This week, we were lucky enough to enjoy a lovely meal courtesy of Britmums and Prezzo in The Printworks in Manchester. Over the years, Manchester has become like a second home to us. My eldest daughter Megan went to university there, shortly followed by her younger sister Ella who has now completed her degree and is about to start her Masters. We love Manchester's vibrancy, its heritage, its sporting and musical history, its cultural diversity, the shopping and the restaurants. It's a great city to visit and a place where we feel at home.
The recent attack on Manchester left us feeling utterly shocked and heartbroken. This wonderful, welcoming city has been violated in the cruelest and most callous way, but in the aftermath has showed itself to be more resilient, proud and defiant than ever. People from all walks of life are standing together, holding each other closer and finding strength and love through unity.
As a mother, I have held my children even closer than usual, reminding myself of the importance of living the best lives that we can, becoming the best versions of ourselves that we can be, and celebrating the blessings that come from being a family. Family means everything to me. Being the matriarch of my wonderful, ever-growing family defines me and gives me purpose and so much joy in this world.
We love to do things together and eating out as a family is always a lot of fun, allowing us all to relax without worrying about the cooking or washing up afterwards. Dining out always means lots of laughs, plenty of uninterrupted conversations and the opportunity for spending quality time together away from the TV, laptops or iPads. Exactly what we need to be doing; consolidating our togetherness and celebrating family life.
The Prezzo restaurant in The Printworks in Manchester is a really great venue to grab a family meal. It has a very welcoming atmosphere, with cosy booths that allow families to sit together comfortably. The staff were very friendly and helpful and we felt very relaxed and ready to experience their La Famiglia Feast.
Prezzo's La Famiglia concept makes ordering for a family really easy. You simply choose a big sharing bowl of Penne Arrabiata, Spaghetti Bolognese, Spaghetti Carbonara or
Penne Alla Rusticana and it arrives at your table with a serving spoon and four bowls. It embraces family dining as you serve yourselves at the table. It adds an element of home style intimacy and fun to your mealtime. No squabbling, no food envy and no stress over choosing from the menu - you all eat the same, together. As you serve yourselves, you can adjust everyone's portion size to suit their appetite. More for daddy and less for the little ones, so there is no waste. There really was plenty to go round and it was nice to be able to serve up some seconds when our first bowls were empty. All the perks of eating at home with none of the hassle!
We chose the vegetarian choice, Penne Arrabiata, which is penne pasta served in a tomato and chilli sauce. We asked if the chef could make it mild so everyone could enjoy it and they were more than happy to oblige. It's good to know that everything is freshly made in the open plan kitchen. The dish had some lovely chunky pieces of tomato running through it. It had the appeal of being made from scratch, using real ingredients, just like I'd do myself (but with none of the effort!)
The pasta was really tasty with a gentle kick of heat. Perfect to suit everyone's taste. I played 'Mama' and served everyone a delicious bowlful of Penne Arrabiata from the sharing bowl. The pasta was served with garlic flat bread, and we all ate our fill. I loved the novelty of the La Famiglia sharing bowl. We felt far more engaged as a family, embracing the theatre of intimate Italian family mealtimes within the restaurant setting. It really was fun and made a real change to traditional restaurant dining.
I love to see my kids having fun together. Food is often at the centre of family celebrations. There is something about sitting down and eating delicious food together that creates a relaxed atmosphere. Smartphones are cast aside for a while and we can give each other undivided attention. Everyone from the youngest to the oldest gets a chance to shine and be a part of something bigger than themselves - a part of La Famiglia!
Rounding off our meal with some Italian ice cream and sorbet was the perfect ending for our La Famiglia Feast. The Blood Orange sorbet was really fresh and fruity and came in a perfectly chilled glass bowl. It's the little things like that, which make dining out such an enjoyable experience.
We had a lovely time celebrating family life, eating some authentic tasting Italian food and enjoying the Prezzo La Famiglia dining experience. In these times where we are all reeling from the negative things happening in our world, it is more important than ever for us to stand together and stand up for our right to celebrate our lives in the most positive and enjoyable way: spending quality time with the people we love, sharing good food and supporting the community that we feel such a part of.
“This post is an entry for the BritMums #PrezzoLaFamiglia Challenge, sponsored by Prezzo. https://www.prezzorestaurants.co.uk/LaFamiglia/."