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Dish of the Day
When Victor and Carina Contini opened Centotre in April 2004, they had a vision for providing good, wholesome food to Edinburgh's discerning diners. But as restaurateurs in Scotland know only too well, it's not only about providing great food - it's about atmosphere and friendliness, and it's about serving great food too.
When the Continis were searching for the ultimate in up-market tableware, they found La Porcellana, which provided all the equipment, expertise and superior service they needed to compliment their establishment.
Catering in Scotland looks at the recipe for their success and finds it adds up to more than just the sum of the ingredients…
From its base on the city's thriving George Street, Centotre has in the last two short years built a reputation for quality and simplicity through a mix of freshly prepared Italian fare served in convivial, relaxed surroundings. In La Porcellana, Carina saw an opportunity to enhance their service by utilising top quality tableware to serve up their critically acclaimed food:
'We use a lot of plates and cutlery in Centotre and La Porcellana know just what it takes to make the food look its best,' she says. 'They already supply respected hotels like the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa and their high quality Australian fine china is far superior to anything else we've seen. It has a nicer glaze and overall finish to it which makes it perfect for our needs.'
La Porcellana's range of plates, cups, cutlery and indeed, according to Carina, 'almost everything that has a place on a table,' fits in well with the surroundings at Centotre, and their network of suppliers means they can deliver to a client's premises virtually overnight. 'We source our glasses from Italy, and if we suddenly require more it can take up to three or four weeks for delivery,' continues Carina, 'but with La Porcellana, if we need replacements or additional items they are delivered very quickly indeed.'
And the quality of craftsmanship in La Porcellana's range is another a key selling point: 'If you run a hotel or catering business you need to know that the cutlery you use is durable and reliable. Everything we have ordered from them is in the same condition as it was when we purchased it two years ago.'
Having heard Carina's testimony it's clear that it takes more than just good food and a friendly atmosphere to make a successful and popular establishment like Centotre work in a busy and competitive market like Edinburgh's restaurant scene. But one thing is clear: if you can match your service to the quality of your food, you'll have a far better chance of realising that success.
This article has been edited from the original. To view the feature in full, please see Catering in Scotland magazine. To join our database, go to Media Pack on this website and click on Subscribe.
