Giovanna Eusebi is the founder and co-owner of Glasgow’s award-winning Eusebi Deli. Celebrating their 10th year, after moving from the East End to West End a decade ago, she explains how her Italian heritage and Scotland’s larder create a unique mix

An authentic take

Ten years ago we disrupted the Italian dining scene, because everything was very stereotypical. Our ethos was seasonality, sustainability and showing a different side of Italian dining; something more real and authentic. We decided to make pasta from scratch every day. We baked all our own pastries and bread, and we worked with lovely local suppliers. We also wanted to show the regionality of Italy, from north to south – so we highlight unusual dishes from Chiomonte, from Sardinia, from Puglia. 

Seasonal delights

When I was a child, I’d go and stay with my grandparents, who were southern Italian farmers. You learn that there’s a real toil in harvesting – at this time of year, grapes and chestnuts and so on – but with that comes a celebration. So you have the bean festival or the grape festival, and you would stuff yourself – and then you don’t eat that again until the following year. That’s the beauty of seasonality. So that’s my food memory, which now feeds into our autumn menu. 

Eusebi Deli in the West End

Customer love

What you put into the universe is what you get back. It’s about generosity and kindness. I think that’s how you build relationships with people, through that genuineness – and people in Glasgow can tell fake from real. Our journey has been through generations. I’ve still got people that come in, who my grandfather served in Partick in his ice-cream van. Food is an incredible thing in terms of building relationships.

Today and tomorrow

Every day is different for me but communication is vital. Whether that’s working on new projects, a marketing strategy or where we’re going for the future, which could be this Christmas or 10 years from now. So, in a day, examining customer and guest feedback, looking at our menus, at our sales, at where we can improve. Our motto is: do what we do today, but do it better tomorrow.

People passion

My team are the framework of everything that we do. It’s about seeing people grow and evolve. You get a real kick out of watching a 17-year-old coming in and not even being able to carry a tray or hold a knife properly and then a year down the road, you have some real success stories. We’ve had some great situations: a girl who went on to [two Michelin-starred restaurant] Le Manoir, having been inspired after working with us, someone else who’s gone to work at some of the very best restaurants in Australia; and they all keep in touch with us. It’s like this big family network, where people sometimes move on but we’ve been a part of igniting that passion in them.