Lunch With The Locals : Gianna Cinalli

EasyFoodN5
Jul 30, 2017 · 4 min read

Welcome to the first in my regular (ish) blog spots where I have lunch with people local to N5 and we chat about eating, drinking & living in and around Highbury.

GIANNA CINALLI — LOCAL LADY AND GENERAL MOVER & SHAKER!

If you live in N5, you have probably met Gianna Cinalli — it may have been in the Highbury Barn Tavern watching her favourite team on the big screen or selling cupcakes at one of the annual ‘Paint Highbury Pink’ events, which she tirelessly helps organise year after year, along with the family of Michelle Lovell.

Gianna’s parents both lived on Kelross road before they met, which was also on Kelross road; Dad was fixing cars and Gianna’s mum used to walk past him on her way to work! The rest, as they say, is history. After they were married they moved round the corner to 54 Highbury Park, which was where Gianna grew up with many happy memories.

Whilst living in Highbury Park, Gianna tells @EasyFoodN5, that her Dad built the block of flats at the top of Kelross road. A good businessman, he rented all of the flats out apart from the ground floor which he moved his family into and they lived for many years.

“When I was growing up on ‘The Barn’, there were two of everything: 2 chemists, 2 butchers and 2 hairdressers.” Recalls Gianna. “I worked in Gabriella’s Hairdressers back in the day, helping out the owner, a flamboyant Irish guy called Patrick. We had great fun; it was all rollers and blue rinses in those days! It was where ‘Dear Pizza’ now is, on the end.” When I asked Gianna about food on The Barn then, she laughed and told me how she used to go and buy cheese rolls and cups of strong tea for breakfast from Aldo’s café, which is now Iznik.

Some things haven’t changed though muses Gianna: she feels that the amazing community atmosphere still remains. “Mum used to say she was ‘just popping up The Barn’ and she’d be gone hours! She’d just got chatting. It’s still like that now; it takes me ages to do my shopping — thankfully!”

Despite her Italian upbringing, Gianna confessed to EasyFoodN5 that she could not cook a thing when she first married her husband, Steve; “I was ‘Mrs M&S’ in those days. I was always really embarrassed when Steve’s mum came for dinner. I used to buy ready meals and throw away the packaging! I would never dream of doing that now.” Gianna is a complete cooking convert since attending a cookery course at Leith’s Cookery School when her eldest daughter, Molly (now 21), was a baby.

Favourite Chef? I asked. “It changes all the time but this week, I really like the Hemsley sisters, I love the way they write — and their Dahl is to die for.” Gianna admitted to being a bit of a cookbook addict. “I need to put up some more shelves at home as Steve keeps tripping over the piles of recipe books — I must stop buying more, but I just need the one with that Dahl recipe…” she laughs.

When I asked Gianna which was her favourite restaurant, she looked less happy.

“Easy, but sadly it’s not there anymore — Granita on Upper Street.” At this point, Gianna looks all wistful, almost as if she is transported back in time. I asked if there was any dish in particular she remembered; “ I can’t put my finger on one dish alone — everything was special — food ahead of it’s time, always a small menu but everything was just stunning”

Knowing she is a coffee fan, I had to ask… “As well as Highness of course, we laughed, one of my favourite coffee places at the moment is Fromagerie, which serves a really good coffee but I also love the coffee at Papassino, the new deli on Blackstock road.” Gianna tells me that although Papassino hasn’t been open long it is so busy that they’re having to add extra tables at the back.

When exhausted in the evenings, which is it: takeaway or cook? “I’m not into take-aways usually. If I really don’t feel like cooking we just pop down the road to Il Guscio; their food is fantastic and such good value.”

So what’s on the agenda for the next few months? I asked. A wry smile came across Gianna’s face as she produced a leaflet with “Paint Highbury Pink’ emblazoned across the top. “We are going to have the biggest and best PAINT HIGHBURY PINK this year.” She beamed. Paint Highbury Pink was the brainchild of Michelle Lovell (of Mrs Lovell’s Greengrocer and To Be Established), to raise money for Breast Cancer charities after her own fight with the illness. Sadly, Michelle lost her battle against the disease earlier this year; “so this year’s PHP is all the more poignant — relaunched by her family and friends in Michelle’s honour.”

Paint Highbury Pink will take place on Highbury Barn on Saturday 7th October. There will be a website up and running shortly with more information.

Gianna and @EasyFoodN5 met at ‘Highness’, 21a Highbury Park, we both had the feta and tomato salad (although Gianna had a more healthy option with less dressing and @EasyFoodN5 asked for extra).

EasyFoodN5

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I’ll show you some easy recipes and tips & intro you to some Highbury foodie places too.

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