
Our History

About La Locanda del Duca
Gian Luca Albertoli
At the end of my studies, I went on to work in several hotels in Italy including the Grand Hotel at Gardone Riviera (lake of Garda), Savoy in Madonna di Campiglio, Regina Palace in Stresa (Lago Maggiore) and several Hotels in Switzerland at Lugano and Montreux.
In the early eighties I arrived in England mainly to learn the language, and after a few years working in different places decided to settle in Brighton, where I found a position as second chef at “Taverna Sorrento”. After which I divided my time between England and Italy, until in 1986 I was offered the opportunity to become head chef of a new restaurant in Hove called Topolino.
I then moved on to work at Pinocchio in Brighton subsequently to Donatello a restaurant in The Lanes Brighton, where I stayed until 2001 when we opened Pomodoro e Mozzarella.”
Victorio Fioravanti
Then I moved on to Germany where I worked in some of the most renowned hotels and restaurants, I also gained a few years’ experience as a steward on the cruising boats of the river Rhine. After this, I travelled into France, where I spend about a year in Strasburg working and learning the language, before coming to England again wanting to learn the language, but after few months I decided to stay so found a job in a country restaurant where just a few months later I became head waiter.
I then settled in Brighton where I met my business partner Luca. We worked together for 13 years in restaurants in Brighton until we agreed to start our own company and came to open a restaurant in Eastbourne, which has now grown into two restaurants, Pomodoro e Mozzarella and La Locanda del Duca.”