27 Feb 2024
At the heart of the ethos of Fleetville Greek restaurant Souvlaki City is a desire for customers to feel they have not only been welcomed into the owners’ home, but are enjoying a meal at their table whilst feeling part of the extended family.
In fact family is another driver for Giorgo and Maria Nasso, as not only was one of the reasons behind them moving from Greece to the UK being to give their children better opportunities, but they also embrace their staff as members of that same close-knit family.
The couple moved to the UK in 2017, collected the keys to the Hatfield Road restaurant in March 208, and opened their doors for business in January 2019. After a successful first year, they had just started working with a renowned takeaway delivery service when the pandemic hit, a move which saved them through the various lockdowns.
“It was very hard for everybody, not just us,” Giorgo says gracefully. “We source our meats from local farmers, but 80 per cent of our ingredients and supplies come direct from Greece.”
These supplies include white oregano sourced from a village outside Athens, plus Greek-produced pita bread, olive oil, feta cheese, wines and beers, all with the aim of capturing the genuine flavours of their homeland.
Before leaving Greece, Giorgo worked in the security systems industry, but had always harboured a desire to create an authentic Greek restaurant where he would enjoy eating. Souvlaki City captures that vision and bottles it.
“The recipes all came from my grandmother, who lived to the age of 96, and reflect my real passion for food. It’s like cooking at home. We don’t use chefs because they have their own ideas about the dishes and would change the recipes. I want food as I like it, and if it’s not good I can’t serve it.
“We have a team who have been with us for more than four years, and are happy working here. It’s a real family feel.”
Giving something back to their loyal customers – many of whom are neighbours from the immediate area – as well as the wider St Albans community, has always been reflected in the way the restaurant has supported local schools like Fleetville and Mandeville with vouchers for raffles, or their incredible generosity helping the work of Open Door and St Albans Action for Homeless.
During the pandemic Souvlaki City provided hot meals for users of Open Door night shelter, and although that service ended when Covid restrictions lifted, Giorgo and Maria continued providing food for SAAFH, just recently providing 20 portions of meatballs in pasta.
“Everybody should have access to food,” Giorgo insists. “Nobody knows if it will happen to them, we’re all just a few steps away from being homeless, and we try to do what we can to help.
“It’s a hard situation with the cost-of-living, it’s a struggle for everybody.
“We never used to see trolleys parked up outside Morrisons, but now there are rows of them as everybody is shopping with baskets because they can’t afford to buy as much.
“We’re surviving, but it’s tough with the energy crisis and the cost of supplies, and we need more time to establish ourselves. We closed for a week at Christmas because it was so quiet.
“Fortunately the community in Fleetville have helped us out a lot, using us for collections and deliveries if they couldn’t eat in the restaurant.”
Maria adds: “We’re so very grateful for the way the community has supported us. We’re trying our best to make the restaurant feel like our house, our home, and our customers are our family.”
Sharon Linney, community action officer at SAAFH, said: “Giorgio and Maria offered to help us last year and they regularly feed our homeless friends and anyone in need at our food runs, held every Friday and Saturday evening outside Barclays Bank in St Peter’s Street at 8pm.
“With rising costs and so many businesses struggling we are so thankful for their kindness and generosity. I hope readers of the Times will support them in turn!”
