A wrap up of 2021
What a spectacular year 2021 has been for Eco! From fresh faces to a brand new location, the past year has truly been a milestone in Eco’s history.
But before we listen out for Big Ben’s bongs on the 31st, let’s take a moment to look back on what 2021 has really meant for Eco Restaurants.
2021 at Eco
While starting the year in a national lockdown wasn’t quite what we had hoped for, January was most definitely a month to remember. Our focus turned to giving you the best takeaway pizzas in Clapham, which many of you enjoyed with your lockdown movie nights.
As nature began to blossom, we celebrated Easter by sharing with you our favourite traditional Italian Easter cakes. Later in the season, we were finally able to ease back into regular service, opening up our outdoor seating area. Despite some chilly days, you all came back eagerly and we can’t thank you enough for this.
In June, you embraced the beauty of Italian Summer mornings with our tasty new weekend breakfast menu. Packed with eggs benedict, croissants and more, Claphamites just couldn’t get enough of these new offerings.
While the trees turned shades of red and brown outside, we were celebrating our chefs inside, this October. Indeed, on the 20th, we showed our gratitude to the Eco kitchen team to mark International Chefs’ Day, a global celebration of the incredible work chefs do everyday to bring meals like ours to the table.
But as we said thank you to some team members, we also waved goodbye to others. In 2021, we bid farewell to Gregory, a long-standing part of the Eco team and a great friend to Sami and his family, as well as Kyrz aka “Tuna”, our genius former head chef who Sami grew up in the industry alongside. Both men were instrumental to the ongoing success of Eco, and we will miss them dearly.
October also saw the grand opening of Eco Kingston, our second branch after running the Clapham joint alone for almost 30 years. With the opening came a magnificent launch party on the 21st, with an appearance from the Mayor of Kingston who welcomed the evening with a ribbon cutting.
And what a welcome it was! Getting to know the warm Kingston community over the past couple of months has been a highlight of 2021, whether that was when we handed out 100 free slices of pizza or introduced our kids’ pizza masterclasses. We have truly been welcomed with open arms, something we could have only dreamed of when we first proposed the new venue.
So, this is a huge thank you to everyone who has supported Eco over the past year, from Clapham and Kingston alike. The pandemic has brought on many rocky challenges this year, much like it is right now, but the one thing that has always remained solid is our loyal customer base: you.
We cannot wait to ring in 2022 and showcase everything we’ve got planned for the year. But for now, we’re saying thank you to you, our staff, new and old, and the wonderful communities that define Eco as it is today.
And we can’t forget a special mention of the birth of Sami’s grandson Orion in January, an adorable member of the Eco family that has already made a huge impact on the restaurant this year and will continue to in future, we’re sure.
Happy New Year from all of us at Eco!
