England’s men's rugby league team paid a visit to a popular Bury restaurant last night, Wednesday, for a taste of Italian before the World Cup kicks off.
The team squeezed into Verona on Silver Street to try out its well-loved cuisine, and judging the pictures of them inside the premises the squad had a great time.
Among the most popular dishes were the pepper steak and lobster ravioli, which owner Stefano Zuri said went down a treat.
The 43-person booking took Stefano by surprise as he said he thought it was a hoax at first.
After their visit, he has praised the team for being so "down to earth".
He said: "I'm very proud to have them in!
"All of them are very nice people and I would be very happy to have them back.
"They are very down to earth and easy to deal with, the most popular dish was the pepper steak and lobster ravioli which my chefs Manuel and Yury made to perfection."
Speaking about when he first recieved the booking, Stefano said: “I didn't believe it at first, I thought somebody was messing about.
“You know in this line of business you have a lot of competitors, so I really did think somebody was just messing with me.
"It wasn't until the second phone call that I actually believed it.
“I'll be honest with you, I don't know why they chose to come to us, I was really surprised.
“It's only a small restaurant and I know we have a good reputation but I didn’t expect that.
“I’m very pleased, there are a lot of restaurants in Bury and they've chosen us so I'm very happy.”
The England kick off their World Cup campaign on Saturday, October 15 against Samoa.
ALSO READ:
- Popular Bury bar shut as repossession notice posted on building
- Successful horse rescue after two-hour struggle in Radcliffe
- Farmer's shooting threat as lamb savaged and left to die by dog
If you have a story tweet @BuryTimes or @Heywoodharriet_ or email Harriet.Heywood@newsquest.co.uk.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here