Well-known restaurant to become new Italian eatery '“ complete with imported firebrick pizza oven

The team behind Ponteland’s Blackbird Inn, in Northumberland, have acquired Amiro’s in Rickleton.

For the next six weeks the Italian restaurant, in New Road, will undergo refurbishment and a rebrand, and will be relaunched as San Lorenzo in mid-May.

After taking over the Blackbird Inn a year ago and helping to make it popular with punters, businessman Stuart Young is hoping to repeat the success at the Washington site.

“The takeover isn’t a spur of the moment thing, we’ve been looking for locations for a while now, and in the former Amiro’s I think we’ve struck gold,” he said.

“It’s the next step for us and will see us trying something completely different.

“It seems like it’s just one good piece of news after another for us lately, so naturally we’re delighted.”

San Lorenzo, which will also be an Italian restaurant, will create 25 jobs in the area with waiting staff, bar staff and chef positions being made available in the coming weeks.

Highlights at the new eatery will include importing a firebrick pizza oven from Italy to make pizzas in the traditional method, as well as a classic Italian menu.

Mr Young added: “As someone who has spent many years in the restaurant scene in the region and in Washington in particular, this feels like I am going home to my working roots.

“As a group we just keep growing and now, especially with the takeover and expansion, we’re entering an exciting time.

“Hopefully, Washington will take us to their hearts as much as Ponteland has.”