Laura Raimondi and husband have not had their troubles to seek.
Opening a Sicilian restaurant in Scone just months before the pandemic would be difficult for just about anyone.
But the pair had the added trauma of a burst pipe in an upstairs flat render their beloved restaurant unusable in 2022.
Now, with La Sicilyana on the brink of reopening and their wine import business still going strong, they are looking ahead with the Italian way of “doing things beautifully”.
They talk us through the joys, tears, hopes and strains of running a hospitality business in an uncertain economic climate, and how just a simple “Buongiorno” can help kick-start the day.
How and why did you start in business?
For our wedding in 2015, Steven and I shipped cases of Sicilian wine to Scotland, to give our local guests a taste of Sicily. For months after, friends and family kept asking us for more – and an idea was born.
In 2017, I founded La Sicilyana: Wine Tasting and Independent Wine Importer. Our fine and sustainable wines are made with indigenous grapes from my beautiful Island, straight from some of the best Sicilian vineyards.
From the beginning, the response to our wines and our wine tasting events has been very enthusiastic.
How did you get to where you are today?
Things haven’t been easy. Building on our quick success, Steven and I decided to bring a touch of the Mediterranean to Perthshire.
In 2018, we purchased the old Bank of Scotland building in Scone and after a complete renovation, we opened in April 2019.
The bistro was barely open for a year before Covid forced us to reorganise and reopen as an Italian takeaway.
Pasta, pizza, desserts, and wine were flying out the door, so we developed the La Sicilyana app for takeaway customers, and lasicilyanawines.co.uk for our online wine sales.
As things returned to normal, we brought our beloved bistro back to life, but unfortunately, in December 2022, a broken pipe from the empty upstairs flat caused a devastating flood that forced us to close again.
The doors to the bistro have been shut ever since, but we have plans to throw them open, very soon.
Who helped you?
So many great people and organisations along the way.
Business Gateway and DSL finance, GrowBiz Scotland and Coca Cola 5by20, friend and industry specialist, Clare Pinchbeck and the formidable ActionCOACH, Rupert Hine.
I’ll add a special word of gratitude to the Federation of Small Businesses, who have always been by our side through these challenging years.
And of course, thank you to our customers. You continue to support and encourage us and will surely inject your enthusiasm into a bright new future at La Sicilyana.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever had?
From renowned Italian speaker, Ernesto Sirolli: “Whatever you do, do it beautifully!”
What is your biggest mistake?
Every mistake is an opportunity to learn and do better. Our journey has been strewn with many moments of discouragement, but at the same time, full of great satisfaction.
What is your greatest achievement?
Amazing feedback from our customers makes us very proud. Hospitality is a hard industry, and our customers have helped us achieve many awards along the way.
We’re also very proud to have brought the wines of Sicily to so many UK wine lovers, and we’ve built a strong reputation as an excellent independent wine importer.
How are you managing rapidly rising costs, and how could the government help?
Right now, the rising cost of energy and food are the biggest challenges we face. The government has not yet dealt with these massive cost increases, for businesses and households.
Also, Brexit has created a painful situation for our industry. With so many foreign workers unable to come to the UK, the lack of chefs and front-of-house staff really is harming the hospitality sector.
What do you still hope to achieve?
We want to continue as ambassadors for fine Sicilian wines, increase the range of wines we offer our customers, and grow our online shop. We’re about to open the bistro after 18 months of closure, so we’re under pressure to deliver on our already strong reputation!
What do you do to relax?
It’s very hard in this industry. We like to see friends, visit the cinema, or relax on the couch – usually with a glass of Sicilian wine.
What are you currently reading, listening to or glued to on TV?
We love reading business books (never stop learning from the best) and crime novels.
After one episode on Netflix, we couldn’t stop watching “The Gentlemen” by Guy Ritchie. It’s incredibly well made and catchy.
What do you waste your money on?
Does anyone have money to waste? When possible, we enjoy dining out or going for some retail therapy. We love a trip to Sicily to taste the latest wines to add to our portfolio!
What’s the first thing you do when you get up in the morning?
After stroking Ellie, our rescued cat, we wish each other a “Buongiorno” then have breakfast, feeling grateful and energised for the day ahead.
What do you drive and dream of driving?
We’re not fussy for luxury cars, but we love 4x4s! It makes me feel safe driving in frosty or snowy Scottish winters. We drive a Nissan X Trail after sadly waving goodbye to our “Princess” Mercedes ML200.
