Interview: Sarah Henderson

Pesto Italian Restaurants Liverpool One deputy manager and Take That enthusiast Sarah Henderson took time out from opening restaurants and, er, 'sampling' Pesto's fine Italian wines to tell us about life at L1.

How long have you been part of the Pesto team?

Four and a half years now! I have worked in all three restaurants – I opened Trafford & Liverpool and am off next month to open Glasgow too.

What is the best thing about working for Pesto?

I have had the opportunity to really be part of something here; it’s a small company so you are far more than just another cog in the machine.

What is your favourite Pesto dish and drink?

Drink wise, I love the Pinot Grigio Blush. I wouldn’t like to count how many bottles I have drunk over the years! Food wise, I go through phases of which are my favourites! Bruschetta Pomodoro has always stayed pretty near the top though…and the Fiorentina pizza…oh and I do like the gamberoni peperoncino.

What's the funniest thing to have happened to you in the restaurant?

Oh too many things to remember! I have had brilliant teams of people in all three sites over the years, there’s been so many characters who have entertained me every day!

Which three celebrities (dead and alive) would you invite to dinner at Pesto?

I would love to say someone high brow to make me look intelligent and interesting, but to be honest my life would be made if Take That had come in while they were here! Am I allowed five? Just Robbie would be perfect if not.

What inspired you to become a manager?
I just developed a passion for it very early on in my career - I love the people in the industry and have loved developing and working with all different types of people.

After a meal at Pesto, what's the best thing to do in Liverpool?

You can’t go wrong with a nice glass of wine or two on the L1 terrace on a summer’s eve! 

What was the last show you went to and how was it?
I have been to both Take That and Kings of Leon this month in Manchester. Two very different concerts but both just amazing!

What does the next year at Pesto hold for you?

Hopefully I will just get to continue helping build the brand and, if I am lucky, get to spend a bit of time in some great cities opening a couple more great restaurants…..watch this space!

That's all for now peeps - keep your eyes peeled for Pesto's Picks for August tomorrow and our latest team member introduction next week! You can also check out our latest celebrity diner here - Debbie Harry at Pesto Italian Restaurants Liverpool One!

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Interview: Adriana Scholes

The Trafford Centre is one of the UK's biggest and best shopping complexes, with almost three-hundred stores over three floors spanning just shy of two-million square feet. At it's centre is the Great Food Hall, Europe's largest food hall, attracting almost thirty-thousand hungry shoppers each week. At the very heart of the food hall is Manchester's second Pesto site, managed by Il Divo fan Andriana Scholes. We caught up with Andriana for a quick chat about what life is like at Pesto Trafford Centre.

How long have you been part of the Pesto team?

I took over managing the restaurant in February 2010 and haven't looked back

What is the best thing about working for Pesto?

Because Pesto is relatively small as far as companies go, I am privileged to be able to work with the Directors on a one to one basis, inputting ideas and feeling part of a larger family which is what Pesto is.

What is your favorite Pesto dish and drink?

Red wine is my guilty pleasure and I am very fond of our Valpolicella Classico DOC Villa Domiziano which is an excellent one, I also love the Linguine Al Cartoccio con Gamberoni which I thoroughly endorse and recommend.

What's the funniest thing to have happened to you in the restaurant?

On one occasion during a busy shift I was helping out in the kitchen preparing trays of food for customers, I happened to notice a client walking into the kitchen talking on his mobile. He was very embarrassed as he thought the kitchen door was entry to the rest room. I offered him back to his seat, and cheekily remember him asking me if I would like a drink! Left a nice tip though.

Which three celebrities (dead and alive) would you invite to dinner at Pesto?

I think if I could choose any three celebrities to dine at our restaurant it would be the Britain's got talent judges, I would love them to critique the service the food etcetera, although we can't sing or dance we can certainly outperform our competitors and having the Hoff for dinner would be so great!

What inspired you to become a manager?

I have been a restaurant Manager for over 10 years now and love my job. It's a people thing as no two days are the same and you never know what the day will bring. The Industry is spontaneous and that's what attracts me to running restaurants as well as the reward for delivering outstanding service and quality, the staff and all the people I meet are wonderful, it's what gets me up in the morning.

After a meal at Pesto, what's the best thing to do in Manchester?

Personally I think Manchester has a lot to offer with regards to dinning out, obviously many tastes are catered for but I believe Pesto TC has a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere to dine in, the food is superb and also good value which in today's climate goes a long way.

What was the last show you went to and how was it?

The last show I attended was with my husband at MEN Arena Manchester, Il Divo was playing and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there.

What does the next year at Pesto hold for you?

The future is bright; Pesto is expanding into Glasgow and has a beautiful new site with three floors and over 300 covers to service. It will be the flagship for Pesto and I for one am looking forward to visit Glasgow and dinning at the restaurant. We have seen growth even in these times of austerity and I believe we can build on this strength and make the next year just as exciting. All credit should go to my wonderful team for pulling out all the stops to make TC what it is today, and I thank them all for their hard work and diligence, here's to them and too 2012.

New to the Pesto site? Meet Francis from our soon-to-open Glasgowrestaurant here.