide the opportunity for more visitors to explore our fantastic independent businesses.
What is your vision for Chesterfield and North Derbyshire by 2030? How can this be achieved?
In the next six years, I would like to see even more pubs and restaurants in Chesterfield, rivalling some of the bigger cities nearby. I have lived in the town for seven years now. During that time we’ve seen new developments come to life, bringing new opportunities for people and businesses. I hope we can continue the momentum into the next decade!
