Many famous Italian chefs learnt their skills and love of cooking from their beloved mamas, or nonnas (grandmothers), and Stefano Bergamin, owner of Richmond's Bacco restaurant, is no different.

"Back home in Treviso in Italy I loved to cook with my mum, Antonia," he said.

"We have a big garden at home where we grow our own food. We hardly buy any vegetables."

Stefano left home when still a teenager and came to the UK to learn English and learn the hospitality trade at a five star London hotel.

After seven years at the Four Seasons Hotel in Park Lane and a further two years at One Aldwych Hotel, he was ready to start up his own business. He was still only 28.

The Italian restaurant he opened in Richmond, Bacco, used to be what Stefano describes as "an old-fashioned coffee shop".

"I decided to convert it into a restaurant. I loved Richmond and thought at that time there weren't many independents - it was all chains."

Freshly made dishes

Stefano describes the food on his menu as the higher end of Italian cuisine.

"We are not a pizzeria. We provide home-made pasta, made by chef Luca. We make our own desserts, we bake our own bread."

Given a choice himself, Stefano will opt for a simple meal: "Home made pasta with arrabbiata sauce, or tomato and basil."

Shutting down the restaurant he has run for 21 years during lockdown came as a shock, even though Stefano was watching events in northern Italy closely - his family are from the Veneto, next door to Lombardy, the province that was the epicentre of Italy's appalling covid crisis.

"We were trying to be positive. Hoping that in the UK it would be different from Italy and Spain. But in March we had to close overnight."

Bacco was closed completely for two-and-a-half months, but then Stefano and chef Luca decided to reopen for takeaways.

"It felt a lot better because now we were doing what we love doing.

"We gave customers an incentive to come out from their homes, walk down to Bacco, catch up a little bit."

Business after covid

Stefano's quiet and easy manners and the interest he takes in his guests may partly explain the loyalty of his customers.

"Since reopening we have had an amazing response," he said.

Stefano was apprehensive about reopening since coronavirus changed the rules of restaurant dining.

"How would it work, with such a small space," he said. "But we had help from a covid risk assessor and we only had to make a few changes, such as the distance of the tables, sanitising stations around the restaurant and training staff how to socially distance. We are lucky because we have an outside deck for people to eat on, as well as space inside."

"Now that people are back, laughing and joking, it's a good feeling. The soul of the restaurant is back."

As I leave, Brian, a faithful and frequent customer, turns up and Stefano goes over for a chat.

"Brian lives alone but he likes company," Stefano said. "When we reopened he told me 'You saved my life.'"

Up close in Richmond

Richmond Barbers owner George Angeli

Orange Tree director Paul Miller on his ambition to restart shows in early 2021

Urban Pantry coffee shop